DIVERS working under the Offshore Diving Industry Agreement have voted overwhelmingly for strike action, their union RMT confirmed today.

RMT has has called for two months of strikes from August 14 to October 14.

Other members working as “dayraters” at Boskalis Subsea Services, KD Marine, Subsea 7, and TechnipFMC UK also supported the strikes in an e-referendum.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that members’ pay had fallen behind in real terms in 2015 when they accepted not getting a rise in favour of protecting jobs during the downturn in oil and gas production. 

He said: “During the same period, they sacrificed all but two bank holidays on the basis that this would be redressed when things improved — this has never happened.

“According to some studies, life expectancy for some commercial divers can be as low as 40 years with retirement or redeployment into lesser roles at the age of 50.

“The diving industry is extremely hazardous, yet they have a measly £130,000 death-in-service benefit to protect their families should anything happen to them.”