Second walkout for lighthouse workers amid ongoing dispute

Lighthouse workers in Oban embarked on another 24-hour strike last week as part of a long running pay dispute, which has seen two walkouts in four weeks.

 

Around 40 Unite the Union members of the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) created a picket line at 12pm on Thursday July 27,  striking outside the organisation’s depot on Gallanach Road.

 

Workers had previously taken action on June 26 and June 27, with this initial action the first official strike in NLB's 236-year history.

 

The board’s technical operations and its two vessels – the NLV Pharos and NLV Pole Star – are based in Oban.

 

Both vessels were berthed during the latest strike, which involved workers that had missed the last picket line because they had been offshore at the time.

 

These included seamen, base assistants, cooks and technicians, who help to maintain and operate 208 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man.

 

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “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.”

 

"attachment_993598" "" "300"] Unite the Union flags surround a plaque to the 236-year-old Northern Lighthouse Board. Photograph: Finn Nixon.

 

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.”

 

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 the workers view one-off cash payments as unacceptable, following a pay freeze last year.

 

Unite industrial officer, Alison MacLean, added: “Unite’s members at the NLB remain steadfast. The UK Government must provide the extra finances required to support the NLB.

 

At the picket line on Thursday, Ms MacLean and a NLB worker argued that little had changed since the last strike four weeks before.

 

Ms MacLean told the Oban Times: "There have been no changes since last time and our message remains the same. We are in the middle of the next round of pay negotiations, so this is an opportunity for the company to address the ongoing concerns and give workers a proper pay increase.

 

"The Scottish Government should be putting pressure on the UK Government because they have welfare responsibilities across Scottish waters and they can't keep turning a blind eye to the plight of NLB workers."

 

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.”

 

A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “While this is a dispute with the UK Government, we would urge a swift resolution. The Scottish Government meets regularly with the NLB, appreciating the vital role it undertakes in keeping Scotland’s waters safe.”