In Scotland lighthouse workers today, 27 July, are to take part in a second wave of industrial action in a long-running dispute over pay with the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB).

The union UNITE has confirmed that its NLB members will resume a 24-hour strike today, this follows previous strike-action which took place last month.

As ITV News reports approximately 40 members of UNITE, including able seamen, base assistants, cooks and technicians will walk out with pickets in place at Oban. This is where NLB's marine operations depot in located in west Scotland along as the homeport for both their aids to navigation vessels are based.

The strike-action will run throughout the day and end tomorrow, 28 July at noon and the dispute follows a previous 24-hour stoppage which took place in late June.

Workers of the NLB which maintain navigational buoys and lighthouses for the safety of shipping in Scottish waters, voted in April to take the first strike action in the board’s 247-year history.

The strike took place after workers were offered a 2% pay rise amid double-digit inflation.

General secretary of UNITE, Sharon Graham said: “At the heart of this dispute is an unacceptable 2% pay offer which does absolutely nothing to help keep families and households afloat during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation".

More on the strike-action here at the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for Scotland and the Isle Man, see Afloat's rail related coverage yesterday on GLA's in the UK and Ireland.

In Scotland a historic picket line took place in Oban on the west coast as Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) members on Monday went on strike for the first time.

Around 20 Unite the Union members working for the NLB, which has its HQ in Edinburgh, have taken the action following a dispute over a pay rise of two per cent.

The increase argue the striking workers is too low an offer from the NLB which is the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) responsible for the waters surrounding Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The striking workers had gathered outside the NLB's Depot in Oban in Argyll & Bute where its technical operations are carried out. In addition Oban is a base for its fleet of two aids to navigation tenders, the NLV Pharos and NLV Pole Star (See separate vessel replacement story).

The strike was held outside the organisation's Oban office on Gallanach Road where red Unite Scotland flags and plastic clappers were on hand to ensure their protest was seen and heard.

This was the first time that workers of NLB had carried out an official strike action in the organisation’s 236-year history. As Afloat reported in April workers voted to take strike-action over pay. 

The NLB is responsible for 208 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man, with employees maintaining and operating lighthouses, beacons and buoys at sea. Asides technicians working in Oban they are also based in Inverness, Orkney and Shetland.

The Oban Times has more on this historic strike which also involved a further 20 Unite members according to STV News which reported of strike action planned from noon on Monday until noon yesterday, Tuesday.