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 Sustainability Strategy Commitments
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UKOOA Sustainability Strategy 2002 - First Report
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2. Social Sustainability
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2.1 Safety and working conditions
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Commitment No. 23 - Workforce conditions [Working Time Directive 2003]
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New arrangements with the unions provide a more secure framework within which to manage terms and conditions of employment for the offshore workforce who predominantly work a cyclical pattern of two weeks on and two weeks off. Liaison among all participants has improved, allowing informed discussion about main issues and more effective resolution of differences. The European Union Working Time Directive will be implemented offshore by August 2003. We will be preparing for this, working in co-operation with unions, contractors and government.
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Progress to date : achievements and difficulties encountered
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Regular meetings occur between UKOOA and its contractors and between UKOOA and the unions to discuss issues, resolve differences and develop good practice guidelines. As UKOOA is not an employers body, it does not enter into negotiations about terms and conditions of employment on behalf of its members. However, several of the contractors associations do fulfil such a role and a substantial part of the offshore workforce is represented in those negotiations.
With respect to working time, extensive consultations between the unions, the trade associations representing contractors and UKOOA, facilitated by ACAS Scotland, have taken place during 2001-02, in preparation for the implementation of the Working Time Directive offshore in August 2003. This has led to a position paper being presented to the government (DTI) by ACAS, setting out the issues to be considered when introducing the WTD offshore and where the parties stand on these issues. The formal legislative process will take the matter forward during the remainder of 2002 and into 2003.
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Sustainability Strategy Commitments
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