Reply To: What options are out there

……can anyone tell me – is there another option other than the RMT OILC or are all us fence sitters going to flounder because there is no obvious path. 😕

Most likely flounder because right now there is probably no obvious path other than self regulation/protection. Not that I can see anyway.

As far as the UK offshore industry is concerned the OILC/RMT as a union is in a very sorry state. The RMT itself is only interested in trains and the OILC branch (for offshore energy workers) of the RMT has no chance of organising anything. They’ve had an opportunity and they proved clearly they want no part of anything that means they have to adapt or help their ROV/Subsea members out.
The union is simply not the way forward. ROV UK has been there and done that

If an ROV association were to be started, for say ROV and other subsea related vocations, it may make some progress by representing it’s members interests (in the same guise as other associations – take the AODC for example) but overall I’m not sure how much impact it might have on helping to regulate our industry, which is fast becoming more and more global by way of labour being hired with companies stretching the letter of local employment laws to the max whilst striving to maximise investor returns.

The UK government doesn’t help much with it’s current offshore open door policy and is lagging behind on shutting the work permit loopholes (compared to other nations) but I suspect that may change as they tighten up further on immigration laws, which seems to be at the forefront of current electoral discussions.