FURIOUS workers at Dundee’s Safehouse Habitats have launched a three-month strike as they fight “disgraceful” attacks on their pay and conditions. 

Despite posting net assets of £5.3 million last year, the firm, who manufacture habitats for maintenance work on oil and gas facilities for industry giants such as Shell, Chevron, Repsol, Diageo and Ineos, has decided to slash workers’ pay and conditions, their union said.

Over a dozen technicians at the company, represented by Unite, who made a salary sacrifice of around 3 per cent two years ago to access a sick pay scheme which offered six months at full pay, now face having it taken from them as the firm seeks to revert to the statutory minimum.

As well as driving through these cuts to workers’ conditions, the firm has yet to table a pay offer this year, in effect cutting their wages too.

As members prepared to begin strike action which will run from today, November 11, until February 2, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Safehouse Habitats is treating its skilled and loyal workers in an utterly disgraceful way.

 “Our members will have their union’s full support as they fight back for decency and fairness in the workplace.”

Unite industrial officer Bob MacGregor warned: “Safehouse Habitats’ attempt to bully its workers into accepting painful cuts to pay and conditions will fail.

 “The strike action will cause significant disruption to the company’s operations.

“It will lead to a shortage in working habitats being provided to major oil and gas clients.

“The dispute is in danger of creating irreparable damage to not only Safehouse Habitats’ wider reputation but crucially relations with its highly skilled workforce. But this is entirely the fault of the employer.” 

Safehouse Habitats was contacted for comment.