Amended Motion 6
Fighting for Offshore Oil and Gas Workers
“That this Congress is alarmed that the offshore unions, including RMT, estimate that over 2,000 offshore oil and gas workers were made redundant in 2024. Congress notes BP’s announcement in January of job cuts amongst offshore contractors and the industry’s intensive decommissioning schedule for North Sea oil and gas assets, which will have major repercussions for offshore workers in Scotland.
“Congress welcomes the establishment of GB Energy in Aberdeen but notes that offshore oil and gas workers have no guarantees over income, re-training, re-employment, trade union recognition rights or collective bargaining agreements, as the energy transition accelerates.
“Congress notes the consistent, political failures of the ‘just transition’ which have decimated communities and jobs in oil and gas and supply chains; and notes that no plan is being enacted to create equivalent well paid, skilled jobs in renewables manufacturing and operations at pace or scale.
“Congress notes that the offshore skills passport was rolled out in January, nearly four years after the UK and Scottish Governments announced it. Since then, nineteen fixed and floating ScotWind projects with a total energy production capacity of 30.2 GW have proceeded without secure trade union agreements to cover direct or supply chain jobs. Local content targets applicable to ScotWind contracts are modest, non-legally binding and exclude trade unions.
“Congress is dismayed by the uncertainty faced by oil and gas workers in Scotland, yet multinationals like Shell and BP continue to rake in massive profits and sign ScotWind agreements with Crown Estate Scotland. Oil and gas contractors including Petrofac are also benefiting from the energy transition, as principal contractors on offshore wind farms off the Scottish coast.
“Congress commits to work with the RMT and Offshore Co-ordinating Group unions to:
- ensure that terms and conditions of all offshore energy jobs, including in the supply chain are agreed through sectoral collective bargaining; and
- reform Crown Estate Scotland to promote sectoral collective bargaining and to divert ScotWind leasing funds for employment and re-training schemes for offshore oil and gas workers.”
Mover: National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
Seconder: GMB Scotland
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