Norway labour union warns of oil service strike, may hit output

OSLO, July 7 (Reuters) -

** Labour union Industri Energi on Thursday said a large number of workers at Norwegian oil service firms will go on strike later this year unless a wage deal is found in upcoming mediation

** Voluntary wage talks for 6,500 union members at around 60 companies broke down on Wednesday

** "A strike may hit output," Industri Energi union leader Leif Sande told Reuters. Still, a strike will most likely be months away

** Workers are not allowed to strike unless mediation by a state-appointed mediator has been attempted. Industri Energi did not specify how many of its members would initially go on strike, but said the numbers would be extensive

** A smaller trade union, Safe, struck a deal for its members late on Wednesday, but Industri Energi said it would demand larger wage increases than those obtained in the Safe deal

** Industri Energi also said it believed the deal signed by Safe and the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association was illegal, and added it would take the matter to Norway's Labour Court

** Industri Energi said mediation would only take place after the legal matter has been resolved, and a potential strike could consequently be months away (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik)