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WORKERS POWER THE FUTURE
Trigger Sez... March 2026
War, Weather an’ a World That’s Startin’ to Boil Ow'r
Nah then,
Trigger ’ere.
Now if tha thinks this week’s news is all separate, bit o’ war ’ere, oil price wobble there, weather gone daft somewhere else, tha’s missin’ the bleedin' trick.
It’s all same story. Same system. Same cracks showin’.
That Bit o’ Water wher the Whole Worlds Watchin’
Let’s start wi’ that Strait o’ Hormuz again.
Little strip o’ sea. Blink and tha’d miss it on a map.
But it shifts about a fifth o’ world’s oil every day, not to mention the gas and the fertiliser for mi tommi'artoes
Tankers queuin’ up like sparky apprentices, when buttie van's turn up 10 mins late t'training centre.
...And now tensions risin’, folks a gettin’ a bit twitchy, insurers startin’ to flap.
And just like that oil price jumps.
That’s how fragile it all is.
World economy balanced on a watery bottleneck and a few blokes wi’ binoculars.
Meanwhile…
Planet’s Cookin’... While all that’s goin’ on; t'old boffins darn at UN’s just come out wi’ another warning.
Not one o’ them soft ones neither. Proper red flag stuff.
They’re sayin’ Earth’s now more out o’ balance than ever recorded.
Not just warming a bit.
Out. Of. Balance....
We’re trapin’ more heat than planet can get rid of.
And ’ere’s the bit that should make tha stop mid-brew…
Over 90% of that heat’s goin’ straight into oceans.
Not sky. Not air.
Oceans.
Which means: stronger storms, rising seas, weather patterns all over shop.
And just to top it off…
There’s a good chance that young'en: El Niño’s comin’ back, be like putting another shovel of coil on't burner.
So while we’re litensing t'fellas int' navy blue suits arguin’ about energy prices…
Planet’s quietly turnin’ thermostat up.
Same System, Same Problem... and ’ere’s where it all joins up.
War → oil prices spike
Oil prices → cost o’ livin’ goes up
Same system → pumps out emissions
Emissions → planet heats up
Heating → weather gets worse
Worse weather → economy takes another hit
Round and round we go.
Like a boiler stuck wi' that fault no one can fathom 'art.
Reset it- runs for a bit- then off, same problem again. (usually while you're half way through washing your hair)
And Who Feels It First? It’s not the blokes in suits on't telly.
It’s the painter fillin’ his van wonderin’ why it’s another tenner, family wondering when t’smart meter is gonna start ticking up, workers in glass, steel, chemicals thinkin’ “are we next to go?”
Because energy isn’t just a policy debate. It’s people’s lives, wages, and futures.
Always has been.
It's Truth No One Wants To Say Properly
We’ve built a system where: energy comes through global choke points, prices are set miles away from where it’s used, and the by-product is slowly cookin’ the planet
....then we act surprised when it all kicks off at once.
War on one side.
Climate warnings on t’other.
Bills goin’ up in middle.
So What’s The Answer Then, eh?
It’s not shoutin’:
“Drill more!”
Or
“Just build renewables!”
It’s bigger than that. It’s about buildin’ a system that actually works:
proper domestic supply, proper storage, proper infrastructure, proper skilled jobs runnin’ it. So we’re not at mercy of: one narrow stretch o’ water, one political flashpoint, and a climate shock.
Right Now... We’ve got a world where: what's going in off in the Persian gulf can hit your fuel bill, a climate report can tell you we’re losin’ control, and a weather system can wreck livelihoods all at same time.
Bit grim, I know.
But tha can either pretend it’s all separate… or see it for what it is.
One system → Under pressure.
Listen I know;
Kettle’s on.
Sky looks calm.
Sea’s half a world away.
But it’s all connected. Whether we like it or not.
I tell thi' this n'all its a pity t'old Cyril from number 76 ant caugh hold of the big man. He'd after put yellow pages dawn back his slacks if he did, or he wouldn't be sittin' darn for a week, for all trouble his causing.
Solidarity brothers and sisters,
Si'thi
Trigger
Trigger Sez... February 2026
Nah then,
Trigger here again, back with another update from the Workers’ Transition Panel in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber.
You might’ve seen it in t’papers this week.
Gas prices wobble somewhere in world and suddenly every columnist with a keyboard becomes an energy expert.
Apparently Britain’s problem is dead simple.
Just drill more holes in t’North Sea, scrap Net Zero, job done.
Bills sorted. Energy secure. Tea on table.
Lovely.
Except… that’s not actually how any of it works.
The Bit They Always Skip Over
Gas prices aren’t set in Barnsley or London or Aberdeen.
They’re set on world markets. Whether gas comes from the North Sea or arrives on a tanker from Qatar, it sells at roughly the same international price. It’s like wheat. Doesn’t matter which field it came from price is pretty much price.
That’s why when things kicked off after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, gas prices went absolutely bonkers everywhere. And why the minute somewhere like the Strait of Hormuz starts looking a bit lively, markets start sweating.
Drilling more here doesn’t magically change that.
Sorry.
Nah… Here’s the Thing
At one point a few years ago Britain had about the same gas storage buffer as a bloke who only shops for tea bags when he’s already run out. Meanwhile countries like Germany can store months of gas underground. Britain? Barely weeks.
You couldn’t run a chippy like that, never mind a national energy system.
