Key facts
- Unison leader Andrea Egan criticized government focus on North Sea oil jobs over public sector workers.
- Egan called for investment in clean energy and public services.
- Unison announced a new recognition deal with Octopus Energy.
Andrea Egan, the general secretary of Unison, the UK's largest trade union, has criticized the government's focus on North Sea oil and gas jobs, stating that public sector workers are often an 'afterthought'. Egan argued that while securing jobs in the fossil fuel industry is important, ministers should also address job cuts in areas like the NHS, education, and local government. She called for investment in clean energy and public services, suggesting that the government's approval of the Jackdaw gasfield was a misstep that contradicts climate commitments. Unison recently announced a new recognition deal with renewable energy company Octopus Energy, aiming to create secure, well-paid jobs in the transition to clean energy.