Oil and gas workers, city centre businesses and unions joined forces in Aberdeen to fight against what they see as Labour’s lack of a North Sea jobs plan.
Nearly 200 firms signed an open letter calling for Labour to drop its policy of banning new oil and gas licences until a plan is in place to replace jobs.
A protest was held outside Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum on Thursday, where workers and union officials from Unite could be heard chanting “no ban without a plan”.
They also unveiled a giant version of the letter which includes key demands such as ensuring oil and gas workers move into jobs offering the same pay and conditions.
Andy Shirreffs, electrical technician at Altrad Sparrows, an offshore services company, has worked in the North Sea for 14 years.
He told the P&J he wanted to show support for workers who are expected to transition from oil and gas to renewables but have “no training plan”.
He said: “We don’t have any ideas on how we actually are going to do this.”
‘They’re not listening’
The 55-year-0ld, who lives in Kingston on Spey, near Elgin, hopes to be able to stay in offshore work until he retires, but fears for younger colleagues.
He said: “Labour have got to hear the message but they’re not listening.”
The offshore worker says the situation could end up like the “disaster” that followed the closure of coal mines in industrial communities under Margaret Thatcher.
He said: “It would devastate communities again if you don’t plan it and work it out.”
Kyle Griffiths, oil and gas worker at engineering firm Bilfinger, said: “I’ve dedicated my entire adult life to the oil and gas industry.
“Now, I face an uncertain future. The loss of these jobs is an assault on our livelihoods and a threat to the stability of our families. We demand a plan before any plan.”
Labour have said they will not grant new licences in the North Sea but would continue with any licences that have already been granted.
Sir Keir Starmer has rejected claims this would endanger North Sea jobs and has repeatedly promised there will be no “cliff edge” for the sector.
Part of his pitch to voters is that he will set up GB Energy, a publicly-owned energy firm, headquartered in Scotland.
The party say this will create 53,000 new clean energy jobs by harnessing investment from the private sector.
Expert warned Labour’s plans to increase and extend the windfall tax on oil and gas firms could cost tens of thousands of jobs.
North-east would be ‘decimated’
Vic Fraser, Unite regional officer, said the north-east will be “decimated” unless a proper plan is put in place to safeguard jobs.
He said: “The ban on new licences, I think they have to re-evaluate that because there’s thousands of workers offshore, and their families onshore, who depend on that income and the UK depends on the energy and the by-products from oil and gas.”
Local businesses who rely on trade from oil and gas workers and the future prosperity of the city fear the knock-on impact of job losses.
Norman Watt, owner of Wilson’s Sports Bar on Market Street, who attended the protest, says he is concerned by the end of oil exploration.
“We’ve got nothing to replace it yet,” he added.
And Mark Milne, owner of Aberdeen’s Spiders Web bar, in Dyce, located near the heliport for offshore workers, said they “keep our doors open”.
He said: “Losing the industry would be devastating for us and the entire community.”
Tommy Campbell, chair of Unite’s retired members branch, who gave a speech to protestors in Aberdeen, said it comes down to “defending jobs”.
He said: “We want to see a plan for how we’re going to transition over the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years.
“There’s a whole new field of jobs that could be created in terms of green energy.
“We need to see the plan so that workers who are working offshore can see how they can step back in to the roles onshore instead of offshore.”
Labour defends energy plans
Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the “skills and expertise” of the North Sea are at the heart of Labour’s “transformative” clean energy plans.
He added: “The industry’s workers have been failed time and time again by the SNP and the Tories, who have let energy jobs go abroad and have no plan to bring the jobs of the future to Scotland.
“It’s absolutely right that there needs to be a comprehensive plan on jobs, and that’s exactly what Labour is delivering.”
But both the SNP and Tories have hit out at Labour’s oil and gas plans throughout the general election campaign, saying it will cost jobs.
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