Zarah ChoudharyUnite the union has welcomed Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ support for a third runway at Heathrow in her speech today, as it should boost highly skilled, well-paid, and unionised jobs.
However, the union warned that a lack a coherent industrial strategy and joined-up thinking jeopardises the Government’s plans for growth and risks alienating workers.
A failure to link investment to high quality skilled jobs in sectors, including manufacturing, has led to fears that the Government will be relying on a trickle-down effect for workers to benefit from the Government’s growth plans.
Unite said that the support for a third runway at Heathrow should be fully co-ordinated with a direct move to minimise the carbon impact by investing in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The union said that the addition of a third runway represented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure long-term prosperity, both locally and nationally.
Unite said this expansion should create tens of thousands of unionised jobs across construction, engineering, and civil aviation.
A lack of a clear industrial strategy, however, was evident in the Government’s decision to further licences for the exploration of oil and gas in the North Sea, before suitable replacement green jobs are in place.
For instance, the Government has supported an expansion in wind power, but just 8% of components are currently built domestically.
Unite wrote to the Chancellor, urging her to ensure that the Grangemouth oil refinery is transformed into an SAF production facility, starting with the co-production of SAF and petroleum, to protect existing jobs and skills.
Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “Rachel Reeves is right our economy needs to grow but her dash for growth will be undermined without joined up thinking, a coherent industrial strategy and ensuring that workers directly benefit.
“Investment and planning approval must be linked to cast iron commitments to create well paid, unionised jobs here in the UK.
“Otherwise, the government is relying on a trickle-down effect to increase prosperity and workers are left waiting for crumbs from rich men’s tables.
“A third runway at Heathrow must be about more than just infrastructure – it’s about investing in the workforce and securing the future of good, unionised jobs.
“With workers facing economic uncertainty, these projects must deliver real opportunities for highly-skilled, well-paid employment that puts money back into working families and local communities.
“Despite the positive news about Heathrow the government is guilty of missing an own goal by failing to directly link expansion with transforming Grangemouth into a SAF production facility.
“If the chancellor is serious about claiming the environmental benefits of SAF as part of her dash for growth and the government’s duty to ensure we have energy security, she will need Grangemouth to start producing SAF ASAP.
“For the government to support the redevelopment of Old Trafford at the same time as Manchester United’s joint owner billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, is ploughing ahead with Grangemouth’s closure plans, is either tin-eared or inept.
“The public will welcome the good intentions behind this speech but will be alarmed by the lack of detail about how it will improve their lives.”
