News / SIC welcomes Petrofac disciplining staff
FIVE oil workers have been disciplined by construction giant Petrofac for recent anti-social behaviour in Shetland, where they are building Total’s £800 million gas plant.
The move has been welcomed by Shetland Islands Council convener Malcolm Bell, who said he was pleased the company was taking the matter seriously.
The news comes one week after hundreds of drunken off duty workers filled Lerwick last Thursday, upsetting local people with rude and ugly behaviour. In one case a woman was thrown over a man’s shoulder as she walked home from work.
At least one man has been disciplined for anti-social behaviour on the NorthLink ferry that connects Shetland with Orkney and Aberdeen.
However this case is not related to the Lerwick to Aberdeen sailing on 18 June where passengers were subjected to abuse from very drunk men, who have not been identified as working for Petrofac. NorthLink have refused to comment on their investigation into this incident.
A company spokesman said that one worker had been sacked and four were being investigated for their behaviour in Lerwick last week or on the ferry.
He refused to go into detail about individual cases and could not provide figures for the total number of workers who have lost their job as a result of their behaviour since Petrofac arrived in Shetland three years ago.
Instead the company attempted to reassure islanders that it is taking stringent measures to control the behaviour of its 2,000 employees staying in temporary accommodation on the isles.
A spokesman said they were “very disappointed” by recent anti-social behaviour and would be holding meetings about the situation with local police and NorthLink staff.
He added that they have re-emphasised the company guidelines on behaviour to all its employees.
“Residents of Shetland can rest assured that where guidelines are breached and we can identify those responsible, we will take appropriate action,” the spokesman said.
Petrofac has a team of security staff who stress to their workforce how to behave in public, especially on the ferries.
On the “rare occasions” someone has been sacked and sent home, they inform the police if there is a potential for trouble to caused on the ferry.
They also send out security patrols, dubbed locally as “bald men drinking fruit juice”, when large numbers of workers are out on the town and have issued contact details to all the Lerwick pubs.
Convener Malcolm Bell said: “I am pleased to see the industry is taking the situation seriously.
“I obviously can’t comment on individual cases, but we do expect people who come to live and work in Shetland to behave themselves and it’s a metter for the industry, the police and indeed the ferry operator to address.”
On Thursday Total revealed that the number of construction workers is set to increase by several hundred as the company races to finish its gas plant by the end of this year, six months behind schedule
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