Lighthouse workers to take 24-hour strike action

Lighthouse workers in Oban are set to take strike action for the second time in a month as part of a long-term pay dispute.

 

Unite the Union members of the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) will embark on a 24-hour walkout on Thursday, with employees striking outside the organisation's depot on Gallanach Road.

 

The workers previously took action for the first time in NLB's 236-year history on June 26 and June 27, with the board's technical operations carried out in Oban.

 

NLB's two vessels - the NLV Pharos and NLV Pole Star - are also based in Oban and both are expected to be berthed during the latest strike, which will last from 12pm on Thursday until 12pm on Friday.

 

A NLB spokeswoman said: "We sympathise with the cost-of-living pressures our staff face, but the Northern Lighthouse Board is bound entirely by UK Government pay policy."

 

Around 40 Unite members, including seamen, base assistants, cooks and technicians, are expected to join the picket line on Thursday.

 

These workers help to maintain and operate 208 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man, with employees also maintaining and operating beacons and buoys.

 

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Unite’s NLB members will take part in a second wave of strike action.

 

"At the heart of this dispute is an unacceptable two per cent pay offer which does absolutely nothing to help keep families and households afloat during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. Unite will continue to push the boat out in defence of our members’ jobs, pay and conditions.”

 

The NLB’s mainland operations are based in Edinburgh, while Oban is also home to its maintenance workshops and facilities for beacon and buoy construction.

 

Unite members had previously voted in support of taking strike action by 90.6 per cent in April after an 86.5 per cent turnout.

 

Members have rejected a two per cent pay offer and Unite says one-off cash payments are seen as unacceptable, following a pay freeze last year.

 

Unite industrial officer, Alison MacLean, added: “Unite’s members at the NLB remain steadfast. They refuse to be pushed overboard to sink under this cost of living crisis. The UK Government must provide the extra finances required to support the NLB."

 

The NLB maintains 208 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man. The lighthouses are situated in some of the most remote and beautiful locations in Scotland, and guided sea mariners for over two centuries.

 

A UK Government spokesperson said: “Public sector pay strikes a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for taxpayers and avoiding higher prices in the future.

 

“We are constantly reviewing pay policies across government and are having productive discussion with unions, to ensure that we are doing the best we can for workers."