Offshore Oil Employees (Hansard, 12 November 1990)

§ 1. Mr. Sillars
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the blacklisting of offshore oil employees by oil companies and contractors.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. Colin Moynihan)
During unofficial offshore industrial action by contractors' employees in August a number of men "sat-in" on installations and consistently refused to comply with the offshore installation manager's instructions to return to shore. Some men did not leave until a court interdict was obtained. They were subsequently dismissed by their employers.

§ Mr. Sillars
Is the Minister aware that that is a wholly unsatisfactory statement? He appears to be entirely in the pocket of the oil companies and the contractors. Can he and the oil companies not yet accept that we are no longer in the era of masters and men when masters could do exactly as they wanted with working people? On this day of all days, which will be known as the Cullen day in Scotland, does he accept that he should talk not to the oil barons in their ivory towers and big limousines, but to the men and women who go out on to the oilfields and risk their lives? Is not it time that he called in the oil companies and told them to listen to the men and women's claim for trade union recognition and safety?

§ Mr. Moynihan
I wholly disagree with the hon. Gentleman's comments. It is vital that the actions of individual short-term or long-term contract workers on rigs should demonstrate that they are prepared to respond to the instructions of offshore installation managers. That they were prepared to ignore those instructions on this occasion does not lead me to the view that the hon. Gentleman reached. Naturally, all of us are concerned about anything that has an effect on the maintenance of good offshore industrial relations. The dispute is for the parties involved to settle.

§ Mr. Michael Morris
Is not it a fact that any of us who have been to any of these platforms must recognise that the success of production, research or work at whatever level depends on teamwork? Therefore, the key factor is that every member working on a platform should have confidence in his neighbour and should know that if an instruction is given, everyone will respond to it.

§ Mr. Moynihan
I completely agree with my hon. Friend's views.

§ Mrs. Fyfe
Does the Minister recall the Labour Front Bench getting in touch with him a few weeks ago on this very subject? Does he agree that it is vital to implement Labour's policy on those matters, which is that people should not be blacklisted because of trade union membership or activity, particularly when we think of the immense health and safety problems of the industry? Will the Minister agree to meet members of the anti-blacklisting campaign, which is supported by 80 members of various parties in the House, who are extremely worried about those matters in this industry among others?

§ Mr. Moynihan
The Labour Front Bench has not brought to my attention any details of a specific blacklist, but if it does, of course we shall look into it. The reality is that we have made inquiries of Shell regarding the offshore personnel records information system, which is unique to Shell. The important point, on which I wanted assurance from Shell, was that it would not pass on the names of any men who took part in industrial action on Shell installations to any other operator, and it has given me that undertaking.

§ Mr. Dobson
May I take up the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe) and remind the Minister that my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, South (Mr. Doran) has written to him on the specific issue of blacklisting?
My specific question is addressed to the Secretary of State. Will he take the opportunity presented by today's publication of the Cullen report into the Piper Alpha disaster to call together the operators, the contractors and the representatives of people who risk their lives every day working in the North sea to make a fresh start to achieve the good industrial relations that are necessary if those people are to have a safe working environment? Will he insist that the contractors and operators withdraw the sackings and abandon the blacklisting, which is a disgrace to both?

§ Mr. Moynihan
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will, of course, make a statement on the Cullen report later this afternoon. No doubt he will bear in mind the issues that the hon. Gentleman raised. If, by implication, he believes that my right hon. Friend, or anyone in the House of whatever political persuasion, does not put safety first, he is wholly misguided and wrong.