Wednesday 29 November 2006

UKOOA Considers Next Steps in Working Time Case

Judgement of the Employment Appeal Tribunal hearing in Edinburgh on the jurisdiction of Working Time Regulations as they relate to offshore work has been received today (29 November 2006). 

The Appeal Tribunal has decided that the Working Time Regulations do extend to the whole of the UK continental shelf but not beyond.

Responding to the judgement, the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), the representative organisation for oil and gas producers, said:

We are pleased that the argument to extend the application of the regulations to installations situated outside the UK continental shelf (UKCS) has been rejected and those cases have been dismissed.  

With regard to the application of the regulations to the UKCS, the basis of the appeal judgement appears to be different from the reasoning given in the original tribunal decision.   Today's judgement, which is lengthy and detailed, therefore needs to be carefully studied.

Consequently it is not possible to say at this stage whether employers will be seeking leave to appeal to the Court of Session and it should be noted that in any case this will be a decision for individual companies.

A further statement will be given in due course, once the options have been fully considered.

For more information, please call 020 7802 2400.