Engineering news
The GMB union has pledged to represent workers if the shale gas industry develops, stressing the importance of securing decent pay and conditions in the fledgling sector.
National officer Gary Smith told the union's annual conference in Dublin it would be wrong to oppose fracking, as other unions have done. "Jumping on bandwagons is easy, but doing the easy thing does not mean you are doing the right thing. It would be easy to come out against fracking, but it would be wrong for the union, and for the country."
Smith added: "If onshore fracking for shale gas does develop from its current exploratory status into an industry which will be supplying a significant proportion of the gas that Britain needs, GMB will need every ounce of our organising expertise and commitment to safeguard the workers in the industry.
"Anything less than protecting these workers from exploitation in a fledgling industry, as we did with gas workers 126 years ago, would be a betrayal of our history and moral responsibility."
Smith told the 500 delegates that gas will remain crucially important in meeting Britain's future energy needs for many decades to come.
"The issue for Britain isn't whether we will use gas or not. We will. The real issue is where we will get our gas from, and who should take the moral responsibility for extracting and supplying the gas we use.
"Our energy intensive industries need access to affordable, secure energy supplies. They need the certainty that Britain's energy mix will meet their needs. They, like Britain's households, need gas to be part of that energy mix.
"The debate about fracking must be based upon complete honesty about the economic realities of gas."
Meanwhile, Third Energy UK Gas has applied to the Environment Agency for permits to carry out fracking at a site in North Yorkshire. The company would use an existing borehole at Kirby Misperton, near Pickering.