Thousands of offshore workers could down tools in a dispute over terms and conditions.
Members of trade union Unite are to be asked whether there should be a ballot for industrial action.
More than 5000 contractors will be affected, including electricians, plumbers, mechanics and riggers.
Unite has claimed that the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) is using the slump in oil prices to "railroad through" changes to working practices.
The OCA looks after the interests of dozens of companies that employ offshore workers.
They have proposed to change shift patterns from two weeks on and three weeks off to three weeks on and three weeks off.
Unite claims the OCA also plans to cut pension payments, sick pay and holiday leave.
Aberdeen-based Regional Officer Willie Wallace said: "The changes are just getting imposed on the workforce, pushed mainly by the oil companies, but they're pushing the contractors who are doing their bidding.
"In the OCA agreement you have ten main contractor companies and forty different associate companies. It's an agreement that covers all construction and maintenance work offshore, in both the northern and southern sectors.
"The OCA represents the contractors that carry out work on the rigs for the oil companies. It's the oil companies that are coming to the contractors and saying we need to make these changes and the contractors are coming to us and our members and saying this is what we're looking to do. There is very little meaningful discussion.
"The Offshore Contractors Agreement covers between 8,000 and 10,000 people. We have the bulk of them as members, something like 5,000, certainly the majority of them."
The workers will now be asked to take part in a consultative ballot which could progress to an industrial ballot if a majority backs the union's stance.
Willie Wallace added: "In the first instance we need to get feedback from them on how we should deal with this. We've tried to deal with it through procedure and we haven't been successful."
Global oil prices have fallen sharply over the past seven months from around $110 a barrel to below $50 a barrel.
Unite Industrial Officer Tommy Campbell has branded the proposed changes by OCA as "opportunistic".
He said: "The downturn in oil price has seen our members' terms and conditions under attack like never before and while the threat of severe cuts hangs over them, contractors are offering no safeguards in return.
"What we want is for the OCA to work with us to preserve jobs, skills and sustain offshore safety rather than impose these opportunistic, unsustainable and unworkable changes to livelihoods.
"Oil prices will recover but knee-jerk cuts to jobs and standards will only undermine the future prosperity and safety of the industry in the long term."
OCA Chief Executive Bill Murray said: "We are in a challenging time for the North Sea oil and gas industry. For some time we have experienced unsustainable levels of cost inflation and whilst recognition of the need to reduce this is not new the dramatic fall in the price of oil has accelerated the need to address this.
"The industry is now facing a particular dilemma where operators are looking to reduce costs promptly, especially for those with operations where costs are outstripping revenue. The need for productivity enhancements and efficient working is well understood by the industry, and was highlighted to Union Negotiators in talks in December. These talks are ongoing. Further meetings between OCA, Unite and GMB are scheduled to commence on 25th February ... Talk of strike action is premature."
Source: Herald Scotland
They have proposed to change shift patterns from two weeks on and three weeks off to three weeks on and three weeks off.
Unite claims the OCA also plans to cut pension payments, sick pay and holiday leave.
Aberdeen-based Regional Officer Willie Wallace said: "The changes are just getting imposed on the workforce, pushed mainly by the oil companies, but they're pushing the contractors who are doing their bidding.
"In the OCA agreement you have ten main contractor companies and forty different associate companies. It's an agreement that covers all construction and maintenance work offshore, in both the northern and southern sectors.
"The OCA represents the contractors that carry out work on the rigs for the oil companies. It's the oil companies that are coming to the contractors and saying we need to make these changes and the contractors are coming to us and our members and saying this is what we're looking to do. There is very little meaningful discussion.
"The Offshore Contractors Agreement covers between 8,000 and 10,000 people. We have the bulk of them as members, something like 5,000, certainly the majority of them."
The workers will now be asked to take part in a consultative ballot which could progress to an industrial ballot if a majority backs the union's stance.
Willie Wallace added: "In the first instance we need to get feedback from them on how we should deal with this. We've tried to deal with it through procedure and we haven't been successful."
Global oil prices have fallen sharply over the past seven months from around $110 a barrel to below $50 a barrel.
Unite Industrial Officer Tommy Campbell has branded the proposed changes by OCA as "opportunistic".
He said: "The downturn in oil price has seen our members' terms and conditions under attack like never before and while the threat of severe cuts hangs over them, contractors are offering no safeguards in return.
"What we want is for the OCA to work with us to preserve jobs, skills and sustain offshore safety rather than impose these opportunistic, unsustainable and unworkable changes to livelihoods.
"Oil prices will recover but knee-jerk cuts to jobs and standards will only undermine the future prosperity and safety of the industry in the long term."
OCA Chief Executive Bill Murray said: "We are in a challenging time for the North Sea oil and gas industry. For some time we have experienced unsustainable levels of cost inflation and whilst recognition of the need to reduce this is not new the dramatic fall in the price of oil has accelerated the need to address this.
"The industry is now facing a particular dilemma where operators are looking to reduce costs promptly, especially for those with operations where costs are outstripping revenue. The need for productivity enhancements and efficient working is well understood by the industry, and was highlighted to Union Negotiators in talks in December. These talks are ongoing. Further meetings between OCA, Unite and GMB are scheduled to commence on 25th February ... Talk of strike action is premature."
Source: Herald Scotland