Knee-jerk job cuts

The future of North Sea oil and gas is endangered following oil giant BP’s announcement today (January 15) that 200 jobs would be cut.

 
Unite argued that the jobs cuts were a knee-jerk reaction after oil companies failed to prepare for a drop in oil prices. The union asserts that the job losses will drain skills from the area, compromising health and safety and threatening the future of the industry.

 
“This latest announcement on job cuts from BP is part of a deeply worrying trend across an industry which is central to the Scottish and wider UK economy,” said Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty.

 
“People are paying with their livelihoods, because of a failure by the oil majors and the Westminster government to prepare for a fall in oil prices. They’ve made hay while the sun shone, but put aside little for a rainy day,” he added.

 
Rafferty went on to say that the job cuts were short-sighted and would harm the industry.

 
“Over time oil prices will recover,” he said. “There is a real danger that knee jerk job cuts will undermine health and safety and the future of the industry in the long-term.”

 
“The UK government needs to intervene urgently to support the industry and the taskforces set up by the Scottish government and local authority in Aberdeen need to turn words into urgent action.”