| Description | Tape 1 Side A JACK KING (JAKE) MOLLOY born Aberdeen 28.11.1959. Family background, details re siblings. Paternal grandmother born in Lewis, worked in Dundee mills. Maternal grandparents from Fife, went to Dundee. Details re names. Recollections of grandparents. Background to apprenticeship as a plumber. Father a butcher, involved with Communist Party. Details re his other work, eg building industry, armed services experience. Details re family relationships, marriage. Description of mother, her sense of responsibility, community activities; decline in her health. Recollection of first involvement with OILC (Offshore Industry Liaison Committee). Recollection of childhood in Dundee, travel, during holidays, with uncle, a long-distance lorry driver. Description of uncle, relationship with him. Details re father's attitude to trade unions, and to own current work in OILC. Religion not important at home. Details. Education: details re schools attended in Dundee, progress, prospects; preferred subjects eg technical drawing, art. Background to entry into plumbing trade (1976). Details re apprenticeship experiences. Recollection of bully teachers at school, draconian approach. Evolution of own attitude to justice, school attitudes. Recollection of a significant experience at school, the consequent punishment. Attitude of father to injustices, example of his reaction to a difficult situation. Recollection of involvement in sport. Feelings about plumbing work, enjoyment of jobs coming together, sense of achievement. Early union experience with EETPU (Electrical Engineers Telecommunications & Plumbers Union). Recollection of a taking lead in early dispute re working conditions. Background to first work offshore (1981). Details re domestic situation, marriage, children.
Tape 1 Side B Recollection of journeyman plumber his influence, attitude. Own attitude to work standards. Details re private work done, pride taken in work, dangers of cheap work. Early impressions of Aberdeen, attitude to Americans in 1980. Comparison with Dundee, partying etc. Level of consciousness then of oil industry. Little early contact with Aberdonians. Impression of them. Background to first offshore employment through Temps & Co (1981). Details re kitting out, rate of pay, domestic situation, plans. Description of routine, scary trip offshore in Logan Air aircraft to Unst. Safety measures taken there. Helicopter trip to platform, routine, impression of Ninian Central platform, frightening aspects. Details re personnel structure, layout of platform facilities etc, social amenities, camaraderie. Operators, Chevron still recruiting at the time. Explanation of work routine, first plumbing, handyman jobs. Recollection of getting an electric shock in earlier days. Recollection of intimidating atmosphere, culture of fear on platform, NRB ('Not Required Back') syndrome. Description of hierarchy, own responsibility to Chevron supervisers. Recalls intimidation from one Chevron man who sacked 53 people in a morning. Details re incident. Feelings about him, his attitude. Explanation of stages of discipline procedure. Explanation of lifeboat drills, opinion re their effectiveness; shape of lifeboats, dangers. Different occupational groupings on platform, eg, drillng crew, maintenance team, black trades (welders, platers, riggers, pipe fitters, construction engineering), services group (painters, scaffolders). Attitude of drillers. Impression of their work compared with that of others.
Tape 2 Side A Recollection of driller, Elmo Reid, his sayings, eg 'push that pipe', his tobacco chewing. Recalls another driller, 'Brother', who smoked in the shower. Smoking allowed virtually anywhere in early days. Drillers never saw oil. Details re presence of marijuana offshore in early days. Stopped by customs every time. Explains. Story of being stopped for a grain of rice, strip search. Spent 5 years on Ninian Central. No unions. Own union membership lapsed. Explains. Feelings re situation. No one seemed interested in unions. Own interest began in 1986 because of unfair treatment re contract - being dismissed. Details. Effect of work routine on family life. Explains difficulty being offshore, not being able to help with problems at home, wife's situation etc. Mentions limited phone calls. Details re effect of job on relationship with children, effect on them of being away offshore. Effect of job on marriage. Consideration of taking work onshore - reason for not doing so. Own changing attitude to danger. Effect of 1989 industrial dispute on family. Effect of shift work offshore on own moods. No assistance for personal matters offshore, few phone calls. Many offshore workers have personal preoccupations, little opportunity to confide with people - consequences of this. Details re suicides possibly resulting from depression. Recalls safety standards on Ninian Central, accidents. Effect of Piper Alpha.
Tape 2 Side B Safety standards on Ninian Central (cont'd). Attitudes changed by Piper Alpha disaster. Explains. Attitude of OIMs, company (Chevron) to safety. Details re friend's accident, aftermath, misplaced faith in company. Explains own evolving role as 'safety rep', relationships with management. Recalls 'dog-eat-dog' world offshore, lack of interest in other industrial matters. Evolution of own politics, interest in health and safety etc. Recalls wastage of material, money offshore, eg at time of visit of George Younger, Secretary of State for Scotland. Return ashore after losing job - details re change to Brent Delta (1986) as deck assistant to replace man killed in Chinook crash. Feelings re stepping into dead men' s shoes, reaction of their former colleagues. Description of culture offshore, tight-knit crews, feelings of gap when a colleague lost. Impact of CRINE (Cost Reduction in the New Era); nationalisation. Details re reductions of crews. Recalls impression of increase in incidents, accidents, their causes. Social life offshore included table tennis, snooker etc. Recalls facilities on flotels, own evening reading re trade unions etc. General absence of union officials, interest offshore. Own membership of MSF then OILC. Mentions Bear Facts Committee, its role re health and safety etc. Details re two fatal accidents when on Brent, own role as Safety Rep. Pressure from management re work continuing. Details re donation of shift earnings for widow of man killed. Production never shut down. Recalls encounter with oil industry chaplain, possibilities of support from colleagues. Background to own role as Safety Rep, attitude of company.
