Unite union says Apache offshore workers to escalate UK strike action

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Unite union said on Tuesday that about 170 offshore workers employed by energy company Apache would escalate strike action in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

A 24-hour strike is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. (0600 GMT) on November 4 and end at 5.59 a.m. on November 5, the union said.

Unite also announced further strike action across Apache-operated offshore assets.

Workers on the Forties Alpha, Forties Bravo, Forties Delta and Beryl Bravo platforms are due to strike from November 13 to November 14, while workers on the Forties Charlie, Forties Echo and Beryl Alpha platforms are set to strike from November 15 until November 16.

"The union has challenged several misleading claims from Apache in relation to the pay and working conditions of the offshore workers. Unite represents many workers at Apache who earn significantly below the industry average for their job roles," the union said in a press release.

Apache did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The union said a previous stoppage in late October brought all seven offshore assets involved in the dispute to a standstill.

Unite in October warned that disruption at the Charlie platform could affect the Forties Pipeline System (FPS), which transports crude from more than 80 North Sea oil and gas fields and handles around 29% of Britain's oil and 30% of its gas supplies.

The FPS is significant because it carries some of the oil that makes up the pricing benchmark for the physical North Sea oil trade.

Apache told Reuters in early October that any strike action would not prevent other companies from using the FPS.