# Unison chief calls for equal support for public sector workers

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/public-sector-an-afterthought-to-north-sea-oil-jobs-says-unison-leader/
- Published: 2026-10-30T13:04:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T13:23:06+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/30/public-sector-afterthought-north-sea-oil-jobs-unison
- Topics: Americas, Business, Economy, Software, Technology, UK, World

## Key points

- Unison says public service workers deserve equal political focus.
- Andrea Egan calls the Jackdaw approval a serious misstep.
- Unions disagree over further North Sea drilling.

## Summary

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan says the government gives too much political attention to protecting North Sea oil and gas jobs while treating public sector workers as an “afterthought”. She called for comparable support for NHS, education and care staff, and said approving the Jackdaw gasfield was a serious misstep that undermined the UK’s climate commitments.

The government approved Jackdaw after pressure from the fossil fuel industry and politicians; a decision on the Rosebank oilfield is expected before the end of the year. Unions are divided over further North Sea drilling: Unite and GMB support more licences, while Unison and the National Education Union oppose them and back a shift to renewable energy. Unison recently secured a recognition agreement with Octopus Energy, which Egan said could help create secure, well-paid union jobs in clean energy.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.