FAMILIES, friends and the ranks of Aberdeen’s trade union movement gathered today to remember those killed on the Piper Alpha oil platform 37 years ago.

In the single biggest loss of life in the North Sea, 167 workers were killed on July 6 1988 when the platform – responsible for 10 per cent of Britain’s oil and gas production – exploded.

Operator Occidental was later found guilty of having “inadequate maintenance and safety procedures” and the Cullen inquiry into the disaster led to an overhaul of offshore safety regulations.

Aberdeen TUC president Tommy Campbell reminded those gathered: “The oil and gas industry is still driven by cost reductions, with cutting corners and jobs being lost to save money to further increase massive profits.

“The Piper Alpha disaster serves as a haunting reminder as to the consequences of these decisions with devastatingly catastrophic consequences for the workforce, their families and their communities. 

“On this the 37th anniversary of the biggest industrial loss of life seen in the North Sea the scars and trauma remain deep seated, which is why we continue to stand together in remembrance and solidarity.”