Unison urges equal attention for public services amid North Sea jobs debate
Original report:
Unison leader Andrea Egan called for NHS, education and care workers to receive the political attention devoted to North Sea employment. In reporting published on 30 October 2026, she also criticised approval of the Jackdaw gasfield and urged investment in clean-energy jobs.
Unison general secretary Andrea Egan urged ministers to give public service workers the same priority as North Sea oil and gas employees, the Guardian reported on 30 October 2026. She pointed to job cuts across local government, health and education while backing secure, well-paid employment for workers moving out of fossil fuels.
Egan criticised the government’s approval of the Jackdaw gasfield as inconsistent with its climate commitments. The report described divisions among unions: Unite and GMB supported further North Sea licences, while Unison and the National Education Union opposed additional drilling. A government decision on the Rosebank oilfield was still expected before the end of 2026.
The debate also concerned employment standards in clean energy. The report identified union concerns that renewable-energy jobs often lacked union representation and the security or pay of oil and gas work. Unison had announced a recognition agreement with Octopus Energy the previous week, which Egan presented as progress towards better renewable-sector employment.
Source
the Guardian — 30 October 2026
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