East of England must get fair share of 30,000 new fabrication jobs in wind turbines for 2050 net zero
GMB Campaign for East of England to get a fair share of 30,000 new steel fabrication jobs to build 8,000 wind turbines for CCC 2050 Net Zero Target
Areas with a steel fabrication history and access to the sea suitable for a slice of this work are Kings Lynn, Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Felixstowe and Harwich in the East of England says GMB
GMB London and East of England is to press for a concerted campaign by local political, industry and union leaders for the East of England to get a fair share of the UK based 30,000 new steel fabrication jobs required to build 8,000 giant offshore wind turbines for the UK to meet the Climate Change Committee net zero 2050 target for wind power.
This coincides with the written statements today (12 May) in Parliament by Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the East Anglia ONE North and East Anglia TWO offshore wind farm development consent applications: and on the statutory decision deadline for the application for development consent for the Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm.
Earlier this week a GMB Scotland report set out that to meet the Climate Change Committee target for net zero by 2050 requires over 8,000 giant offshore wind turbines, made of 20 million tonnes of steel and costing £250 billion.
This was based on information from GMB members of the steel fabrication yards in Fife and Western Isles. This said that this amount of work would require 30,000 jobs in the steel fabrication industry each year every year for foreseeable future. See link to GMB Scotland press release in notes to editors below.
Vaughan West GMB London and East of England political officer said:
“GMB Scotland identified areas with a steel fabrication history and access to the sea suitable for a slice of this work. Included were Kings Lynn, Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Felixstowe and Harwich in the East of England region. This was not an exhaustive list. It called for a Taskforce to be set up to identify suitable sites for the fabrication yards needed and to lead the political campaign for East of England to get a fair share of this work.
“It called for a political campaign to be established from political leadership and trades unions in the named areas to get Government to use the Subsidy Control Bill in the Queen’s Speech to link subsidies for wind farms to be linked to using a UK based steel fabrication supply chain.
“The GMB members in the Scottish wind farm fabrication yards vowed to lead the campaign for these jobs to be based in the UK rather as now being based in Asia. These members, with their long struggle for jobs supported by GMB London region, have earned the right to lead this campaign.
“I am writing today to all elected political leaders and others in the East of England to get behind this campaign. Parts of East of England badly need the jobs. It is unacceptable if the only role for workers in the region to pay from 8,000 the giant wind turbines.
“GMB Scotland said that the deal should be in return for collectively having to pay the huge costs of achieving net zero carbon emissions - and we do have to pay -, to level up economic activity in the green energy supply chain with well paid, skilled jobs located in deprived coastal and industrial areas that badly need this boost. This is a sure-fire way of securing electoral support for this vital national goal.
“In my letter, I will ask political and other leaders to support the campaign to turn this aspiration into law by amendments to the Subsidy Control Bill in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech.”
End
Contact Vaughan West 07967 342197 or press office 07970 019643
Notes to editors
https://www.gmbscotland.org.uk/newsroom/queens-speech-reaction
