Government moves to resolve offshore dispute

Minister threatens to amend Working Time Regulations to ensure paid holidays

News, 15 September 2005

The Government has issued an ultimatum to offshore employers to provide a minimum of four weeks' paid annual leave for thousands of their employees.

A long-running legal dispute over holiday entitlement was recently determined in the workers' favour by an employment tribunal, which ruled against the employers' claim that the two weeks on, two weeks off shift system provides sufficient time off to comply with the law. The employers have announced their intention to appeal the ruling, claiming that it would cost the industry an estimated £200 million a year.

After meeting union leaders at the TUC annual conference in Brighton, Employment Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said he was saddened that two years after the Government extended the Working Time Regulations to the offshore industry, employers still did not accept the rules applied to them.

However the UK Offshore Operators Association said it had "always believed the Working Time Regulations were supposed to apply offshore and has asked the Government to clarify the regulations in the past". It claimed that one of the reasons for the appeal was to seek certainty and it was pleased the Government was prepared to act.

At the same time the Association continued to insist that the industry already complies with the regulations.

Graham Tran, north-east organiser of the union Amicus, said he was delighted with the stance taken by the minister but disappointed the dispute had been allowed to drag on for so long.