Oil Workers Consider Strike Action Amid Green Transition Job Threats

Oil Workers' Strike Consideration

Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, has indicated that oil workers and tanker drivers may resort to strike action to compel UK and Scottish ministers to safeguard jobs endangered by the green transition.

At the PetroIneos's Grangemouth oil refinery near Edinburgh, which is projected to close within the next 18 months, resulting in the loss of 400 jobs, Graham emphasized that direct action is under consideration.

Speaking outside the Scottish Labour Conference in Glasgow, Graham suggested that Unite members could target petrol and diesel production, potentially throttling supply to forecourts.

“We will push back hard to save UK jobs. If the pumps run dry in Britain, the public will know who to blame. It will be the Scottish government and the UK government for allowing the sale of our jobs. If politicians do not act, we will.”

Graham also mentioned that industrial action was a real possibility, stating that the UK needs 3,500 times more sustainable aviation fuel by 2030 to meet emissions targets. She highlighted Sweden's investment of £700m in converting an oil refinery to produce green aviation fuel, emphasizing the urgency for similar initiatives in the UK.

Key Points:

• Direct action considered by oil workers to protect jobs.
• Grangemouth refinery closure threatens 400 jobs.
• Unite is advocating for investment in sustainable aviation fuel production.
• Protest organized at the Scottish Labour conference to raise awareness of the job losses.

Graham's remarks underscore the growing tension between the need for environmental action and the immediate economic impacts on workers in the fossil fuel sector.

Additional Economic Context

Meanwhile, recent surveys indicate that UK companies are cutting jobs at the fastest rate since the pandemic, largely due to rising costs and weak demand. The S&P Global reports that the UK risks a stagflationary environment, with business activity stalling and job losses mounting.