A new union recognition agreement between Apache and Unite will cover more than 250 offshore workers on the UK Continental Shelf, giving the union a formal role in discussions on pay, jobs and working conditions.

The agreement applies to seven assets linked to the Forties and Beryl oil fields. Unite said the deal allows it to negotiate on behalf of workers employed across those installations by Apache Corporation, a subsidiary of APA Corporation.

According to the union, the covered workforce includes electrical, instrument, mechanical and production technicians, as well as telecoms technicians and radio operators.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said the agreement was an important result for the union in the offshore sector and said it reflected continued efforts to improve pay, jobs and working conditions for oil and gas workers.

Stevie Davies, Unite’s Industrial Officer, said the agreement gives the union a basis to seek better terms for Apache workers across several offshore assets.

Unite also pointed to other recent outcomes for North Sea workers, including a pay agreement with Adura Energy, a two-year pay deal for Sodexo workers at Sullom Voe, and an improved pension offer for more than 400 Bilfinger workers.

The union said it has also launched its Keep The North Sea Working campaign ahead of the Holyrood elections. The campaign calls for Scottish politicians to support a no-compulsory-redundancy pledge to protect jobs, pay and conditions in the oil and gas sector.