UK

Unions call on Labour to prioritise workers in Crown Estate partnership

Hannah Davenport

Today
Left Foot Forward

RMT union demands Crown Estate profits be used to boost offshore workers

Union leaders have called on Labour to put workers at the heart of its Great British Energy partnership with the Crown Estate to boost jobs in the sector.

Labour is introducing the legislation to create Great British Energy today (Thursday), with Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband telling broadcasters this morning that the programme will be a “crucial tool” to tackle energy insecurity and the climate crisis.

The Government announced GB Energy will join in partnership with the Crown Estate to deliver new offshore wind farm developments. The Crown Estate will also be given new borrowing powers to invest more in wind projects.

In response, Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the RMT union has called for the Crown Estate profits to be put towards improving pay and conditions for offshore workers and tackling insecure contracts.

Lynch welcomed the Crown Estate Bill but the trade union has said there is an opportunity to use the profits and expanded borrowing powers to improve employment conditions and support a ‘just transition’ for oil and gas workers.

“Offshore workers and seafarers face an uncertain future with some still barely earning the national minimum wage and existing on insecure contracts”, said Lynch. “This is as a result of 14 years of in action by the last Conservative government.”

“We welcome the Labour Government’s plans for a Crown Estate Bill and we are ready to work with Ministers and officials in order to deliver a better deal for offshore and supply chain workers.”

However he went on to highlight the record £1.1bn in profits seen by the Crown Estate this year alone, and said “none of this has been ringfenced to advance just transition policies.”

Unite the union, the largest trade union in the UK representing offshore industry workers, has said further details are “urgently needed” to determine how the partnership will translate into well paid jobs.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “If the government is going to invest £8.3 billion in green energy, and frankly it should be more, then creating real, good quality jobs must be right at the heart of it.”

She warned about oil and gas workers becoming “the coal miners of our generation”, calling for a “serious investment” in wind manufacturing to ensure the creation of well-paid jobs in the renewable energy sector.

Ed Miliband said the mission is to make the UK a “clean energy superpower”, while the Prime Minister has said the new partnership will “help generate good jobs in our country and generate wealth for the taxpayer.”

Minister’s have promised to deliver clean power by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 with GB Energy at the forefront of Labour’s green policy commitments.

Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward