| Description | Tape 1, Side A
NEIL LAW ROTHNIE born Buckie 25 April 1952. Family background. Paternal grandfather a stationmaster, Royal Deeside Line. Maternal grandmother blind since young womanhood, brought up family. Every second sibling in her family went blind. Grandfather a brethren, decorated in World War I, a chemist, drank heavily, drowned in World War II. Memories of grandmother, her difficulties. Details re own family, parents. Father’s work with Gas Board. Details re his life, his personality, family relationships. Details re mother, her work as teacher etc. Describes childhood homes, neighbourhood. Compares own job with father’s. Place of religion in childhood. Early interest in politics, Labour Party. Family’s likely political inclinations, mother’s attitudes. Explains early sense of fairness. Details re political situation. Effect of having mother a teacher at school. Encouraged to read etc. Recollection of relaxed discipline at home, school. Details re progress at school, background to becoming Head Boy.
Tape 1, Side B
Feelings re being part of hierarchy as Head Boy at school Work in pub as a barman while at school. Little recollection of teachers, liking for PE, art. Details re subjects studied. Interest in architecture. Mentions reason for eventually going to work in oilfields. Study at University of Aberdeen 1971-2 in geography, English literature, sociology etc. Background to beginning of political interests; Vietnam; miners’ strike. First exposure to Trotsky at school Details re book Keep Left etc. Recalls ignorance of trade union matters when at school First association with WRP (Workers’ Revolutionary Party) then Socialist Labour League, Young Socialist Student Society. Details re meetings at Aberdeen Trades council and other places, street activities, newspapers, ‘Work with the Youth’, building Young Socialist branches. Details re study in sociology, geography; employment prospects. Background to going to work in North Sea oilfield; feelings re taking on industrial work. Attitude to politics, trade unionism etc on rig. First impressions of oil industry; recollection of seeing Glomar IV, Glomar V in port. Background to first employment as steward with catering firm on Sea Quest. Describes first landing by helicopter on rig; hierarchy on rig, attitudes to catering people. Impression of derrickmen, pumpmen etc. Describes manual work using derricks pulling pipe. Detailed explanation of pulling pipe. Worked twelve hour shifts making bunks; also worked in galley etc. Details.
Tape 2, Side A
Steward on Sea Quest (cont’d). Relationship with workmates. Compares offshore work with colliery, car plant. Problem with organising (union activity etc) because of close living conditions. Details. Mentions ideas re class struggle. Comments on wages. No unionisation offshore at that stage. After 3-4 trips, joined Sedco training scheme c1973, became floorman (roughneck). Sent to Sedco 135F. Describes. Details re Sea Quest’s origin. Recalls reading Das Kapital. Reaction of colleagues. Explains own Marxism, rationale for working for capitalist oil industry. Recalls feeling when being faced with putting ideas into practice. Describes work conditions, safety situations where not aware of dangers. Attitude (of oil companies) to safety then and now, focus on personal responsibility rather than management-created problems. Details. Describes accidents offshore involving self and another. Lot of accidents. Had to adjust ideas of socialism. Began to recruit for T&GWU. Explains difficulty recruiting members. Obstructive attitude of unions to self. Attitude of Americans to unions, bigotry etc. Describes close living conditions, awareness of each others’ views, lack of job security, political isolation. Restrictions on topics of conversation.
Tape 2, Side B
Describes life on rig. Describes in detail the drilling process, terminology, dangers involved. High level of concentration necessary. Hierarchy of control of operation. Recalls weather conditions, waves coming over open deck. Worked with regular crews. Atmosphere amongst crews, need for back-watching. Describes working relationships. Abuse form some drillers. Recalls violence. Some people went bananas with pressure of the work. Own attitude to work. Return to university after c18 months, completion of honours degree in sociology. Heavy involvement in Trotskyist movement as organiser/activist. Details. Effect of time working offshore. Examples of exploitation, incentives to workers to work offshore. Need for care when criticising anything – risk of not being allowed back; lack of trade union. Recalls horrendous things done offshore. Gives example. Reference to Schlumberger. Difficulty countering exploitation. Didn’t cause any hassle when offshore. Strain when trying to do things, getting nowhere. Feelings at being back at university. Involved with WRP, eventually member of Central Committee. Colleagues included Terry Brotherstone, Pete Drummond, Bernie Crockett. Explains aim of world revolution, activities building branches, propaganda, daily newspaper work, recruitment, intervention in industrial disputes etc. Feelings about the activities now, about speaking about it, about the nature of the organisation.
