A new purpose in your life

November 1991


While the oil companies were focusing their energy on restoring democracy in Kuwait, a quiet revolution took place in downtown Aberdeen. Behind the solid granite walls of OILC House, a radical change in approach and legal status was underway.
The image of Angry Young (?) Men defying capitalism and “stopping the oil” had served its purpose. The new talk was of building mutual respect, dialogue, human dignity and,  above all, being zealous for the law.
The unofficial organisation which dominated television news in August 1990 has now done the decent thing. The Offshore Industry Liaison Committee has faced up to its responsibilities and become a legally constituted trade union.
Perhaps a short honeymoon would have helped the organisation adjust to its new status, but faced with mounting evidence of the ostrich approach to industrial safety, the pace of activity in Guild Street is more hectic than ever.
If those within the offshore union are unsure of their new role, confusion is greater in other areas. Many potential members are unable or unwilling to grasp the chance to build for themselves a responsible trade union devoted to pursuing their legal and reasonable expectations.
In spite of many attempts to undermine their standing, the OILC has come to be respected across a wide spectrum of the offshore workforce. The solid foundations of this respect are those individuals who have worked in the industry and whose references can be checked simply by asking your fellow workers.
The United Kingdom offshore energy sector is more than 20 years old. The “last frontier” image of the teenage years must be wearing thin. It is time that industrial relations in our industry were brought into line with the reasonable, accepted norms of British society.
If the oil business is to be a constructive force in our country, it must respect the people of that country. It should start to demonstrate that respect across the entire offshore workforce.
Joining the OILC is a positive step towards ensuring a steady improvement in your future working conditions and ultimately, to integrating oil wealth into the framework of our nation.
MEMBER No. 5
First published in Blowout

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