* Some 324 workers would strike initially
* Would likely reduce Norway's output
* Mediation set for next week to try to avert strike
(Adds final union, detail)
By Nerijus Adomaitis
OSLO, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Some 324 Norwegian offshore oil
workers plan to go on strike from Sept. 30 if annual pay
negotiations with employers fail, trade unions Safe, Industri
Energi and Lederne said on Wednesday.
At Equinor's Johan Sverdrup field, the largest
oil-producing field in Western Europe, 88 workers from Safe and
43 from Lederne would go on strike, including some control-room
operators, officials at the two unions told Reuters.
ConocoPhillips's Ekofisk Lima platform risks a
strike among 25 workers, Safe added.
Industri Energi said 168 of its members would strike,
including 129 working at the Equinor-operated Snorre,
Kvitebjoern, Aasta Hansteen and Kristin fields.
The remaining 39 are service workers employed by ESS at Aker
BP's Ula and ConocoPhillips's Eldfisk Bravo,
Industri Energi said.
Norway pumps more than 4 million barrels of oil equivalents
per day (boed), half in the form of crude and other liquids and
half from natural gas, making it a major global energy supplier.
Norwegian oil firms and unions failed to reach agreement
during preliminary bargaining on Sept. 7 and 8, and will be
subject to mandatory state-led mediation on Monday and Tuesday
in a bid to prevent a strike.
It was not immediately clear how much of the country's
output could be cut. Past disputes have typically led to a
reduction in overall output of around 10%, with the primary
focus on oil rather than gas.
The unions are negotiating on behalf of a combined 7,300
workers, while the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association (NOG)
represents oil firms.
The NOG, which speaks for the industry during wage
negotiations, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request
for comment.
If Norway's state-appointed mediator is unable to broker a
deal, union members will be eligible to go on strike and the
dispute could subsequently be escalated.
Unions have not publicly released details of their demands.
In 2018, a 10-day strike among 1,600 workers led to the
shutdown of a field operated by Shell and affected
output from several others.
In 2012, the government invoked emergency powers to end a
conflict after 16 days when employers threatened a lockout of
workers that would have shut down all output of oil and gas.
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis; Writing by Terje Solsvik;
Editing by Mark Heinrich and Peter Cooney)