Tape 3, Side A
WRP (cont’d). Feelings about speaking about it Details re time spent working with the organisation. Explains growing disillusionment, reason for going back to oilfield 1978. Feelings then and now re world revolution. No political party representation in later 1989-90 North Sea disputes. Reasons for move away from WRP at micro and macro levels. Time of explosion of WRP coincided with miners’ crisis. Explains WRP’s anti-Stalinism yet necessity of Soviet Union for its existence. Recalls thoughts at the time. View of the situation at the time of second Wilson Labour Government. Details of planned workers’ revolution. Public prominence of WRP. Details re personal life, effect of this on WRP work. 1978 joined Sedco Phillips semi-submersible as roustabout. Details re its intervention equipment for maintenance etc. Worked as Helicopter Landing Officer. No training. Details. Norwegian influence on crew change rosters but otherwise no contact with Norwegians. Details. Personal life – moved to Edinburgh. Better wages in oil industry. Made complaint re delivery of mail – attitude of Sedco. Arrival of R. Adair, not Red, on rig. Case of policeman involved in robbery of Dundee pub – later had position of responsibility on oil rig.
Tapes 3, Side B
1978 first, only time smoked dope offshore. Details. Describes straight attitude to job. Rig was run like a ship. Explains. Little alcohol after early days on Sea Quest. Details re thieving that went on, eg of snap-on tools. Recalls high profile guests on Sea quest, eg Princess Anne. Details. High quality sof food. Little pilfering amongst crew. Use of cases by employers. Story of man whose diary saying bad things about bosses was opened. 1979 worked on Sedneth 701 as roughneck, assistant derrickman, assistant subsea engineer. Learned about blowout preventers, safety offshore, on Maureen Field. Recalls spotting a kick. Own reaction to this. Hostile reaction of toolpusher, his later apology. Previous experience where oil struck. Details re blowout preventers. Potential danger of kicks, blowouts. Describes in detail falsification of BOP tests. Impossibility of blowing the whistle. Lies still written in own reports. Reason for need for falsified reports; pressures from oil companies, knowledge of drilling contractor etc. Explains own understanding of North Sea oil industry in 1970s at the time, its political stability, movement to keep unionisation out in order to keep political safety, oil for western capitalism. Position of WRP at time. Own understanding of role of west in Israeli/Arab situation. Rumours of backhanders to union leaders, suggestion that unions didn’t want to know (about offshore industry). Similarity of Labour and Tories; own perception of Tony Benn’s role, effect of IUOOC. Possible effect of own university background on personal relations. Few other graduates doing similar work.
Tape4, Side A
Comments on Middle East instability, exploitation of British sector, lack of safe reserve of funds for country to tap into if needed. Reference to September 11 2001 attacks on US. President Bush’s inconsistent attitude to movement of people, borders. Few Americans in Norwegian North Sea industry. Attitude of Norwegians to Americans. Recalls 1986 oil price crash, attitude then. Feelings about Tony Benn, his attitude to big business, Americans in North Sea, manipulation of trade union response. Benn missed the mark. Explains. Lack of challenge to global capital by Benn, social democracy. Workers treated as white coolies etc. Story re own experience of this offshore, being intimidated by Americans, being defended by friend who was later got rid of. Mentions own reputation with Americans. Details re draconian but fair alcohol policy in Norway, compares with lax situation in UK that makes everyone vulnerable. Mentions effect of decriminalisation, drugs testing in North Sea. Later experience with same American re sacking of two men for drugs, rigged decision re who to sack. Situation re unions now in Norway. Comments on British workers. Norwegian attitude to Britain, Germany. British trade union bureaucracy was compromised in oil industry. Explains. Government wouldn’t challenge oil companies. Americans given free hand. People NRB-ed (not required back), run off. Recalls personal situation when working on Global Marine jack-up off Yarmouth. Mentions potential H2S (hydrogen sulphide) field there. Details re safety breathing kits etc. Stood for Safety Rep. Reference to own later fallout with OILC (Offshore Industry Liaison Committee). Reference to HSE (Health & Safety Executive).
