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Scottish government called to intervene after major offshore firm imposes mandatory vaccinations for workers

Unite reiterates warning of legal action against any company seeking to pursue ‘jab or job’ policies

SNP ministers must intervene after a major offshore oil and gas producer imposed mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations on workers, Unite Scotland demanded today.

Canadian Natural Resources’s (CNR) policy, introduced last week, means that unvaccinated staff are now barred from its platforms at Ninian Central, Ninian South and Tiffany. 

The move also covers external contractors working on the sites, including Petrofac, Bilfinger and Global E&C.

Unite reiterated its warning of legal action against any company seeking to pursue a “jab or job” policy.

Other employers in the industry have focused on education and communication to boost vaccine take-up, leading to over 80 per cent of the offshore workforce being jabbed, the union highlighted.

Unite industrial officer John Boland slammed CNR’s “draconian measures,” saying: “Our position is that we support workers getting the Covid-19 vaccination but we are strenuously opposed to any mandatory vaccination policy.

“We will not hesitate to challenge any employer that disciplines or dismisses our members for exercising their right not to be vaccinated.”

A CNR spokesperson said it is liaising closely with contractors to get staff jabbed in the interests of health and safety, adding: “To date, the response has been positive, with a significant majority of our offshore workforce now vaccinated.”

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