Unite leads London driver strikes over heat while urging halt to new oil licences
Transport workers in parts of London staged walkouts amid 34°C temperatures, with Unite claiming leadership, even as the union pushes the government to block new North Sea oil and gas licences.
The action highlights the acute discomfort caused by heatwaves, a side effect of the broader climate crisis that Mayor Andy Burnham has scarcely addressed. Critics note that while the strikes focus on immediate working conditions, they do not confront the root cause of global warming linked to fossil-fuel use.
Concurrently, Unite is lobbying the Burnham government to refuse licences for the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gasfield, insisting that extracting North Sea oil and gas contradicts climate goals. The union calls for a just transition, urging investment in renewable-energy sectors to re-skill workers. Observers suggest that aligning the two campaigns would expose their incompatibility and reinforce the case for keeping North Sea hydrocarbons in the ground.
Why it matters
The story shows how labor actions and energy policy intersect in the fight against climate change.
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