Major oil & gas operators facing 48-hour strike across multiple UK offshore assets

February 9th, 2026

With more than 400 offshore members employed by Bilfinger UK poised to embark on industrial action due to a dispute over pensions, operators including BP, CNR, Ineos, Ithaca, and TAQA will experience a two-day stoppage at dozens of offshore installations on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) next week.

Clair Ridge platform; Source: BP

Britain’s Unite the union has confirmed that 48-hour strike involving over 400 offshore members employed by Bilfinger UK across assets operated by BP, CNR, Ineos, Ithaca, and TAQA will take place in February 2026 in an escalating pension scheme dispute. The industrial action starting at 00.01 hours on February 19, 2026, will continue up to February 20, when the action concludes at 23.59 hours.

The assets of major oil and gas operators that will be hit by the widespread strike are BP’ Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, Glen Lyon, and Mungo; CNR’s Ninian Central, Ninian South, and Tiffany; INEOS’ Unity; Ithaca’s Alba FSU, Alba North, Captain FPSO, Captain WPP, FPF1, and Safe Caledonia; and TAQA’s Brae Alpha, Cormorant Alpha, and Harding.

This comes after a majority of Bilfinger workers previously emphatically backed strike action by 97.6% in a fight to secure a fairer pension deal. Unite members are demanding that the firm moves to a gross earnings pension scheme like many other private sector and offshore companies because hundreds of workers are said to be losing out on thousands of pounds in pension contributions due to their pattern of pay being weekly.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, emphasized: “Bilfinger is putting profits before people in denying its workers a fair pension. This is a company that can afford to pay but has chosen not to. We will back our members all the way as they escalate their fight to secure a fair pension settlement.”

As the majority of Bilfinger workers are enrolled in a statutory minimum workplace pension scheme where the company pays a maximum three per cent of ‘qualifying earnings’ contribution, the qualifying earnings income is between £6,240 ($8,515) and £50,270 ($68,566).

However, anything above or below these amounts does not factor in pension contributions, which means Bilfinger’s annual pension contribution is capped at £1,320.90 ($1,803) per year irrespective of income.

As a result, Unite estimates that around £2,254 ($3,074) is being lost every year in employer pension contributions when compared with a gross salary pension scheme for a worker earning £59,580.36 ($81,313).

Bilfinger UK Limited recently posted profits of £17.7 million ($24.16 million) in 2024 up from £14 million ($19.10 million) in 2023, after a £7 million ($9.55 million) recorded profit in 2022.

Paula Buchan, Unite’s Industrial Officer, underlined: “This action will cause serious disruption to major oil and gas operators, and the blame for that lies squarely at the door of Bilfinger.

“Hundreds of workers who perform highly skilled and expert work in the offshore sector are not getting the same pension deal as other workers. That is unacceptable to our members who have no option but to take strike action to secure a better deal.”