New incinerator will be cleaner for the environment and serve many homes and businesses with heat and power
GMB Union welcomes a decision by the North London Waste Authority to approve a new incinerator plant in Edmonton.
The project had looked in jeopardy when Haringey Council call for a pause in the plans after pressure from campaigners.
But in a meeting yesterday [Thursday 16 December] the seven councils [Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest] forming the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) approved the contract for Acciona and Hitachi Zosen to build the new incinerator.
Michael Ainsley, GMB Organiser, said:
“GMB has been at the forefront in securing a structured national agreement for the building of the plant via the National joint Agreement Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) agreement.
“Our union welcomes the opportunity for well-paid skilled jobs and apprenticeships that the scheme will provide in an area of London that has higher unemployment than the London average.
“Ultimately the new incinerator will be cleaner for the environment than the existing one and will also turn waste into energy, serving many homes and businesses with heat and power.
“GMB is committed to a cleaner, safer environment for all to enjoy, safeguarding the climate for the future in balance with real, well-paid sustainable jobs.
“The alternative to incineration is landfill, contaminating nature, land, rivers and oceans. The real offenders in the waste issue are manufacturers and suppliers who chose non-recyclable packaging of consumables simply because it is cheaper.”