Tape 4, Side B
Continuation of story re experience on Global Marine, opening of well, danger of H2S. Attitude of American tool-pusher, a bully, to safety, attitude of company man. Recalls later trip, drilling through salt, faulty process, wrongly blamed, NRB-ed. Recalls standing for elections for Safety Rep, HSE election procedure. Only opponent – oil company drilling engineer. Mentions own reputation. Details re being elected, irregular process followed resulting in company man also winning. Reaction to own objections, reaction of HSE resulting in re-run of election. Timing of own NRB. Eventually got work again because of influence of friends in management. This is how North Sea worked after Piper Alpha. Attitude of workers to Tony Benn. Limited union organisation, dialogue then. Workers on their own in politically hostile environment, trying to avoid being run off. Money wasn’t the issue. Issue was who runs the industry, who decides on safety. Strikes dealt with by throwing money at workers. Recalls OILC early on, its purposes. Mentions role of IUOOC. Reference to first link with OILC. Mentions Bear Facts Committee, construction-oriented. Explains recruitment of offshore, drilling workers. Mentions own membership of National Union of Seamen, attempt to get them to be oilfields union. Mentions demise of merchant fleet, use of cheap labour, trade union corruption. Recalls Harry Bygate NUS, his UKOK campaign, campaign against South African oil. Opinion of Bygate, his style as chairman. Explains failure of NUS to become oilfields union, internal battles. Recalls links with John Prestcott, centenary of NUS. Reference to Seamen’s Strike 1960s, involvement of Special Branch, Jim Slater. Fought Bygate re centenary celebrations. Details re own international proposal.
Tape5, Side A
Stood for office in NUS. Details. Recalls midnight phone threat of physical violence. Went to Liverpool meeting re leadership of union. Details. Went to Portsmouth during time of QE2 dispute. Recalls jokes at expense of Irish branch, own reaction. Split in union. Explains corruption. Left wing already tainted. No wonder that union not organised for offshore workers. Construction workers’ union was strong. Describes their organising powers. Bear Facts Committee came from construction background. OILC never appealed to drilling side. In Norway, necessary to get drilling people involved. Comments on strength of UK unions, eg Miners, when oil industry came. Ronnie McDonald set up OILC to weld offshore workers together. Compares roles of British, Norwegian governments. Evolution of BNOC (British National Oil Corporation), Thatcherism, Statoil, Hydro. Recalls trying to interest WRP (Workers’ Revolutionary Party) re oil. Missed 1979 strike – working in Ekofisk at time. Details re work in late 1970s. Trained as mud engineer in Houston, Texas, with Baroid. Details re training. Reason for specialising in mud engineering, sub-sea. Mentions previous experience. Feelings about promotion in drilling industry, transmission of bullying from one generation to another. Details re mud engineering, intuition, formal and informal relationships with other sections. Mud engineering best job in rig. Technical explanation of use of mud. Describes training, mix of trainees – some, like self, had degrees, oil field experience, others had none. Explains hierarchy on rig. Explains role of derrickman. Details re tripping pipe. Explains role of crane driver. Roughnecking most dangerous job. Mostly mechanised in Norwegian sector. Details. First links with OILC were after Piper Alpha. Recalls hearing about Piper disaster.
Tapes 5, Side B
Piper Alpha disaster (cont’d). Recalls first seeing news, reaction. Working on Beryl B, still trying to get NUS to do things at time. Mentions electrical repairs, danger of gas explosion. Piper was logical conclusion of situation. People thought Thistle Alpha platform, (the Black Pig) would go up first. Concern in drilling was re blowouts. Comments on Piper, number of people who didn’t get away, people obeying rules. Recalls difficulty engaging people in discussion re safety after Piper. Service held in Aberdeen, signs of respect in pubs etc for victims, bereaved families. Offshore, no commemoration planned. Complained to Field Manager. Describes his reaction, reaction of tool-pusher. Gives example of relationship with American tool-pusher. Recalls going to sauna, discussions there about issues. Was working for BW Mud. Details re mud, its components including starch, potential problems. Faulty mix, effect on colleague who was Medivac-ed off, nearly lost sight. Pressure from employers to continue using faulty mix rather than stopping drilling, their refusal to give written instructions. Outcome of situation, NRB. Details. Mentions own young family. Joined Sedneth 701 rig near Ocean Odyssey which had had fatal blowout week before. Details. Mentions friendship with medic who was former Trotskyist, IMG (International Marxist Group). Describes atmosphere on Sedneth rig after Ocean Odyssey, Piper disasters. Mentions Arco (Atlantic Richfield Corporation) – later blacked by them. Lack of concern for human life only months after Piper Alpha. Mentions own training re blowouts, familiarity with drilling practices. Lot of rules broken on Ocean Odyssey. Gives example, technical details, dangerous situation leading to blowout. Recalls company claims of acts of god etc.
