Unofficial action has started again on the North Sea. This Wednesday, 12 September, the OILC has called a one-day strike in the southern sector mainly aimed at AMOCO.
This strike is conceived as a protest at AMOCO's safety record - only days ago a major disaster (an explosion, in fact) was avoided by oil workers who stuck to their guns and refused to follow management's potentially murderous orders.
The strike is also aimed at the oil contractors who are refusing to co-operate with the ballot.
Meanwhile, catering workers in the offshore industry have voted for all-out strike action over pay. The Aberdeen secretary of their union, Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT), Steve Todd, said a strike would quickly bite:
"It would bring operations in the North Sea to a stand-still in a matter of hours. Our members' decision - by six to one - shows the level of discontent amongst offshore workers."