Concerns over ‘imported labour’ for Caithness wind projects are well-founded

YOUR VIEWS: Readers of the John O’Groat Journal and Caithness Courier have their say on the latest issues

Evidence versus wishful thinking?

The fears expressed in the John O’Groat Journal front page article, ‘Imported labour’ concern over Caithness energy projects, are well founded.

There are plenty of detailed academic studies that support the claims that labour is largely imported and that there are few longer-term jobs associated with energy projects placed in rural environments.

A particularly relevant study is that carried out in Portugal by researchers from Portugal and France on the ”Local labor impact of wind energy investment”. As they state in the abstract of their publication: “Although economic development is an argument for investment incentive policies, little evidence exists as to their net impact on local-level unemployment”

The researchers carried out a detailed analysis of the installed base of wind farms during the period 2007 to 2017 across all of Portugal. Their findings confirm what many already suspected – there are short-term effects (reduced local unemployment) during the two years of the construction phase.

Furthermore, those employed are mainly unskilled male workers.

For the subsequent operation and maintenance phase, the impact on the local labour market is very small and developers import this work from other countries.

In summary – the construction phase may bring some low skilled jobs along with imported temporary labour whilst longer term operation and maintenance is carried out by workers from other countries.

In Portugal, permission for the exploration of wind energy is granted by the central government with the main determinants of location of wind farms being wind potential and access to the grid.

All of this evidence-based analysis seems to have been ignored by those responsible for putting together the recent report, Regional Transformational Opportunities in the Highlands and Islands.

Their view expressed in a recent press article is that we stand on the brink of “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” with hundreds of development projects worth up to £100bn capable of creating 18,000 jobs within 15 years.

Aye right.

Who do you believe? The evidence-based material of the Portugal study and other researchers across the world or the latest promotion from Highlands and Islands Enterprise?

Anthony Shaw

Bower

Thurso school walk to take place

Through your columns, could I please advise readers and raise awareness to drivers of a sponsored walk that Thurso High School pupils will be taking part in to raise funds for the school on Monday, May 19.

S1-3 pupils will be walking on Monday morning, departing from Thurso High School in groups, from 9am. All groups should have completed the walk by 1pm.

The route which pupils and staff will be walking is the B874 to Janetstown, continuing around the Hill of Forss “loop” to join the A836, returning to school via Castlegreen Road and Brownhill Road.

All pupils have received safety information prior to the walk. However, we would also be very appreciative of the consideration of any drivers passing pupils and staff on the day of the event.

In the event of poor weather, the walk will be postponed until the following day.

Jacqueline Miller

Thurso High School

Ormlie Road

Thurso

Islands quiz was a winner!

On behalf of Marie Curie Care Wick Fundraising Group, I would like to thank everyone who participated in our recent quiz on the theme of islands around the UK.

Thanks must also go to our committee members and local businesses who sold copies of the quiz. The significant sum of £240 was raised and a large number of quiz entries were submitted. It’s all much appreciated.

Congratulations to our winner, Mrs A Atkins.

Barbara Nicol

Thurso Road

Wick

Banking hub is the right direction

I was delighted to read of Wick’s new banking hub (John O’Groat Journal, May 9). The fact is that banking is being dehumanised in the 21st century.

Not content with closing over 2000 branches in the last 10 years, taking away face-to-face interaction with customers, banks are now removing telecons and messaging services between customers and bank officials. They are replacing them with AI robots.

Recently I tried to message my bank about my current account and could only access a robot which was entirely unhelpful. The “chat” ended with me writing “You are thick , robot” and it replying “that’s not a very nice thing to say.”

But taken together, Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds profits are over £15bn a year. Surely they can afford to employ bank staff to serve their online customers rather than AI developers and their programmed gobbledegook.

It’s refreshing that Cash Access UK is setting up these banking hubs across the whole country.

William Loneskie

Oxton, Lauder

Berwickshire

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