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| Steelworkers' union Community backs fracking in UK | Steelworkers' union Community backs fracking in UK |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The main steelworkers' union has backed plans for fracking in the UK. | The main steelworkers' union has backed plans for fracking in the UK. |
| The Community union says the fracking industry will need significant volumes of steel, which will help to protect jobs in the sector. | The Community union says the fracking industry will need significant volumes of steel, which will help to protect jobs in the sector. |
| It has signed an agreement with the body that represents the UK onshore oil and gas industry to promote domestic production and protect jobs. | It has signed an agreement with the body that represents the UK onshore oil and gas industry to promote domestic production and protect jobs. |
| Community, which has around 30,000 members, is one of the few trade unions backing fracking. | Community, which has around 30,000 members, is one of the few trade unions backing fracking. |
| The UK's third biggest union, the GMB union, also intends to organise in the sector. | The UK's third biggest union, the GMB union, also intends to organise in the sector. |
| But a number of other main unions, including PCS and UCU, are opposed to the industry on environmental grounds. | |
| "The future development of home-grown oil and gas has the potential to support thousands of jobs through its supply chain, including in the steel industry," says Roy Rickhuss, the general secretary of Community. | "The future development of home-grown oil and gas has the potential to support thousands of jobs through its supply chain, including in the steel industry," says Roy Rickhuss, the general secretary of Community. |
| Clash with Labour | Clash with Labour |
| The fracking industry will need to drill hundreds, perhaps thousands of wells, to produce significant volumes of gas. That represents a huge opportunity for the struggling steel industry, which will want to supply the steel casings used in oil and gas wells. | The fracking industry will need to drill hundreds, perhaps thousands of wells, to produce significant volumes of gas. That represents a huge opportunity for the struggling steel industry, which will want to supply the steel casings used in oil and gas wells. |
| Plans for fracking have been approved in two locations in the north of England, potentially creating up to 64,500 jobs, according to a recent industry report. | Plans for fracking have been approved in two locations in the north of England, potentially creating up to 64,500 jobs, according to a recent industry report. |
| But while the Community union is affiliated to Labour, its endorsement of fracking is at odds with Labour Party policy. | But while the Community union is affiliated to Labour, its endorsement of fracking is at odds with Labour Party policy. |
| At the party's conference in September, the shadow energy secretary Barry Gardiner said Labour would ban fracking outright if elected. | At the party's conference in September, the shadow energy secretary Barry Gardiner said Labour would ban fracking outright if elected. |
| The GMB union described the policy as "madness", saying it would leave the UK reliant on "henchman, hangmen and headchoppers" for imported gas. | The GMB union described the policy as "madness", saying it would leave the UK reliant on "henchman, hangmen and headchoppers" for imported gas. |