Offshore pay rise

Highly skilled offshore medics who provide a “lifeline” for workers have received a pay win thanks to Unite that will see wages and allowances increase and lift pay by over £3000.

Unite represents around a dozen medics employed by United Healthcare Global Medical (UK) who provide essential medical cover on assets owned by Adura which is a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Equinor.

United Healthcare Global Medical (UK) provides trained medics that operate in remote and extreme locations in a variety of industries ranging from construction to film and media as well working in mining and on offshore platforms.

The medics accepted a pay increase of 3.75 per cent alongside an 11 per cent average increase to the travel allowance which will jointly lift pay by over £3,000.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite has successfully negotiated a good pay deal for United Healthcare offshore medics. It will deliver a significant boost to their take home pay and working conditions.”

The medics work on platforms which include the Gannet, Mariner, Shearwater, and Nelson platforms. 

Unite industrial officer Stevie Davies said: “Offshore medics provide a lifeline service for offshore workers and their skills deserve to be recognised and rewarded. We are pleased that our members backed this new pay deal which continues to build on the progress made for offshore medics.” 

The medics pay rise was just the latest that Unite has negotiated for its members working in the North Sea, and last week the union announced a new pay deal for over 100 workers employed by offshore operator CNOOC.

In the case of CNOOC workers the basic pay increase is worth 3.25 per cent with an additional £600 enhancement to the offshore allowance. The overall package is equivalent to an increase of just under £3,000 for some workers including electrical, instrument, mechanical and production technicians.

By Keith Hatch