Unite, one of the UK’s largest trade unions, has launched its “Keep the North Sea Working” campaign, with the aim of protecting oil and gas jobs and communities in Scotland. The initiative comes ahead of the Scottish elections scheduled for 7 May 2026, with the union pledging to hold politicians accountable for perceived failures in safeguarding employment within the sector.
Central to Unite’s campaign is a demand for all Scottish political parties to commit to a “no compulsory redundancy pledge,” aimed at preserving jobs, pay, and conditions across the industry. The union is calling on leaders of Scotland’s political parties to clearly outline their strategies for supporting North Sea oil and gas employment, asserting that workers and their communities deserve transparency on how MSPs plan to secure their livelihoods.
The campaign has been initiated in response to what Unite describes as a “jobs crisis unfolding in the oil and gas sector.” The union claims that up to 1,000 oil and gas jobs could be lost in the North Sea every month until 2030, with governmental policies concerning a just transition away from fossil fuels identified as a significant contributing factor. This figure aligns with warnings from industry groups, including Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), which indicated that the industry is experiencing job cuts of nearly 1,000 positions per month under the current fiscal regime, leading companies to explore opportunities overseas. Additionally, research from Robert Gordon University has forecasted a potential shrinkage of approximately 400 jobs every two weeks for five years in one scenario, highlighting the ongoing decline.
Unite launched its campaign amidst rising global oil and gas prices and increasing supply instability, which the union attributes to an “ongoing Iran war and wider crisis engulfing the Middle East.” Sharon Graham, Unite’s General Secretary, who assumed office in August 2021, has voiced strong criticism of current energy policies.
“Energy policies in both Holyrood and Westminster are putting jobs and energy security at risk,” stated Ms Graham. She further elaborated:
“Blocking oil and gas production in the North Sea, especially now, is an act of monumental political self-harm. Unite’s message to all politicians is clear. With energy and fuel bills set to rocket due to the Iran war, you need to stop the offshoring of our carbon responsibilities, keep the North Sea working and fund a concrete plan for jobs. We simply cannot let go of one rope before we have hold of another.”
In Case You Missed it:
Bob MacGregor, Unite’s lead industrial officer for the oil and gas sector in Scotland, echoed these concerns, stating that Scotland’s oil and gas workers “feel abandoned by Scottish politicians.” Mr MacGregor criticised the rhetoric around energy transition, remarking, “The empty promises of a just transition ring hollow because there are no credible alternatives at scale to replace the tens of thousands of oil and gas jobs being lost.”
He underscored the severity of the situation, adding: “Scotland simply can’t sustain this level of industrial devastation. North Sea oil and gas workers play an indispensable role in energy security and supply, which is even more critical right now as war rages across the Middle East.”
He concluded with a direct challenge to lawmakers: “Scottish politicians can’t continue to bury their heads in the sand because it is an act of national self-sabotage, we are now challenging them to support union jobs and the communities they sustain.”
