March 27 () - Trade unions Unite and GMB said membersworking offshore in Britain's North Sea oil and gas industry hadshown overwhelming support for industrial action in aconsultative ballot which closed at 1200 GMT on Friday.
Unite's members covered by the Offshore Contractors'Agreement delivered a 93.5 percent vote in favour of proceedingto a strike ballot, increasing the likelihood of North Seastrike action for the first time in a generation, the unionsaid.
GMB's members also voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of anofficial ballot for strike action over proposals from clientsand contractors to change the terms and conditions ofemployment, GMB said. (Reporting by Claire Milhench; editing by David Clarke)