‘Imported labour’ concern over Caithness energy projects
A trade unionist is concerned that major energy projects in Caithness will rely largely on “migrant work” at a time when the focus should be on creating local jobs and retaining people in the area.
Davie Alexander, chairman of Thurso and Wick Trade Union Council (TWTUC), pointed out: “There is a lot happening, admittedly, but a lot of the labour is imported. They’re here and then they go home.”
He and the group’s secretary, John Deighan, attended the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) annual conference in Dundee. During a fringe meeting, Mr Alexander made a contribution from the floor on the subject of the just transition – which has been defined as moving to a zero-carbon economy in ways that protect workers’ livelihoods.
“It was quite a lively debate,” Mr Alexander said this week. “I tried to focus on the local issue of how renewables are making an impact but obviously not enough.
“I made a point that we’re trying to attract inward investment. Dounreay is still here but we’ve still got to keep moving forward.
“We’re trying to retain people in the area if we can, because we’re haemorrhaging people. They’re up and off.”
Mr Alexander suggested that “very few local people” had been employed on major onshore wind development in the county.
He also mentioned the proposed Banniskirk Hub substation, which will occupy a site larger than nearby Halkirk if it goes ahead.
SSEN Transmission has insisted the massive scheme will bring “significant benefits to the local economy”, while also saying discussions have been taking place on workforce accommodation.
“The big proposal for Banniskirk and all the different projects, all the different substations, there will be an influx of work – but it’ll be migrant work,” Mr Alexander said.
“There will be spin-offs, I suppose, for locals. But it’ll be like when PFR [Dounreay’s Prototype Fast Reactor] was being built – I served my apprenticeship there, and there were more travelling men than locals at its peak.
“I envisage it being the same now with renewables. There’s going to be a big influx.
“If companies want to come in, they have to make it work for the community. I’m a great believer in leaving legacies. We’ve got to make it work for us.”
Mr Alexander and Mr Deighan met the STUC general secretary, Roz Foyer, while they were in Dundee and invited her to pay a return visit to Caithness.
“She has very kindly accepted the invitation, even though her diary is pretty full,” Mr Alexander said. “We are hopeful that she’ll fit us in, to see what differences there are since her last visit.”
Meanwhile, Mr Alexander is keen to encourage more unions in Caithness to get involved in the work of TWTUC.
He said: “There has been a resurgence in trade councils, thankfully, but Thurso and Wick have been there since the year dot and we’ve always managed to maintain a presence.
“We’re quite proud of that fact. Over the years a lot of them were going into abeyance but we always managed to keep going. We pull our weight as best we can.
“We are disappointed that we’ve reached out, since quite some time now, to active unions within the community. We just can’t get them to affiliate to the trade council for some reason.
“We’re involved in numerous different things. For instance John is involved in Caithness Transport Forum. I’m involved in Focus North. I’m on the Dounreay Stakeholder Group as well [as vice-chairman].
“There’s loads of different organisations involved in that. From a union perspective, we can feed that in.
“It’s community-driven. The way I described it many years ago, the trade council is basically a trade union community council.
“In years gone by it was pretty much focused on Dounreay and, to a degree, Vulcan. I tried to make it more all-encompassing.”
Anyone interested in finding out about the trade union council can get in touch with Mr Deighan through the STUC website where his contact details are listed.
The conference concluded with a motion declaring Scotland’s public services to be in “crisis” and accusing the Scottish and UK governments of an “abdication of responsibility” as a result of underfunding.
