Maintenance and repair workers at Aberdeenshire's St Fergus Gas Terminal are being balloted over possible strike action.
Unite the Union has confirmed that more than 100 Kaefer maintenance and repair contractors based at the Mossmorran plant and the St Fergus Gas Terminal will vote between 11 and 25 October.
The Mossmorran site in Fife and the St Fergus near Peterhead and Fraserburgh are natural gas liquid (NGL) plants operated by Shell.
The dispute centres on a rejected pay offer of between 5% and 7% depending on job grade, along with Kaefer’s breaches of a collective agreement relating to consultation and dispute resolution.
Contractors include scaffold inspectors and supervisors, riggers and rigging supervisors, forklift drivers, general assistants and mechanical supervisors.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Kaefer is leaving Unite’s members working at the Mossmorran and St Fergus plants with no choice but to ballot for a strike - they are asking workers to take a significant real terms pay cut, while the operator Shell is swimming in record, multi-billion profits.
“These workers help make Shell’s vast profits – they deserve their fair slice of the pie.”
Unite industrial officer Bob MacGregor added: “Unite’s members are essential to the condition, safety and maintenance of the Mossmorran and St Fergus plants.
"Without these workers the plants just couldn’t operate safely.
“We call on Kaefer and Shell to reengage with Unite before this dispute dramatically escalates.”
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