Trade Unionists for Safe Nuclear Energy

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Trade Unionists for Safe Nuclear Energy (TUSNE) is an informal grouping of trade unionists 'who are supportive of the use of civil nuclear energy within a balanced energy policy and a safe and clean environment'.

Background

Formed in 1984, the organisation’s executive committee is made up of senior officials from the major trade unions within the electricity supply industry.

TUSNE’s main mission is to provide a forum for debate about energy issues, and regularly attends trade union and political conferences in Scotland, including the STUC, the Labour Party, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party.

Nuclear events

In February 2011 TUSNE's chair Dougie Rooney gave a keynote address at a reception in the House of Commons titled: 'The Electricity Market Reform: Implications for nuclear power generation'. According to Claire Davidson, managing partner of Gardant Communications, which co-hosted the event with the Conservative Friends of Nuclear Energy:

in attendance were senior industry representatives including Horizon Nuclear Power, ESBI, Rolls-Royce, Centrica Energy, AMEC, Westinghouse, Doosan Babcock, OGN Group, EDF Energy and Balfour Beatty, members of both Houses of Parliament and leaders from the nuclear industry's trades unions. Interesting and provocative keynote addresses were made by the Energy Minister Charles Hendry MP and the Chair of Trade Unionists for Safe Nuclear Energy Dougie Rooney.

Charles Hendry welcomed the coming together of representatives of the Trade Union movement and the Conservative Party, and noted there was much common ground. His focus since being appointed Energy minister has been to identify, and then remove, the barriers to new nuclear power stations. New stations were "vital to energy security", he noted, and "critical for new high-value jobs".

"A significant investment was needed in skills and this would benefit both the domestic and potential export markets", the Minister went on to say. "The industry still has many issues to address including planning and reprocessing, but the immediate focus must be on financing - hence the importance of the ongoing Electricity Market Reform (EMR) consultation." He concluded with a clear statement about the key role new nuclear stations will play in support of economic recovery and energy security.

...Both Charles and Dougie then spent a generous amount of their time engaging the reception attendees in lengthy and wide-ranging discussions.

Affiliations

• Prospect

People

Dougie Rooney

Contact, Resources and Notes

Resources

• SUBMISSION FROM TUSNE (TRADE UNIONISTS FOR SAFE NUCLEAR ENERGY) to the Enterprise and Culture Committee