oil
Brazil oil strike spreads
Brazilian oil workers on Thursday expanded a strike that was limited to platforms in the Campos Basin to all production and refining units of state-run energy company Petrobras.
Petrobras said on Thursday output at its platforms, refineries and distribution units was not affected by the strike. But the unions will vote next week on a proposal to stop production in a nationwide strike planned for Aug. 5.
Brazilian oil workers begin five day strike
Brazilian oil workers have begun a five day strike as of midnight last night.
The Brazilian state-run oil producer, Petrobras, says the strike has cut its production by 7%. The union, however, is saying the walkout has cut production by more like 22%, approximately 400,000 barrels.
Shell truckers offered 14 per cent pay rise
Oil tanker drivers supplying Shell petrol stations have called off a planned second round of industrial action after being offered a reported 14 per cent pay increase over two years.
The last minute offer was made to the drivers’ union, the ITF affiliated Unite, by Hoyer UK and Suckling Transport, who are contracted to distribute Shell supplies. It followed four days of peaceful industrial action in the UK, with more planned.
Fears of UK trucks strike activates emergency oil plans
Emergency procedures have been activated within the oil industry ahead of a threatened four-day strike by tanker drivers, amid fears that filling stations across Britain could start running out of fuel from this weekend (13th June).
John Hutton, business secretary, fears the strike could prompt much more widespread fuel shortages than those caused by the strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery in April, and has ordered officials to draw up contingency plans. Industry executives believe these fears are well founded.
70,000 Spanish truckers strike, blockade border with France
French and Spanish truckers blockaded roads on the border of south-western France on 9th June in protest at rising fuel prices.
In the latest show of distress with fuel prices, Spanish truckers on Monday began a blockade of their country's border with France, lining up their rigs and slowing them to a crawl to protest the cost of fuel. The strike blocked the highway in both directions in southwestern France.
Iraqi oil Minister transfers union activists
The Iraqi Oil minister, Hussein Al-Shahirstani, had ordered the transfer of 8 Oil Union activists to Baghdad's Al-Dorah neighborhood (known for worsening security situation, and high level of sectarian killings). In the context of Iraqi security situation such a transfer is rightfully regarded as a human rights violation.
The Iraqi Oil minister, Hussein Al-Shahirstani, had ordered the transfer of 8 Oil Union activists.
They used to work at the Oil refineries in the south. This act represents the minister's anti-union policy, and lack of respect for Unions and Unions' activists in the Oil sector.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
With a planetary ecological crisis on hand, it can no longer be denied that socialism will be incompatible with mass production and mass consumption. Indeed, even without returning to Malthusian catastrophe theories, we are forced to admit that the planet’s resources are not inexhaustible. These resources could provide for humanity’s needs, but only if they are used in a reasonable and rational way, i.e., in a manner directly opposed to capitalist logic, which in itself is a source of imbalance.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
by Alternative Libertaire
Panic at oil pensions strike
Workers at the Grangemouth Ineos plant will strike for two days from Sunday and will shut down the Forties pipeline, which provides a third of the UK's daily oil output.
The government is warning consumers not to panic, as panic-buying of petrol has begun.
The strike of Unite members is against attacks on pensions, including closing the scheme to new entrants.
More information from Unite here.
Oil workers struggles in Venezuela under Chavez, 2007
Article with information about recent struggles of the oil workers as well as some information and analysis about the proposed constitutional amendments which were defeated on December 2.
We are publishing our response to a letter sent by a reader from Brazil (T), who asks our opinion about an article he received, from which we are publishing some extracts, and which covers the struggles and mobilizations of the workers against the state oil company "Petroleos de Venezuela" (PDVSA) last September, demanding better wages and contractual benefits.
Algeria: Striking pipeline workers face repression
Two union representatives were arrested last week and the local authorities are moving large numbers of riot police into the area.
570 workers have been striking for five weeks now. It seems as though the local authorities want to provoke a confrontation, as well as sending in more police and arresting the two men they have also issued 'inflammatory statements'. According to Mr Aouadi, a member of the union committee "They have even gone as far as to accuse us of vandalising our equipment, which is false"
Darkness at midnight: Review of Midnight Oil - Work, Energy, War, 1973-1992 by Midnight Notes
A review of an anthology of articles by the US autonomist Marxist-influenced Midnight Notes collective and the earlier Zerowork group.
From issue no. 17 of the Wildcat (UK) journal.
=============
DARKNESS AT MIDNIGHT
Tahiti: Strikes underway with more to come
Employees at Tikiphone, the polynesian mobile phone provider went on indefinite strike last Tuesday.
The strike action is in support of a claim by workers for increased salaries and for their benefits to be brought into line with those of other workers at the Officeof post and telecommunications (OPT). An inter-union grouping of CSIP, CSTP/FO, Otahi, A Tia I Mua called the strike and 60% of workers are observing it.Tikiphone shops are either closed or picketed.
energy
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the energy sector around the world.
Update on Iranian workers' struggles
A round-up of recent struggles going on in Iran, including textile and petrochemical workers' strikes and opposition to new changes in labour law.
Security forces kill a worker and wounded others
Security forces opened fire on workers and drivers in Bandar-e Daylam’s (Persian Gulf Port Daylam) custom, killing one worker and wounding a few others in November 5, 2006.
South Africa Exxon strike, 2001
The 2001 strike of workers at Engen - the South African affiliate of the oil multinational Exxon.
North Sea oil divers face bully tactics during strike
Personal harrassment by managers has been reported by North Sea oil divers who have launched an indefinite strike over pay.
The strike by over 900 divers has entered its third day, and reports have been made that management are harrassing and intimidating workers in a bid to undermine the strike. Workers have been receiving intimidating phone calls at home urging them to return to work and sign individual contracts, a classic tactic used to break solidarity between strikers.
Oil refinery workers threaten sit-in protest today
Workers at Bahrain Petroleum Co. are due to hold a sit-in protest over pay.
The workers at Bapco oil refinery in Bahrain have threatened a 45 minute sit-in protest today if their demands for higher pay are not met.
Peruvian indigenous group wins oil pollution battle
Local residents return to their homes having reached an agreement over oil waste after a 15-day protest.
Protesters from the Achuar Indian communities in the northern Peru forest have won an agreement for an Argentine oil drilling firm to stop dumping toxic waste into the rainforest. The Native Federation of the Corrientes River brought jungle operations of Pluspetrol Norte to a standstill, demanding a clean-up of the harmful waste produced by 30 years of drilling in the area.
Nigerians storm oil platforms
Villagers in Nigeria have stormed and seized three Shell oil platforms in the Niger Delta.
A spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell PLC said the seizures have forced oil production to be shut down at the platforms.
Officials, however, declined to say how much oil had been cut off after the platforms were attacked.
Appendix: Oil Wars and New World Orders in Historical Context
Introduction[1] Following the conversion of the Royal Navy from coal in 1911 and the development of petro-chemical industries after WW2, oil became a militarily and economically important resource for the major imperialist powers.