Meanwhile… Up a'r Way
While politicians are rattlin’ on about drilling licences all over telly, there’s a place quietly sat there doing the real work.
The East coast, The Humber and Teesside
Now if you’re not from round there you might think it’s just docks and chimneys. But it’s actually one of the biggest industrial energy hubs in Europe.
Refineries.
Chemical plants.
Power stations.
Pipelines running all over the gaff.
And crucially: gas storage.
Including Britain’s biggest storage site, Rough Gas Storage Facility. That shut down back in 2017. Not last year. Not under this government. When the same political crowd now shouting about “energy security” were the ones running the country. You couldn’t make it up.
Turns out running an energy system like a corner shop… means sometimes you run out of stock.
It’s a bit like selling your winter coat in August… then blaming the weather when it gets cold.
Just down road you’ve also got Aldbrough Gas Storage Facility, gas sat underground in massive salt caverns. That’s proper infrastructure.
Not daft slogans.
Who Built All That Then?
Here’s another thing you won’t hear much about in these debates.
Workers. Gas engineers. Offshore workers. Pipeline welders. Control room operators.
People who actually know which valve to turn… and which one not to.
Funny thing is those same skills are exactly what we’ll need if the system shifts to hydrogen or anything else. The pipes don’t disappear, the workforce doesn’t disappear, the system evolves, the knowledge stays.
Britain didn’t run out of gas. It ran out of common sense about storage.
Energy security isn’t about shouting “drill more” in newspaper columns. It’s about pipes, storage, infrastructure and the workers who know how to keep it all ticking over and if you want to see where Britain’s energy system actually lives…
Take a trip to the Humber, or Teesside.
Just mind where you park. We need to get the vans in and out.
In Solidarity,
Trigger
Trigger Sez... April 2025
Alright comrades,
Trigger here again, back with another update from the Workers’ Transition Panel in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber.
Since the last time we had a natter, we’ve been proper busy – grafting, organising, meeting the suits, and sticking our noses where they don’t always want 'em. But that’s our job, int-it?
First up - A Trip to the Big Smoke… A few of us from the panel headed down south, not for the sunshine, but to take our five demands straight to where the power hides behind polished wood and frothy coffees, Westminster and DESNEZ.
We’ve made it dead clear: workers aren’t asking for scraps – we’re demanding a real say in the transition. Our 5 Asks:
A voice for workers in transition planning- and how about one of you come and get involved in our panel.
A fair and predictable future of energy for our manufactures.
Include us in your Hydrogen debate and decision making.
Fix the foundations with public backing through investment and conditions tied to it – no public money without collective bargaining.
Fair pay and conditions, including protecting skills through retraining and apprenticeships.
We had a proper sit-down with Ed Miliband himself. Yes, that Ed. We talked about what Labour’s plans for energy and transition really mean for working people.
We told Ed: you know where you want to be, we want to be there as well. We can show you how it’s done in the real world, and if Labour wants to win back trust in communities like ours, they’ve got to back WORKERS.
Industrial Strength Reality Checks
We’ve not just been chinwagging in Parliament. We’ve been out on the ground – visiting workplaces across the region to see what a ‘just transition’ actually looks like for real people. From a visit to the glass works to some difficult and frank conversations with bosses talking new tech, we’re learning a lot. But more importantly, we’re asking the awkward questions: who’s benefiting, who’s at risk, and what is your plans for workers?
What’s Next?
We keep going. More workplace visits, more awkward questions, more pushing. We’re building this from the ground up, and we’re not going away. If you’re reading this and you work in the energy or manufacturing sectors, or if you feel your members in your workplace are going to be affected by energy policy and the lack of a clear industrial strategy – get involved.
If you’re a rep – speak up. If you’re a manager – best make sure your plans involve us, we can help.
Till next time,
In Solidarity,
Trigger
Trigger Sez... March 2025
Welcome to the first edition of Trigger Sez, your no-nonsense, straight-talking blog on the GMB Workers Transition Panel for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber.
I’m Trigger (nickname, not job title), and as Chair of the Panel, I’ll be using this space to keep you updated on what’s happening with the transition, how it affects workers like us, and what we’re doing to make sure it’s done with us and not to us.
What is the Workers Transition Panel? If you’re wondering what this is all about, here’s the short version: we’re here to make sure that as the energy industry shifts, workers don’t get left behind.
Too often, decisions about jobs, skills, and the future of work happen in boardrooms with little to no input from the people actually doing the graft. That’s where we step in.
The Workers Transition Panel
The Workers Transition Panel brings together employer representatives, policy makers, MPs, industry voices, and most importantly workers willing to fight for a transition that works for us, not just for a corporate PR spin. This means demanding real investment in jobs, proper training, and ironclad guarantees on pay and conditions, as industries shift towards lower-carbon technologies.
Why This Blog?
Let’s be honest, most workers don’t have time to sift through endless policy documents or listen to politicians talk in circles. This blog will cut through the noise, keeping it plain and practical. I’ll be sharing updates, busting myths, and calling out nonsense where we see it. More importantly, it’ll be a space to bring our voices together, because nothing moves without us, the workers, who keep this country running.
What’s Next?
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be looking at:
The real impact of transition on jobs in our region
What we’re demanding from employers and the government
How you can get involved in shaping the future of work
This transition is happening whether we like it or not. The question is: are we going to have a say in it, or are we going to let it happen to us? Stick around, get involved, and let’s make sure it’s the former.
In Solidarity,
Trigger
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