Nuclear Reactors 383 - Four Major U.K. Labor Unions Send Letter To EDF Urging The French Utility To Sign The Contracts For Hinkley Point C Project
I am going to continue my coverage of the impact of the Brexit on the Hinkley Point C nuclear project with respect to internal British politics. Major labor unions in Britain are highly supportive of the project. Some commentators say that the commitment to the completion of Hinkley Point C is a test of the ability of Britain to continue with important national infrastructure projects in the light of its exit from the European Union.
The GMB union in the U.K. was formed in 1982 from the General Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union and has about six hundred thousand members. The Prospect union was formed in 2001 for engineering, scientific, management and professional workers. It has about a hundred and twenty thousand workers. Unite the Union was formed in 2007 with a merger between the Amicus union and TGWU unions and has about one million four hundred thousand members. The Union of Construction of Allied Trades and Technicians. (UCATT) union was formed in 1971 and has about one hundred and thirty thousand members. Together, these four unions represent about two and a quarter million workers. Workers from these four unions are involved in the Hinkley Point C construction project .
Representatives of these four British unions have written a letter to the CEO of the EDF, the French company that is in contractual negotiations to build two of the new European Pressurized Reactors at the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Britain. Due to financial difficulties and technical problems, EDF has not yet signed the final contracts for the project. The gist of the letter was that it was critical for EDF to sign the twenty four billion dollar contract for Hinkley Point C in order to prove that the Brexit would not significantly damage the economy of the United Kingdom. In the letter, the union representatives said, "Nuclear new build is already behind the curve. We cannot afford further delay and it is vital for EDF to make a final investment decision now."
The U.K. is going to be closing all coal fired power plants by 2025 as part of its efforts to mitigate climate change. Coal currently represents about twenty three percent of U.K. electrical generation capacity. In addition, about half of the fifteen operating nuclear power reactors will be retired by 2025 as they reach the end of their licensed life span. Nuclear power currently provided about twenty percent of the electricity in Britain so that represents a loss of about ten percent of U.K. power generation. Together, the U.K. will lose about thirty percent of its current electricity generating plants by 2025. The unions which sent the letter to the EDF point out that Hinkley Point C could provide about twenty percent of the electricity that the U.K. will lose due to the closing of the nuclear and coal plants by 2025.
The union representatives said that the completion of the Hinkley Point C project was important because of the economic benefits that would result for the U.K., the work provided for union members and to help fight climate change. They also said that, "The UK must have a balanced, low carbon energy mix including renewables, gas and nuclear power if we are to keep the lights on, our homes heated and the economy functioning."
Representatives of EDF have stated that EDF remains committed to the Hinkley Point C project following the Brexit and that the Brexit will have no effect on whether or not EDF chooses to sign the final Hinkley Point C contract.
