This will give workers new benefits granted by the Employment Rights Act, such as trade unions having better access to workplaces to engage with staff on issues such as pay, and will provide clear standards on health and safety.
Offshore wind firms that fail to sign up to the charter will be disqualified from participating in Contracts for Difference auctions, and will not have access to the Clean Industry Bonus.
By linking public funding to strong employment standards and partnerships with trade unions, the government said it is “making clear that the UK’s mission for clean, homegrown energy must also be a jobs transition”.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “By securing more clean, homegrown energy we are driving billions in private sector investment into UK ports, factories and manufacturing, unleashing a clean energy jobs boom from East Anglia to Aberdeen.
“But we must ensure these jobs are future-proof, secure and well-paid. So we are stepping in to make sure public funding serves the public good – raising the bar for workplace standards, giving workers access to trade unions and guaranteeing a stronger voice in how their workplaces are run.”
The offshore wind industry estimates that a typical offshore wind salary is around £10,000 higher than the UK average. The government expects to deliver 100,000 jobs in the sector through its Clean Energy Jobs Plan.
It has also set out plans to drive private investment in offshore wind skills, requiring contribution to a skills funding pot by 2027 to help train future technicians, with 90% of oil and gas workers possessing skills that are transferable into offshore renewables.
Furthermore, young people will be given a quicker route into high-quality jobs on major projects such as offshore wind turbines after a faster approval process to update apprenticeships and develop short courses was recently announced.
This forms part of news Growth and Skills Levy reforms, which aim to deliver 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people backed by £725m in funding, and allow training to be delivered more quickly where employers need skills most.
“Britain’s future depends on getting more young people into good jobs with real prospects. These reforms will slash bureaucracy so we can train people faster in the industries where they’re needed most,” said Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden
”We need to give more young people a faster route into secure, well-paid work by ensuring British businesses have the talent they need to grow.”
Image credit: Shutterstock
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of ISEP’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for ISEP members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.
