The Norwegian Union of Energy Workers (SAFE) initiated the strike on Monday 15 June, which was escalated on Thursday 18 June. As of today, 378 SAFE members are on strike. The employers now find it necessary to implement a lockout. This is a lawful measure within the collective bargaining system and will be used to help bring the dispute to an end.
The strike affects ten key service providers: SLB, DOF, Halliburton, Weatherford, Tios, DeepOcean, Subsea 7, Cactus, Vetco Gray Scandinavia and Baker Hughes.
Preliminary feedback shows that the strike has a highly unbalanced impact on member companies, with significant consequences for those affected. Offshore Norge is therefore extending the notice of work stoppage under the Well Service Agreement to cover 1,272 of SAFE’s approximately 1,770 members who are covered by the agreement. Certain companies operating offshore vessels are exempted to safeguard critical subsea emergency preparedness on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Delays and operational shutdowns
The strike is already causing delays and shutdowns in drilling operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Drilling rigs are being gradually ramped down and will only continue operations until ongoing well phases have been safely secured. Coincidentally, four Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) vessels and one well intervention vessel have halted operations, and two rigs have already ceased activity. The strike is imposing significant costs on supplier companies, and has so far also led to some delay in oil and gas production.
Offered NOK 47,000
SAFE has stated in the media that the strike is due to their view that the Well Service Agreement constitutes a “dumping agreement”.
“We cannot comment on what was communicated during mediation due to confidentiality, but the term ‘dumping agreement’ gives a misleading impression of both wage levels and working conditions and cannot be characterised as dumping,” says Elisabeth Brattebø Fenne, Director for Organisation and Labour Relations and chief negotiator at Offshore Norge.
A few hours into overtime during mediation, which took place on 13 and 14 June, the National Mediator, Carl Petter Martinsen, presented a proposal to the parties in line with the appendix to the official record of mediation.
The trade union Styrke and Offshore Norge accepted the proposal, while SAFE rejected it.
Following the onset of the strike and ahead of the lockout, Offshore Norge has reiterated to SAFE that it still stands by the proposal presented by the mediator as a solution. This has not been responded to by SAFE.
The average wage level for these offshore employees is approaching NOK 1 million per year. The mediator’s proposal included an increase in the pay matrix rates of NOK 47,000 effective from 1 June 2026, including offshore compensation and holiday pay. A further increase of NOK 5,000 in the pay matrix rates is to take effect from 1 January 2027, including offshore compensation and holiday pay.
The shift/night supplement will increase from NOK 109 to NOK 116.50 from 1 June 2026, while the public holiday supplement will increase from NOK 2,350 to NOK 2,400. Minimum pay rates will also be increased, and various adjustments have been made to technical allowances.
The settlement is in line with the framework agreed in the lead sector earlier this spring.
