Energy workers in the UK are poised for a significant transformation in skills and protections following the agreement between offshore wind supply chain companies and trade unions to adopt the government’s Fair Work Charter.
Crafted in collaboration with unions and businesses, the charter mandates offshore wind developers to contribute to a skills fund or allocate a minimum sum for skills training starting in 2027. Initially, 37 supply chain companies and five trade unions, including GMB, Prospect, and Unison, have committed to endorsing the charter.
Under this agreement, unions will have enhanced access to workplaces and ensure robust health and safety standards in the thriving offshore wind industry. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband emphasized the government’s commitment to empowering workers, stating that advancing the clean energy agenda must go hand in hand with bolstering workers’ rights.
Failure by supply chain companies and offshore wind projects to comply with the charter will result in them forfeiting government funding through the clean industry bonus and renewables auction. The government has pledged to achieve clean power by 2030, with an anticipated creation of 100,000 new jobs in offshore wind. It is projected that the average salary in offshore wind will surpass the UK average by approximately £10,000, with 90% of the oil and gas workforce possessing transferable skills to the offshore renewables sector.
Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Secretary, welcomed the charter as a crucial step towards ensuring equitable treatment for the workforce driving the UK’s clean energy future. TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak lauded the charter as a significant move towards establishing good, secure, unionized jobs in the offshore wind sector, emphasizing the importance of dignified treatment for workers at the forefront of energy independence.
