A UNION has denied “dragging workers into a war” over a pay dispute company bosses say is jeopardising jobs.

Unite has rejected claims it has behaved ignorantly in its quest to secure better wages for Hertel UK staff, saying it is acting on members’ demands.

However, Hertel says the action is putting more than 50 positions at risk at the ConocoPhillips refinery, in Seal Sands, near Middlesbrough, where Hertel staff provide maintenance, by forcing the cancellation of planned repairs.

Unite, alongside fellow union GMB, is pushing for improved wages over the next three years, linked to National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry rates, and is balloting members on potential strike action, saying Hertel’s zero per cent offer is not good enough.

Hertel has long said the demands are unrealistic, citing the oil and gas sector’s woes for its decision, and has called on workers to vote against a walk-out.

Its stance has also been strengthened by a Hertel worker and Unite member, who contacted The Northern Echo to say the union has acted ignorantly and naïvely, leaving him “at grave risk of becoming another statistic in the unemployed number.”

But Steve Cason, Unite regional officer, said the organisation’s action stem from members’ requests and not senior officials’ desire to cause unrest.

He said: “We are member-led and it is members that make the decisions.

“We are not going in and saying we are going to drag everyone into a war.

“We were contacted by the local reps, who said they were not happy because they weren’t getting a pay rise and needed our help.

“We have to listen to our membership and they are adamant they want to go through the ballot.

“People are at their wits end with Hertel.”

Mr Cason, who previously said the union would not be swayed by Hertel’s redundancy warning, also said the business has a duty to find work for potentially affected staff.

He cited a new contract Hertel has secured with Teesside petrochemicals firm Sabic UK to work on its Olefins cracker, which supplies products used in plastic bottles, CDs and tyres by taking feedstocks and cracking apart components.

He has also accused Hertel of trying to remove the union’s presence by accepting the voluntary redundancies of two shop stewards but rejecting the requests of others.

He said: “They are trying to destroy the union presence; it sets the alarm bells ringing.”

However, David Massey, Hertel UK HR director, said the situation was not so simple, reiterating how the potential strike action has caused great difficulties.

He told The Northern Echo: “Hertel was awarded a contract to supply and install electrical and instrumentation equipment at Sabic.

“The contract requires qualified and experienced electricians and we are also still working on an earlier contract for the installation of a pipeline, which requires mechanical skills.

“It is unfortunate the positions being made redundant at ConocoPhillips’ site involve scaffolders, insulators and painters’ and so they don’t have the necessary skills to fulfil these contracts.

“We have, however, been able to offer redeployment for two insulators to another site, who would otherwise have been made redundant.

“Responsibility for the cancellation of work is the direct result of the position taken by Unite.

“However, there is still time for union members to vote against industrial action to protect themselves and their fellow workers.”

Mr Massey also denied Hertel was deliberately targeting Unite members in redundancy decisions.

He added: “Having had discussions with ConocoPhillips about the revised work, we have unfortunately had to give notice to 11 employees this week.

“We receive a number of requests for voluntary redundancy, three of which we have been able to accept.

“The company needs to maintain a balanced workforce in terms of skills, so not every request could be accommodated.”