Tape 6, Side A
Knew one of the mud engineers on Ocean Odyssey, since blacked. Only two lifeboats on Sedneth 701. Comments on their effectiveness, chances of being able to launch both in bad weather. Mentions evacuation of Ocean Odyssey survivors through Sedneth 701. Radio operator ordered back to radio room, died. Shell main partners in Ocean Odyssey. Recalls starting discussion re lifeboats on Sedneth 701, their state, escape facilities. Details re hole in lifeboat – recently inspected. Mentions high pressure of drilling area – having to go into area on rig to take sample. Recalls feelings. Background to getting job in Norway. Went to Observer reporter in Scotland re hole in boat. Details re article, aftermath. Mentions own history of Trotskyism, commitment to socialism, ‘presbyterian’ approach. Compares own situation with that of others not committed in same political sense. Possible impact of university background. Own feelings re academia. Used to move from rig to rig. Laid off after downturn. Attitude of employers to mud engineers. Moved by BW to Sedneth 701 in high pressure, high temperature situation, like a punishment. Unsuccessful in later attempt to get back to BW. Details. Reason for current employment by them. Limited opportunities for mud engineers. Further details re Sedneth 701 – had worked on it long before. Recalls security post-Ocean Odyssey. Story of a former policeman/robber who became barge engineer. Recalls his story re a rig with cracks, cleared in inspection and working, money changing hands. First link with OILC. Recalls adverts re meetings. Reference to Bear Facts Committee. Meetings run by Ronnie McDonald. Impressions of him. Details re his background. Reference to Seamen’s Strike.
Tape 6, Side B
OILC (cont’d). Major issue was safety, need for workers to be organised. Own situation. Others had long history of organisation. Mentions deaths before Piper Alpha. Drilling workers not involved then in OILC. Explains own position at time re safety in North Sea. Comments on attitudes to wages situation. Reference to WRP. Recalls later TUC (Trades Union Congress) Conference, lack of support, McDonald’s reaction. Comments on OILC today, the events that gave it birth. Meetings all held onshore. Attitude to employers to unions, socialism. OILC meetings held in Glasgow. Recalls suggesting a newspaper (Blowout), reaction to idea. Ideas for topics to be featured. Mentions own Norwegian contract, introduction to Apple Mac computer. Describes Norwegian rig, unionisation, good technical facilities. Wrote for Blowout on computer. Computer suited writing style. Explains. Writings put into newspaper format. Details. Recalls first edition 1989. Borrowed money from brother and a mate to pay bills. Reaction of OILC to first edition on first anniversary of Piper. Mentions OILC day of protest. Reference to Bob Ballantyne. Technical details re Blowout production, distribution offshore etc. Few went to drilling vessels. Recalls media interest in OILC. Reaction of OILC members to Blowout. Had little contact with OILC members, not well known to them. Comments on form of OILC. Blowout not OILC official paper initially. Recalls OILC member Jim Fleming. Describes McDonald, compares with the Bears. Relationship between self, Blowout and OILC. Meetings took place in different places. Details. After first edition of Blowout, no plans for more. Mentions attitude of employers to own career – involving work in Malaysia, South China Sea. Details re computers.
Tape 7, Side A
Recalls producing second edition of Blowout on first anniversary of Ocean Odyssey. Ended up in big dispute with employers re method of payment by day rate. Explains dispute, difficulty dealing with Norwegians. Recalls meeting at airport, news re being laid off. Explains membership of Norwegian union, their help. Details re return to work, negotiations with company. Bought out of job 1989. Used money to set up as independent working on Blowout. Mentions negotiations for monthly payment from OILC. Explains relationship. Impact of move on family. Feelings at time about walking out of future work opportunities in Norwegian, British sectors. Set up office in home in Glasgow, then moved to derelict office in old kilt maker’s rooms off Clyde Street. Details. Had bought computer with help from OILC funds. Mentions friend, ex-oil worker, who had fallen from derrick and broken bones, set up computer business, enabling full, state-of-the-art production of Blowout. Explains level of involvement with OILC, meetings, membership of Standing Committee. Had help from another former roughneck. Details re him, his technical, journalistic help. Three working on paper at one point. Recalls going to meetings, writing about issues during Summer of Discontent. Importance of letters pages. Purposes of paper. Mentions subtitle ‘A Voice for the Offshore Worker’ later changed to ‘The Voice of the Offshore Worker’. Significance of change. OILC never lost attitude towards workers. Explains own attitude. OILC not successful for drillers. Comments on way Summer of Discontent period documented, book by Charles Woolfson, his political approach, his intervention in way OILC went. Recalls Comet Project, its link with oil companies. Details re Conoco.
