Rates of Pay and Conditions of Service 2024 – Offshore Diving Industry Agreement

Our Ref: SH/0001/ODIA

20^th June 2024

 

Dear Colleagues 

 

Rates of Pay and Conditions of Service 2024 – Offshore Diving Industry Agreement 

 

Referring to previous correspondence, I can report that further talks have taken place and while there has been no improvement on the last offer from the signatories, the signatories have advised that the rejected offer remains on the table until 31^st July 2024 and will be backdated to 1^st May 2024. Except for KD Marine, who have refused to backdate any pay award. 

 

The National Executive Committee has once again considered this matter and has instructed me to ballot all directly employed members at Boskalis Subsea Services, Helix WellOps UK, Subsea 7 and TechnipFMC UK for strike action. Consequently, the ballot for industrial action will open on Thursday 27^th June 2024 and will close on Tuesday 30^th July 2024.

 

It is imperative that we get a massive return in the ballot for strike action, so we are not prevented from acting on our members' wishes by the ballot thresholds. Failure to meet these thresholds means industrial action cannot happen, so a high turnout is crucial. I urge members not to waste their vote and to vote 'YES' for strike action. 

 

This leaves around two thirds of members across the ODIA who classed as ‘dayraters’ (i.e. self-employed). As I have explained in previous correspondence, those who are self-employed (i.e. the ‘dayraters’) are not employees and therefore cannot be balloted for industrial action or instructed to take industrial action by this union and neither they nor this union will then be protected under the trade union legislation. 

 

On the other hand, for a self-employed worker not to take up an offer of work or not to turn up for work on certain days or at certain times, is a matter for them as individuals and not something which can be governed by union instructions or industrial action legislation.

 

Accordingly, the National Executive Committee has instructed me to conduct a referendum of all the ODIA ‘dayraters’ members at Boskalis Subsea Services, Helix WellOps UK, KD Marine, Subsea 7 and TechnipFMC UK to gauge their willingness to take part in parallel action with their directly employed colleagues. ‘Dayrater’ members will receive an email tomorrow (Friday 21^stJune 2024) from 'RMT Referenda' which will allow them to register their vote. Please follow the instructions and make sure you complete this by no later than midday on Tuesday 30^th July 2024.

 

If directly employed members wish to request a replacement voting paper during the balloting period, then please contact ballot@rmt.org.uk or the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706. If ‘dayrater’ members do not receive their email or are having difficulty voting, then please contact referenda@rmt.org.uk or the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary