Apache Offshore Workers Strike Over Pay, Conditions
November 3, 2026
Britain's Unite union said on Tuesday that about 170 offshore workers employed by US energy company Apache would escalate strike action in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
A 24-hour strike is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. (0600 GMT) on November 4 and end at 5.59 a.m. on November 5, the union said.
Unite also announced further strike action across Apache-operated offshore assets.
Workers on the Forties Alpha, Forties Bravo, Forties Delta and Beryl Bravo platforms are due to strike from November 13 to November 14, while workers on the Forties Charlie, Forties Echo and Beryl Alpha platforms are set to strike from November 15 until November 16.
"During any further industrial action, we will assess staffing and competence on each platform and continue operations where it is safe to do so. Where sufficient cover is unavailable, we will shut down in a controlled manner," Apache said in an emailed statement.
The union said a previous stoppage in late October brought all seven offshore assets involved in the dispute to a standstill.
Unite warned in October that disruption at the Charlie platform could affect the Forties Pipeline System (FPS), which transports crude from more than 80 North Sea oil and gas fields and handles around 29% of Britain's oil and 30% of its gas supplies.
Apache said it took the operational decision to shut down its North Sea offshore assets during a previous 24-hour strike on October 21 to ensure personnel safety, adding that the shutdown and restart were completed safely and without incident and that third-party producers continued operating through the FPS as normal.
The union also said on Tuesday it had challenged several misleading claims from Apache in relation to the pay and working conditions of the offshore workers. Unite represents many workers at Apache who earn significantly below the industry average for their job roles, the union said.
"Our offer provides a 4% pay increase, in line with that awarded to non-unionised employees earlier this year. We believe this offer is fair, competitive within the industry and recognises the contribution of our offshore workforce," Apache said.
(Reuters)
