OFFSHORE oil and gas workers will be balloted on strike action after rejecting TotalEnergies’s “shameful” offer of a pay cut.

The French-owned oil and gas giant offered workers a pay increase of just 1.75 per cent. But with inflation running at almost double that, workers aboard the company’s Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms, rejected it as a real-terms pay cut.

Now the 50 skilled engineers, control room and senior operations staff, and technicians will be balloted for strike action by their union, Unite, in a bid to secure a fair settlement.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “TotalEnergies has posted multibillion-pound profits year after year, yet it is trying to impose a real-terms pay cut.

“This is shameful behaviour from an extraordinarily profitable company.”

Unite industrial officer John Boland added: “TotalEnergies is treating its highly skilled workforce with contempt and Unite is determined to hold it to account.

“The company should be under no illusions that if our members take strike action it will cause major disruption to the operations on both platforms.”

TotalEnergies was contacted for comment.