Unite, the UK’s leading union, has welcomed the launch of the government’s consultation into the future of the North Sea but underlined it must be more that a listening exercise, with large numbers of highly skilled, well paid jobs being created.
The consultation is a response to heavy pressure from Unite’s no ban without a plan campaign. The campaign is demanding that Labour reverses its decision not to grant further licenses for oil and gas in the North Sea, until new jobs in net zero are created in sufficient numbers.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Unite has been calling for the government to produce a concrete plan with real jobs for the transition of North Sea workers since it was elected. This consultation could be a step in the right direction, but it must be more than a talking shop.
'We urgently need investment in wind manufacturing and other green technologies to create the well paid, highly skilled jobs which are regularly promised but rarely delivered.
'Until that happens, we need to resist any calls that amount to offshoring our carbon responsibilities for the sake of virtue signalling. We must not let go of one rope before we have hold of another'.
Source: Unite
