GMB London support STUC call for EDF to place orders for offshore wind farm in Fife
GMB London support STUC call for London electricity supplier EDF to place orders for offshore wind farm in Fife fabrication yards
UK households who pays the piper for renewable energy sources are calling the tune that these energy jobs must go to Fife yards in the former Fife coalfields, says GMB London
GMB London Region are supporting the STUC’s campaign to force EDF Renewables, part of London electricity supplier EDF, to stick to their promises of contracting the fabrication of offshore wind turbines to BiFab yards in in Fife, Scotland.
The STUC have said that as it stands little of the work fabricating jackets for wind turbines would be done in Fife and that they fear contracts would be gifted to countries as far afield as Indonesia.
Next month GMB London Region will be putting forward a motion at their annual congress in Brighton calling for specific measures to ensure companies in the renewables energy sector are obliged, as a condition of the subsidies being paid, to have a UK based supply chain for developing and running the industry and for the workers who are directly employed and or by contractors to be covered by collective bargaining agreements. [See notes to editors for full text motion]
Warren Kenny, GMB Regional Officer said:
“This is a huge £2 billion wind farm in the sea off Fife by EDF who supply London with electricity. The plan is to get the work done in Indonesia.
“We are looking at a green globalised supply chain unless we stop it.
“We recognise that renewable energy sources are a valuable and growing source of low carbon electricity into the national grid. We also recognise that for some time subsidies will need to be paid to investors to develop and run these energy sources.
“Environmental levies will add £10 per week to household energy bills by 2021/2 according to the Office for Budget responsibility. So households who are funding this project must demand work in the former Fife coalfields. Whoever pays the piper should call the tune that these jobs must go to Fife yards in the former Fife coalfields.
“At our Congress next month, we will be calling on the Labour Party and TUC to adopt certain measures to secure decent jobs in the renewables industry and its supply chain. These measures include an official register of all companies in the sector who are in receipt of public subsidies from household energy bills or from taxpayers; companies on the register and all their contractors building and running projects being covered by a new national recognition and collective bargaining agreement which would apply to all workers in the sector; and subsidies as a matter of principle being paid to investors from a progressive general taxation system.”
ENDS
Contact: Gary Pearce 07850 036952 or GMB London Region Press Office 07970 114762
Notes to Editors
GMB Congress Motion
390. DECENT JOBS IN THE RENEWABLES ENERGY INDUSTRY
This Congress recognises that renewable energy sources are a valuable and growing source of low carbon electricity into the national grid. Congress also recognises that for some time subsidies will need to be paid to investors to develop and run these energy sources.
Following the principle that those who pay the piper must call the tune, big changes are needed to ensure that companies in the renewables energy sector are obliged, as a condition of the subsidies being paid, to have a UK based supply chain for developing and running the industry and for the workers who are directly employed and or by contractors to be covered by collective bargaining agreements.
Congress calls for specific measures to make this happen.
1. There has to be an official register of all companies in the sector who are in receipt of public subsidies from household energy bills or from taxpayers. No company registered offshore in a tax haven would be eligible to be on the register to be paid subsidies. It should be clear who the beneficial owners are of all companies on the register and how much subsidies they are paid each year.
2. As a condition of each new project being awarded subsidies, a high percentage of the agreed supply chain for developing and running the project should be sourced in the UK.
3. Companies on the register and all their contractors building and running projects should be covered by a new national recognition and collective bargaining agreement which would apply to all workers in the sector.
4. Subsidies as a matter of principle should be paid to investors from a progressive general taxation system. The current system of adding what in effect are subsidies to household energy bills is grossly unfair for the majority of the lowest paid workers in the UK. By 2022 the Office for Budget Responsibility says that this will amount to more than £10 per week on household energy bills.
Congress calls on the Labour Party and TUC to adopt these measures to secure decent jobs in the renewables industry and its supply chain.
BARKING & DAGENHAM LGO BRANCH London Region
