{"id":7036,"date":"2015-12-08T17:25:37","date_gmt":"2015-12-08T17:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=7036"},"modified":"2015-12-08T17:25:37","modified_gmt":"2015-12-08T17:25:37","slug":"fundamental-to-prosperity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=7036","title":{"rendered":"Fundamental to prosperity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Unite has called on MPs to support a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport, highlighting the project\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fundamental importance to \u00e2\u20ac\u015bsecuring our country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long-term economic prosperity”.<\/p>\n

 
\nA decision on the Heathrow runway was expected to be made by the government within days, but the BBC reported yesterday<\/a> (December 7) that another review may delay the decision for an additional six months.<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite general secretary Len McCluskey pointed to recommendations from the Airports Commission made earlier this year as evidence that Heathrow should be expanded.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe commission presented the robust and convincing evidence that the required increased aviation capacity will be delivered with a third runway,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey said in a letter to MPs.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bExpanding Heathrow is the best solution to these problems as it provides a quick and cost-effective mechanism to increase flights to new long-haul destinations, and to join them to a UK and European short haul network. The highest levels of such improvements in networked capacity are at Heathrow.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nMcCluskey also pointed to the Airports Commission\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s evidence that expansion in capacity \u00e2\u20ac\u015bcan go hand-in-hand with efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from aviation and allow us to meet our legal climate change obligations\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHeathrow\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s location and its public transport connectivity makes it the most efficient location in terms of minimising carbon emissions from surface access,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 
\nAddressing the noise impact a third Heathrow runway would have on surrounding communities, McCluskey highlighted the fact that noise is already slated to be reduced significantly over the coming years as new and quieter aircraft come into service and as flight paths are redesigned and improved.<\/p>\n

 
\nThe noise impact would be additionally minimised if a strong package of mitigating measures, such as suggested by the Commission, were offered.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThese [measures] include a ban on night flights, a new noise envelope that could stipulate no overall increase in noise levels, a guarantee to keep air quality within EU legal limits, a \u00c2\u01411bn community compensation fund paid for by Heathrow, and the establishment of an independent aviation noise authority,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey said.<\/p>\n

 
\nHe went on to argue that Heathrow expansion is not \u00e2\u20ac\u015bjust about London and the South East.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBenefits of expansion will be felt in every corner of the country,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McCluskey said.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bA new runway at Heathrow could be worth up to an additional \u00c2\u0141211bn to the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s GDP over 60 years, and over 180,000 new jobs covering a wide range of skill levels and occupations. In total, the Commission\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s analysis indicates that around 60 per cent of the overall boost to GDP would be focused on areas of the UK outside the South East of England.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nMcCluskey warned MPs that the one important \u00e2\u20ac\u0098condition\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Unite has placed on its support for expansion \u00e2\u20ac\u015bis the maintenance and creation of high quality and sustainable jobs\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have an aviation and aerospace sector that are currently world class, providing a wide spectrum of jobs and sustaining skilled employment across the country,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnless we take the crucial decision to invest in and build the infrastructure to maintain this vital industry we cannot hope to continue to compete at a global level.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite is set to brief MPs later this week as part of its support of Heathrow expansion. Stay tuned on UNITElive as the government indicates when a final decision will be made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unite has called on MPs to support a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport, highlighting the project\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fundamental importance to \u00e2\u20ac\u015bsecuring our country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long-term economic prosperity”.   A decision on the Heathrow runway was expected to be made by the government within days, but the BBC reported yesterday (December 7) that another review may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2518,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[195],"wps_subtitle":"Gov't urged to support Heathrow expansion","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7036"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7036"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7037,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7036\/revisions\/7037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}