UNISON General Secretary Andrea Egan says the UK gives North Sea oil and gas jobs greater political weight than public-service work, criticizing the government’s Jackdaw gas-field approval.
Egan told The Guardian that public-service workers “often seem like an afterthought for ministers.” She called the Jackdaw consent “a serious misstep from the government” and urged ministers to back secure, well-paid renewable-energy jobs while giving public-service workers similar support. The Guardian reported her remarks Friday.
The Guardian also reported a divide among unions over North Sea drilling: Unite and GMB favor more licenses, while UNISON and the National Education Union oppose them. The report said some union officials worry that renewable-energy jobs may have weaker union representation and offer less security or pay.
On Oct. 21, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) granted development and production consent for Jackdaw, a field off northeast Scotland that already held a license. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh had agreed that the regulator could grant consent. The NSTA said production can start after development work is complete.
Government forecasts say Jackdaw could lift domestic gas production by about 6% at peak and contribute to supply for up to 11 years. The Associated Press reported a separate government estimate that the field would provide about 5% of UK gas production over its 11-year life. The estimates refer to peak production and the project period, respectively.
Citing the developer, the government estimates the project could create 27 direct jobs, retain 273 jobs that would otherwise be lost and add about £2.9 billion to the UK economy. These figures are projections. The government says the consent is consistent with its policy against new licenses to explore new fields, since Jackdaw was already licensed. EconoTimes previously covered the anticipated Jackdaw approval.
A separate consent decision for the Rosebank oilfield is pending. Lord Leong, a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade, told Parliament Oct. 28 that there was no fixed date for a decision.
