With soaring energy prices weighing on the world at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, US President Joe Biden talked about trying to ease the pain of high gas prices while pushing more long-term green policies. leaving the controversial climate target by International community at the a crossroad.

Dismissing the idea of boosting gasoline production, the United Nations’ top diplomat threw out traditional diplomatic niceties and bluntly vilified the fossil fuel industry at a virtual session that included oil rich Saudi Arabia, China, Europe and Egypt, which is hosting the next United Nations summit on climate change.

Equating the oil and gas industry to Big Tobacco, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that “fossil fuel producers and financiers have humanity by the throat.” But President Joe Biden wasn’t quite itching for a fight.

With considerations of US mid-term elections around the corner, Biden reiterated his goal to lower gasoline prices that are averaging a record $5 a gallon in the U.S. while also shifting away from fossil fuels in order to limit climate change and the risks it presents.

Biden is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia next month. The White House recently praised the kingdom after OPEC+ announced that it would pump more oil to boost the global supply.

Guterres dismissed more drilling, saying “nothing could be more clear or present than the danger of fossil fuel expansion.”

“Even in the short-term, fossil fuels don’t make political or economic sense,” Guterres said.

“Had we invested earlier and massively in renewable energy, we would not find ourselves once again at the mercy of unstable fossil fuel markets,” Guterres said. “Let’s make sure the war in Ukraine is not used to increase that dependency.”

The secretary-general decided to amp up the rhetoric because of successful efforts by the industry to use the war in Ukraine as an excuse to start drilling projects, said a senior U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to lack of authority to speak for the agency.

A union representing Rolls Royce workers has rejected the offer of a £2,000 one-off payment offered by the firm to help staff with the rising cost of living.

Of the 14,000 staff at Rolls Royce who were eligible for the payment, 11,000 members are unionised.

The payment was intended for junior management and shop floor staff.

Unite said the offer “falls far short of the real cost of living challenges which our members are experiencing.”

The lump sum was due to begin being rolled out in August, starting with the 3,000 non-unionised staff before being paid to the remaining 11,000 unionised workers.

Unite’s regional secretary Paresh Patel says the union was still in negotiations with Rolls Royce about the pay offer.

News of the pay offer emerged on Monday night, and was later confirmed by Rolls Royce.

However, Unite said: “The fact that Rolls Royce has made this announcement in the way that it has certainly in our view undermines the trade union and the negotiating position that should be between the employer and the unions on this matter.”

Rolls Royce had also offered workers a 4% increase in pay, back-dated to March. A Rolls Royce spokesperson had told newsmen it is “the highest annual pay rise for at least a decade” for its shop floor staff.

There are ongoing discussions with unions about a pay settlement for 2022-2023, the spokesperson said, and the cost of living issue is to be a factor in those negotiations.

Earlier this month Lloyds Bank announced measures to help staff cope with rising costs, as energy bills continue to soar and UK inflation hits a 40-year high of 9%.

Unions have called for EasyJet cabin crew based in Spain to strike for nine days in July as part of a dispute over pay.

The walk-out would add to passenger woes as airlines struggle to cope with demand after Covid restrictions lifted.

EasyJet has already had to cancel thousands of flights this summer because of staff shortages at Gatwick.

Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport is still clearing piles of baggage which led to 5,000 flight cancellations on Monday

EasyJet and Spanish union USO have been holding talks on cabin crew pay since February, but are now in a “deadlock situation”, the union said.

It has called a series of 24 hour strikes throughout July which could affect British holidaymakers.

Union members working from El Prat, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca will walk out from 1-3 July, on 15-17 July and on 29-31, the union said.

Miguel Galan, USO general secretary for EasyJet Malaga, said flight attendants want a 40% increase in their basic salaries.

He said that Spanish cabin crew pay is not on a par with their French or German counterparts.

EasyJet’s Spanish crew get basic pay of €950 per month (£816), the union said, which excludes bonuses and extra pay.

But the union, which says it represents 80% of the 450 EasyJet staff based in Spain, still hopes an agreement can be reached to avoid the strikes during a meeting with management on Tuesday, Galan said.

According to the European Trade Union Institute, striking is a fundamental right in Spain, and strikes affecting one company can be called by unions, worker representatives or workers themselves.

UK holidaymakers have faced disruption to their flights in recent months as airlines and airports struggle to cope with increased demand after cutting workers during Covid lockdowns.

On Monday EasyJet said it would cancel flights between July and September after Gatwick Airport said it will reduce the number of flights during the peak summer period due to staff shortages.

Also on Monday around 30 flights carrying up to 5,000 passengers were cancelled at Heathrow Airport due to baggage-handling problems.