This comes after talks between its workers and the company broke down ahead of a union ballot.

John Boland of Unite Trade Unions regional office said the following after the breakdown: “The company has refused to move on any of the major issues and seems determined to force this issue into an industrial dispute”

It is now in the hands of Wood Group workers to make the decision whether to commence the first wave of strikes in the North Sea for a generation. This comes after pay has been slashed and rotations made longer.

Unite and RMT will ballot 200 of the oil workers operating Shell’s Central and Brent field platforms on Wednesday to decide whether a strike will be initiated.

This decision follows months of negotiations between Wood Group and the Trade Unions, which have proven unproductive and yielded minimal if any success.

According to Trade Union Unite, Wood Group has shown “unwillingness to meaningfully negotiate” a claim which the company refutes. A Wood Group spokeswoman said the group is “extremely disappointed” that it was unable to reach an agreement.

“As part of our commitment to following a fair and transparent consultation, we have addressed every significant concern that our employees and the unions have express. At no point did this include a 30% pay cut” she explained.

Wood group advised they: “Remain fully committed to continuing to engage with out employees and the unions going forward to meet our mutual goal of sustaining these jobs in the North Sea, now and in the future”.

If you have a story related to the Oil and Gas Industry, our news team wants to hear from you. Email us in confidence – news@oilandgaspeople.com