GMB To Warn Renewables Summit: Jobs Losses Scandal Must Stop
GMB To Warn Renewables Summit: Jobs Losses Scandal Must Stop
Ahead of a crucial offshore wind supply chain summit in Edinburgh this morning (Thursday 16 January), which will be attended by Scottish and UK Government representatives, and renewables industry majors and unions, GMB has warned the scandal of losing offshore wind contracts and manufacturing jobs to the rest of the world must stop.
GMB Scotland Organiser Hazel Nolan said: “Billions of pounds in manufacturing contracts and tens of thousands of jobs from Scotland’s offshore wind sector were lost to international competitors in 2019.
“Politicians of all parties spent last year preaching to people about ‘green jobs revolutions’ and ‘green new deals’, meanwhile the jobs of the future were sailing to Spain, Indonesia and the UAE.
“Workers and communities in places like Fife and Lewis are sick and tired of hearing about ‘jam tomorrow’, especially when redundancy notices are being handed out in the here and now.
“We need to know when the eight turbine jackets promised to BiFab from the NnG contracts will be delivered and if Scotland is going to get any contracts at all from the Seagreen project, which looks like it will be built in the Far East.
“This morning UK and Scottish Ministers will be sitting round the table with industry majors and our message to both will be blunt: This is a scandal and it has to stop.”
ENDS
Contact: Hazel Nolan GMB Scotland Organiser on 07921 885786 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications, 07976 447077.
Notes to Editors:
The “Offshore Wind Supply Chain Summit” will be held at the Hilton Carlton, 19 North Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1SD, from 9AM Thursday 16 January 2020.
“BiFab workforce ‘concerned’ as NnG contract talks drag on”, Energy Voice, 11 December 2019: <<https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/213763/bifab-workforce-concerned-as-nng-contract-talks-drag-on/ >>
“Outrage as jobs in Scotland’s biggest offshore wind project go to China”, Daily Record, 19 December 2019: <<https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/outrage-jobs-scotlands-biggest-offshore-21123016>>
“Scotland left with scraps off the table in £2bn wind farm boom”, The Herald, 29 November 2019, <<https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18067846.scotland-left-scraps-off-table-2bn-wind-farm-boom/>>
“Hundreds of Kincardine wind jobs for Spanish yard ‘galling’, union says”, Energy Voice, 30 May 2019: <<https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/200329/hundreds-of-kincardine-wind-jobs-in-spain-galling-union-says/>>
“Absolute scandal if BiFab receives no work from major Scottish offshore wind projects”, The Courier, 26 Feb 2019, <<https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/business/business-news/836807/absolute-scandal-if-bifab-receives-no-work-from-major-scottish-offshore-wind-projects/>>
