Speaking at this month’s meeting of Yeovil Trades Union Council, Dave Osborne (Treasurer and delegate to the South West TUC Regional Council) reminded delegates that, “despite the current economic crisis we must not forget the problem of climate change. Future economic prosperity will depend on meeting the climate challenge. Unions recognise the importance of the shift to a low carbon economy and consider that greening the workplace is the first step to making this transition.” Yeovil TUC took this to heart and called for union members to get involved with South West TUC’s Green Workplaces Project.

Mr Osborne said that “environmental legislation and the pressure to reduce carbon emissions will start to change the UK economy over the coming decade. Yeovil TUC has expressed its concerns many times about the decline of manufacturing, whether it is the changing fortunes of local companies like Pittards and Westlands, or the general collapse of UK manufacturing. The pressure to move to renewable energy sources is growing and change is inevitable but in the past such significant changes have occurred in a chaotic manner, leaving ordinary working people and their communities to bear the brunt of economic change.”

“To avoid such chaos”, Mr Osborne said, “The TUC believes that working people must be intimately involved with their employers to ensure a ‘just transition’ to a low carbon economy. Failure to take this issue seriously could slow or even halt this urgent and vital process. International action is important, but developing countries cannot be expected to take action unless developed countries like the UK set an example. Individuals, communities, employers, unions, and governments all have a role to play in ensuring a just transition to a more carbon neutral lifestyle. Climate change is a problem that can only be solved by both individual and collective action.”

Nigel Costley, Regional Secretary for the South West TUC, recently said, 'Far from drawing back on cutting carbon emissions during the down-turn, we should step up training for new 'green' jobs and build the capacity of renewable energy, recycling and energy conservation. We should offer a range of skill development opportunities including those in sustainable construction, insulation, energy conservation, engineering skills in renewable energy and micro-generation, smart energy metering, energy advice, recycling, bio-fuels and public transport.'

Mr Osborne urged union members to support the Green Workplaces project recently launched by South West TUC. He said “this project encourages trade unionists to work with their employers in seeking improvements that reduce the environmental impact of businesses. The Green Workplaces team has already visited a number of union reps in the area to discuss the issues and are keen to speak to as many people as possible about the importance of this initiative.”

In closing, Mr Osborne told members that “a seminar entitled ‘Green and Decent Work’ is taking place at the University of Gloucestershire on Friday 14th November. Speakers include John Monks, General Secretary of the European TUC and Leslie Watson of Sustainability South West”.

Dave Osborne can be contacted c/o Yeovil TUC, Unity Hall, Yeovil, BA20 IJL. The TUC Green Workplaces project team can be contacted on 0117 947 0521.
For more details about the Green and Decent Work seminar see.

A copy of this press release can be downloaded as a Word 2007, Word 97-2003, PDF or an XPS file.

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