The UK's energy policy must support UK manufacturing
11 July 2006
Amicus the union is urging the
Government to ensure that the UK's future energy policy will
support a British manufacturing capability and that any future
energy policy should be underpinned by investments in
training and development to foster a homegrown skills base.
Amicus, Britain's biggest private sector union will today
praise the Government for its recommendations to make nuclear
energy a key part of its low carbon and secure energy policy. The
Energy Review also provides the opportunity to boost employment and
skills in the UK.
Amicus' National Secretary, Dougie Rooney says, "The
Government's recommendations are a significant step in the right
direction to achieving a low carbon and secure energy policy. What
we now need is a commitment to support a British manufacturing
capability. The recommendations within the Government's Energy
Review provides the potential to significantly boost employment and
skills in the UK. We can not afford to allow this opportunity to
slip through our fingers."
The union wants clear commercial undertakings from
any company or consortium of companies that are building new
nuclear power stations, to open up manufacturing facilities in the
UK for the manufacture of equipment that would be
required for these new nuclear power stations.
Furthermore, the union is calling for the development
of the Springfields site, near Preston, which manufactures
nuclear fuel elements for the British Energy AGR power
stations.
If the UK is going to build new nuclear power stations, the
fuel elements for the particular reactor design, whether it be
French or American, should be manufactured at this site and the
companies involved, Areva or Westinghouse, need to give an
upfront commitment that they will undertake to invest in the
Springfields plant and use it as a centre of excellence for the
manufacture of fuel elements.
ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315
