Strike action by workers in the North Sea has been put on hold to allow fresh talks to take place, it has been announced.

Wood Group employees have been taking ongoing industrial action across a number of Shell operated platforms in a dispute over planned cuts to workers' pay and allowances.

However, in a joint statement by Wood Group and the Unite and RMT Trade Unions, the organisations confirmed talks had restarted in a bid to find a solution to the situation.

It read: "We will hold a number of full-day meetings over the next few weeks, starting early next week, to take a fresh look at the issues. All parties recognise that the challenges we are facing in the North Sea are both real and serious and there is acceptance that change is required and will happen.

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"These fresh talks will allow all parties to bring ideas to the table and provide opportunities for employees in particular, along with unions and management, to contribute to a mutually successful outcome and demonstrate leadership in shaping the future of the North Sea.

"We believe that this collaborative approach to addressing the challenging and well-publicised situation in the oil & gas sector is the best way for us to resolve this current dispute and contribute to creating a sustainable model for the North Sea.

"For these talks to be successful, it is essential to create a constructive environment in which they can take place. Wood Group has therefore agreed to stop the implementation of the current proposal for the duration of this fresh engagement and talks, and in response to this RMT and Unite have agreed to suspend any further strike action for the duration of this fresh engagement and talks."

(LM/CD)