Tape 3 Side A Recollection of Piper Alpha disaster, first news, reactions offshore, media coverage. Considerations re safety on Brent Delta, regularity of alarms because of the poor state of platform, complacency. Feelings about situation. Reference to Lasalle Company. Deterioration of safety conditions. Background to 1989 sit-in dispute, OILC coordination. Details re cause of dispute, bridge falling down, holding of meetings. Attitude of unions. Timetable of dispute, reaction of employers, tactics of workers, employers; intimidation; increase in wages. Own attitude to quality of life, living within means, attitude to overtime. Effect of overtime on other colleagues, relationship between money and (safety) risk. 41% wage increase thrown at workforce. Explains OILC desire for agreement covering UK Continental Shelf, attitude of contractors, operators. Lot of money put about, unions rolled over. Explains. Details re Hookup Agreement. Attitude of trade unionists to agreement, own attitude. Attitude of unions to offshore industry; working conditions, leave etc. Standing of IUOOC. Attitudes to OILC. No will to upset industry. Politics of situation. Reference to 1979 strike, generally unreported. 1990 'summer of discontent'. Recollection of stoppage, strategy, tedium. Details re own previous involvement in sit-in (1989). Mentions blacklisting. Comments on management system pre Piper Alpha. Replacement for Piper Alpha paid for by insurance. Feelings re Occidental's situation. Early days of OILC, collective feeling of workers at last, possibility of change. First meaningful demonstration by workforce of need for change etc. Explains condemnation of OILC trade unions, industry, workers. Role of Ronnie MacDonald, early dream of OILC that changed to a campaign.
Tape 3 Side B Early stages of OILC, key role played by Ronnie MacDonald and that of others. Period of internal strife. Details. Own self-education in wider aspects of the industry, role in the industry, health and safety aspects. Reference to Safety Reps. Papers written. Change in style for OILC. Many Americans tainted by their management style. Seasonal production cycle of industry, down-manning, turnover of workers, numbers of non-specialists; difficulty for union presence. Brent Spar helicopter crash (1990). Background to event. Attitude of Shell re cause. Cormorant Alpha helicopter crash (1992). Recalls being one of Brent Delta helideck crew, details re crash. Description of appalling weather conditions, background to situation. Reaction to own protests as Safety Rep re fatal flight taking place. Reason for flight going ahead. Details re workers' follow-up actions. Own feelings re crash. Outcome of enquiry, actions of OILC. Shell forced to introduce Adverse Weather Policy. Current situation. Insurance, compensation outcome. Civil action through OILC. Personal domestic situation, involvement with OILC. Reasonably safe operation offshore but failings when productivity affected. Explains. Background to coming ashore (1996), importance of work at local level. Presentation at safety case conference to top executives as offshore worker/safety rep (1993). Last work offshore from 1986 as Helideck Officer. Feelings re coming ashore, difficulty with sleeping etc. General Secretary of OILC (1996): first apprehensions re job, scope of duties. Reason for changing style of Blowout magazine. Profile of readers. Personal details re second marriage etc. Importance of spending time with Norwegians; their relaxed attitude to work.
Tape 4 Side A Norwegians epitomise what unions should be about. Explains. Feelings about own position, title etc. Attitude of other unions to OILC, feelings about them. Further characteristics of Norwegian union situation, attitudes. British workforce stuck in era of fear, intimidation because of Thatcher, also because of CRINE (Cost Reduction in the New Era). Recollection of a Shell OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) whose attitude changed after Piper Alpha and was then moved on. Mentions blast on Brent Delta (1989). Hostile negotiations, as Safety Rep, with another OIM re dangers of a proposed operation. Change of attitude on platform to safety, realisation of workers of their potential influence. Details of another encounter over a safety issue when Helicopter Landing Officer. Money gained in UK from oil industry wasted. Mentions building of industry ships etc in Korea, Japan. Impact on British industry. Compares with approach in Norway including decommissioning facilities - none in UK. Impact of OSO (Offshore Supplies Office). Mentions shutdown of UK oil industry facilities. Labour started out on right foot with Tony Benn. Opinion re Statoil. Impact of Thatcher, Tories. Reference to BNOC, Britoil. Comments on current fuel crisis and attitude of unions. Attitude of current Labour Government to unions. Right to strike denied to workers. Current imbalance in share of benefits from oil. Comparison of income of executives, workers etc. Future prospects for North Sea oil. Feelings about oil tax, use of oil revenues, exploitation. Industry holding gun to Government. Brent Spar issue overplayed. Own attitude to this and to artificial reefs.
Tape 4 Side B Own current situation, plans for work within OILC, possibilities later. Feelings about going offshore again. Explains enjoyment of offshore work, camaraderie with colleagues. Feelings about own role in OILC, aims. Invisibility of oil itself, work time spent on day-to-day issues etc. Industry has taken a long time to acknowledge that attitudes, behaviours determine what happens. Comments on Sir Ian Wood, his attitudes etc. Own attitude, that of OILC to rights of industry, Government to make money, entitlements of offshore workers. Branches of the industry going backwards at the moment. Money being spent on trying to improve things going into blind alleys. Impact of 'Step Change' programme, attitude of workers. Enjoyable aspects of current job, eg organisation of trip to Norway, helping workers in trouble etc. |