TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 This Order may be cited as the Employment Protection (Offshore Employment) Order 1976 and shall come into operation on 21st June 1976. 2 In this Order unless the context otherwise requires— “ applied provisions ” means the provisions applied by Article 3 of, and the Schedule to, this Order as they are applied by that Article and that Schedule; “ designated area ” means any area designated by order under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964; “ dredging ” does not include the excavation of the sea bed or its subsoil in the course of pipe laying; “ industrial tribunals (England and Wales) ” means the industrial tribunals (England and Wales) established in pursuance of the Industrial Tribunals (England and Wales) Regulations 1965 as amended ; “ industrial tribunals (Scotland) ” means the industrial tribunals (Scotland) established in pursuance of the Industrial Tribunals (Scotland) Regulations 1965 as amended ; “ ship ” includes vessel ; “ structure ” includes ship (whether registered in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) ; “ the territorial waters ” means the territorial waters of the United Kingdom other than the territorial waters adjacent to Northern Ireland. 3 a For the purposes of this Order, subject to ( b ), ( c ) and ( d ) below, an offshore installation is any structure (whether fixed or otherwise) which is for use offshore for purposes connected with the exploration of the sea bed or its subsoil or the exploitation of their natural resources. b A structure may be treated as being for use for the purposes described in ( a ) above notwithstanding that it is not in operation or that it is undergoing construction, modification, maintenance, repair, demolition or any similar works. c A structure which is a ship (whether registered in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) shall (notwithstanding that it is for use as described in ( a ) above) not be treated as an offshore installation if it is— i in the course of navigation or engaged in dredging, other than navigation or dredging which is wholly or mainly attributable to activities for the purposes described in ( a ) above in which it is for the time being actually engaged; ii a survey ship. d The purposes described in ( a ) above do not include fishing. 4 The expressions “ the English area ” and “ the Scottish area ” in Article 6 of this Order have the same meanings respectively as in the Continental Shelf (Jurisdiction) Order 1968 as amended ; and references in Article 2(1)(b) of, and the Schedule to, this Order to an area or part of an area in which the law of Northern Ireland applies are references to the Northern Irish area as defined in Article 1(3) of the 1968 Order. 5 References in this Order to enactments are references to those enactments as amended or extended by or under any other enactment, including the Employment Protection Act 1975 and the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Amendment) Act 1976. 6 The Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply to the interpretation of this Order as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of Parliament. Application of Order 2 1 Subject to paragraph (2) below, this Order applies to employment for the purposes of any of the following activities that is to say— a any activities (other than activities connected with a ship which is in the course of navigation or is a survey ship or is engaged in dredging or fishing) in the territorial waters; b any activities connected with the exploration of the sea bed or subsoil or the exploitation of their natural resources in any designated area (other than an area or part of an area in which the law of Northern Ireland applies) being activities carried out on or from an offshore installation in any such designated area. 2 This Order does not apply to any employment wholly or mainly for the purpose of any activities connected with the Frigg Field Reservoir or the Ekofisk Field. Application of enactments 3 The provisions of the following Acts that is to say— a the Wages Councils Act 1959; b the Industrial Training Act 1964; c the Redundancy Payments Act 1965; d the Contracts of Employment Act 1972; e the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974; and f The Employment Protection Act 1975, shall, to the extent and for the purposes (and subject to the modifications) specified in the Schedule hereto, apply to or, as the case requires, in relation to persons in employment to which this Order applies. Application to foreign individuals and bodies corporate 4 This Order shall apply to individuals whether or not they are British subjects, and to bodies corporate whether or not they are incorporated under the law of any part of the United Kingdom notwithstanding that such application may affect their activities outside the United Kingdom. Offences 5 1 Offences under the applied provision (offences connected with employment to which this Order applies) are excluded from the operation of section 3 of the Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act 1878 (consents required for prosecutions). 2 Proceedings for any offence under the applied provisions (including cases where but for (1) above section 3 of the 1878 Act would apply) shall not be brought in England and Wales except by or with the consent of the Secretary of State. Jurisdiction of industrial tribunals 6 1 The industrial tribunals (England and Wales) shall have such jurisdiction in respect of matters arising in connection with employment to which this Order applies from acts or omissions taking place in the English area as they would have if those acts or omissions had taken place in England or Wales. 2 The industrial tribunals (Scotland) shall have such jurisdiction in respect of matters arising in connection with employment to which this Order applies from acts or omissions taking place in the Scottish area as they would have if those acts or omissions had taken place in Scotland. Transitional provisions and savings about handling redundancies 7 1 Sections 99 and 100 of the Employment Protection Act 1975 shall not by virtue of this Order apply to any dismissal which, pursuant to a qualifying notice given before the date on which this Order comes into operation, is to take effect before the expiry of the period of 90 days beginning with that date. 2 In determining for the purposes of section 99(3) or 100(1) as applied whether an employer is proposing to dismiss as redundant 100 or more, or as the case may be, 10 or more employees, no account shall be taken of employees whose proposed dismissals, pursuant to a qualifying notice given before the date on which this Order comes into operation, are to take effect before the expiry of the period of 90 days beginning with that date. 3 For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2) above a qualifying notice is a notice complying with the requirements of section 1(1) of the Contracts of Employment Act 1972 (rights of employee to minimum period of notice) and the relevant terms of the contract of employment. 4 Section 99(3) shall not by virtue of this Order apply to any dismissal which is to take effect on or after the date on which this Order comes into operation where consultation with trade union representatives began before that date. 5 For the purposes of paragraph (4) above consultation shall not be taken to have begun unless the employer has disclosed in writing to the relevant trade union representatives the matters specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of section 99(5). 6 In a case falling within paragraph (4) above section 100(1) as applied shall have effect as if the words “at least 90 days” and “at least 60 days” in paragraphs (i) and (ii) respectively were omitted. N. E. Leigh