In a statement released today The Workers Union said that it was: ‘One hundred percent committed to conducting its business in an energy efficient, environmentally sensitive manner.’
A spokesperson for The Workers Union said: ‘We founded our services on the principle that working people deserve to be protected from exploitation. The worst kind of exploitation would be to see our beautiful planet collapse thanks to short-sighted decision making and naked avarice. There is another way available to our species – we don’t have to stumble down the path to oblivion. But we are at a fork in the road. We must grasp this opportunity to make a real difference and invest in green jobs, skills and a net zero strategy that delivers action not rhetoric.
‘It is possible to do this and deliver high quality services. The Workers Union, for example, runs a carbon-light model, that junks the usual mirrored high-rises, fleets of gas-guzzling cars and paid-for “research trips”. Instead we have chosen a lean approach that puts accessibility and simplicity at its heart. Our proposition is high-technology, low-footprint and means that people can access services without phoning huge call-centres populated by hundreds of operators.’
The union’s statement comes at a pivotal time for the country’s emissions strategy. A recent report by Green Alliance argued that there is an acute green jobs skills shortage in Britain’s labour force. The think-tank says that 80 percent of people who will make up 2030’s workforce are already in employment, which means that substantial numbers must undergo retraining if the UK is to meet its climate change targets.
The report suggests a ‘green skills super reduction’ designed to reduce the tax burden on businesses that invest in skills and retraining is one way of underwriting the transition. Other initiatives should include business loans and grants to help manage the ‘risk’ for business managers.
The Workers Union Says…
While the Workers Union was set-up to operate with the environment in mind, not every business will find it so easy to make the appropriate adjustments. In truth, the wider economy needs much more support if we are to ameliorate the worst effects of the climate crisis. Without this framework for change, our aims will remain aspirations rather than achievable targets.
We need to start by isolating the sectors that are most in need of decarbonisation and prioritise their transformation. That means kicking off the process of retraining now, so skilled workers can help deliver accelerated change to industries such as transport and manufacturing.
There is hope, and there are precedents. Recent reports of green initiatives have shown us that energy, political will and the genius of the British people can get us to net zero AND boost our competitiveness in the world of tomorrow. But to get there, we must have the courage to make enlightened decisions in the world of today.