Tape7, Side B
Comments on ‘Striking Out’, roles of Ronnie McDonald, Charles Woolfson in its production. Mentions assistance of Young Trade Unionist of the Year, his role at time of split. Mentions Blowout issue re founding independent North Sea union. Recalls key 1990 meeting re strike. Details re challenge to oil companies. Feelings re Woolfson’s involvement in meeting. Mentions own problem with Stalinism, own situation at time. No major criticisms of Blowout. Mentions spelling errors. Recalls own final issue after betrayal of strike by official union movement. Own view of purpose of OILC, a new union. Mentions political intervention by Woolfson, an independent academic observer, at a conference, own article drawing attention to this. Blowout had been very popular but under the table at TUC conference. People had other agendas. Details. Point reached where discussion needed to be opened up. Question re relationship between Blowout, OILC. Details re meeting held with supporters, resulting in pay being stopped. Disputed article in Blowout was designed to raise questions re OILC, point direction. Details. This approach did not match with what was going on. Explains. Recalls attack on self at Glasgow mass meeting. Own feelings of isolation etc. Recalls support. Comments on OILC’s position. Paper finally printed without controversial article. Details. Recalls feelings about situation at time. Explains feelings after Piper Alpha. Mentions continuing blacking of workers offshore, feelings re offshore working conditions, value of OILC. Reference to feelings of fear.
Tape 8, Side A
Recalls being told Blowout would be closed down. Explains situation. Did RGIT (Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology survival training), applied for job offshore. Discussion re forming a union came rapidly. Recalls small Glasgow meeting, options facing OILC, own proposal. Explains Ronnie McDonald’s position. Details re proposed draft constitution based on AEEW constitution. Explains own objections to this. Mentions AEEW lack of support for OILC. Further details re own proposal. Comments on degeneration of once vibrant workers’ resistance. Wanted open discussion in Blowout. Explains what Blowout represented, the opportunity it offered, eg in readers’ letters. Importance of discussion provoked by letters etc. Hopes for OILC. Opinion of constitutions, official trade unions. Has lost touch with UK North Sea regime since working with Norwegians. Comments on value of oil workers’ strikes. Compares with Norwegian situation. After OILC time worked in British sector. Kept going to OILC for period. Comments on Arco. Had dispute with OILC re attitude to safety committees. Details. Reference HSE, Department of Energy. On safety committee – a stitch-up. Lost job, eventually reinstated. Explains. Became more realistic about putting ideas into practice. Mentions WRP experience, NUS experience. OILC experience in retrospect. Feeling that own courage failed at times. Explains own motivation to go through processes, impossibility of stepping back. Not involved now. Comments on current Labour Government, compares with Thatcher. Ideas re possible contact with MPs. Has permanent employment in Norwegian sector. Describes. Able to deal with ‘schizophrenia’ of two lives. Benefit of shift pattern. Unions, government, rules strong in Norway. Explains. Safety regime good, lot of participation by workers. Details. Compares with British sector.
Tape 8, Side B
Takes full part in safety regime in Norwegian sector. Recalls an NRB on own platform. Company’s interpretation of role of consultants. Details re NRB case. Effect, on union strength, of having consultants. Details re their situation. Own proposal re consultants. Comments on relationship between Norwegians, British on rig. Mentions race element. Blacks, Asians offshore one-in-a-million. Details. Recalls attitude of deep south Americans in North Sea. Gives example. Explains current daily routine offshore. Work not very demanding physically. Working on a semi-submersible. Mentions checking mud in mud lab. No great changes in mud technology. Changes to reporting systems with computers. Norwegian rigs very mechanised. Explains changes. Personal situation. Impact of job and shift patterns on home life, own character. North Sea a difficult place to work. Details. Currently in negotiations re next year’s service agreement. Comments on future for North Sea industry. Problems in Norway with recruiting young people. Reference to RGIT survival course. Compares job expectations with those of father. Mentions industry age profiles, average age in Norway, UK. Own future plans towards retirement.
END OF INTERVIEW. |