The UK’s oil and gas workers risk becoming “the coal miners of our generation,” warns Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary. She is urging the Labour Party not to ban new North Sea licences without a clear plan to safeguard jobs. To press this point, Unite is launching a billboard campaign in six Scottish constituencies aimed at persuading Labour leader Keir Starmer to invest more in northeast Scotland, the center of the offshore oil and gas industry.
Graham emphasizes the necessity of protecting jobs and communities if Labour plans to halt new licences for oil and gas exploration. The campaign’s slogan, “No Ban Without A Plan,” underscores the need for a strategy that ensures the livelihoods of those affected by the energy transition.
The shadow climate secretary, Ed Miliband, has promised to base Labour’s planned state-backed green power firm, Great British Energy, in Scotland. A portion of Labour’s £7 billion “wealth fund” is also earmarked for wind power. However, Unite, Labour’s largest donor in the 2019 general election, is calling for more concrete investment commitments in green technologies in northeast Scotland. Graham notes that Unite’s research indicates that £6 billion over six years is needed to kickstart wind turbine manufacturing in the region.
Graham stresses that it is crucial to secure alternative employment before phasing out current jobs. “My main concern is that I cannot allow these workers to be sacrificed on the altar of net zero,” she said. She believes a clear commitment to jobs and investment could help Labour gain support in Scotland.
Unite’s campaign targets constituencies currently held by the SNP with significant majorities, including Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, and Aberdeen North. While Labour aims to phase out fossil fuels, some unions were alarmed by Labour’s initial announcement to stop issuing new oil and gas licences. The GMB general secretary, Gary Smith, criticized the decision as naive, prompting Starmer to assure the GMB conference that Labour would not repeat the mistakes made in the coal industry.
Despite these assurances, Labour later dropped its £28 billion-a-year green investment pledge, raising concerns about whether it has allocated enough resources for a smooth transition to a net-zero economy. Chaitanya Kumar, of the New Economics Foundation, emphasized the need for a fair transition for workers, while the campaign group Uplift estimates the sector supports 200,000 jobs, a third fewer than a decade ago.
Uplift director Tessa Khan highlighted the importance of working with local communities to manage the shift away from fossil fuels. “This part of the climate energy transition will require significant industrial change, and we cannot afford to abandon communities,” she said.
A Labour source reaffirmed the party’s commitment to a sustainable future for the North Sea, promising significant investment to achieve energy independence and lower bills. They criticized the Conservatives and SNP for leaving the industry without a future plan.
Graham has focused her leadership on workplace issues rather than internal Labour politics. However, she has previously advocated for stronger commitments from Labour on job protection in various sectors and attended a recent meeting on the party’s workers’ rights policies.
Jamie Peters, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth, emphasized the need for an accelerated shift to a clean energy system and a fair transition that includes new jobs in green industries. He called for a comprehensive plan that balances rapid action, ambition, and fairness.
