Representatives to Meet Mediator Friday Amid Norway Oil Workers Strike

By Dominic Chopping

The organization representing oil-and-gas companies operating in Norway and union officials are set to meet with a state mediator Friday as the two sides try to end a strike that could cut Norwegian oil and gas production by 25%.

Wage talks between the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and trade union Lederne broke down last week and led to 54 workers going on strike from midnight on Sunday, shutting down six North Sea fields.

Another 93 union members are set to strike this weekend which could force the shutdown of a further seven fields.

So far, the six fields already shut down produce 330,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, compared with total production of oil-and-gas on the Norwegian shelf of about 4 million barrels of oil equivalent a day.

Should the strike escalate and last beyond Oct. 14, the loss of production will total 966,000 barrels of oil equivalents, nearly a quarter of total Norwegian output.

The Lederne union wants higher pay rises than were proposed for its members this year and wants equal pay and conditions for workers who have been moved from working offshore into jobs working at control centers onshore.

Write to Dominic Chopping at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 09, 2020 03:55 ET (07:55 GMT)

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