Workers must lead green transition

Unite delegate and energy worker Paul Rounding made a compelling intervention in a debate on climate change on the final day of TUC Congress on Wednesday (September 11).

Supporting the composite with reservation on behalf of Unite, Paul said, “We all want an end to global warming and a greener planet for our children – including our oil and gas members

“But it is vital that we are – as trade unions – clear about how we want to get there,” he added.

He highlighted how earlier in the week, Congress agreed a policy for workers’ transition for the North Sea.

“A green transition must not and cannot mean a jobless transition,” Paul warned. “Workers must be at the heart of all transitions. So, we cannot allow any workers’ transition to create the coalminers of our generation.”

 He went on to call for workers to lead the way and that “any work with climate justice groups must be agreed by separate unions in line with their policy”.

 “The General Council has now been clear in its reservation to this composite,” Paul noted. “Transition plans should be developed in advance of decisions that impact on jobs and energy intensive industries as we agreed. A rapid transition must be based on jobs.”

 Paul continued by emphasising that trade unionists “must not make policy that impacts on the jobs of members without them leading it”.

 “I think that is a principle that all trade unions should be able to get behind,” he added.

 Concluding, Paul noted that “our job as the TUC is to protect workers”.

 “We need a transition, but it must be a workers’ transition,” he ended his speech to applause.

By Hajera Blagg

Photo by Mark Thomas

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