Statoil plaintiff unions – Offshore.no

Statoil and unions do not agree on how platforms should be shut down by a labor dispute. Now comes the matter up in court.

The case will come up in the Labour Court in Oslo on Tuesday next week, writes Stavanger Aftenblad. Among other things, we are talking about security staffing at the shutdown of production on a platform. We want a new treaty, while unions in Statoil wants to maintain the previously negotiated agreement.

– In the previous shutdown procedure at shutdown was a move toward ‘cold’ platform. It means that one takes the pressure and drain fluid. Statoil now want to just bring down the pressure, but the plant will be fluid filled, says head of the Norwegian continental shelf in Safe Statoil Terje Fund.

This will make that production can get faster at it again, and Statoil will save costs at startup. The unions believe this will lead to a more unsafe situation and will increase the safety crew.

– We have not refused to discuss with Statoil, but refused their proposition. And therefore I can not see that we have acted in violation of the Basic Agreement, said sock leader of Industri Energi Statoil, Per Steinar Stamnes.

Statoil said the case is a judicial process where NHO are party and make judgments, but would not comment further on the case, but that they are open to a solution of the case before it reaches court. It is LO running case of Industri Energi, YS for Safe and NHO for Statoil in the Labour Court.