Oil workers at Ineos’ Grangemouth refinery start 48-hour strike

Hundreds of oil workers at Ineos’ Grangemouth refinery began a 48-hour strike yesterday, following a dispute over pensions.

The strike forced the closure of the Forties Pipeline System at Scotland’s only oil refinery, which transports almost half of the UK’s crude production, after 1,200 workers walked off the job.

Union Unite called the action in protest at plans by Ineos to close its final salary pension scheme to new workers and to make other changes to its pensions.

Unite has placed seven adverts in newspapers, including the Daily Record, the Scottish Metro, the Scotsman, and the Edinburgh Evening News, on behalf of the Grangemouth workers, to explain the reasons for their strike.

Unite national officer Phil McNulty said: “Our members have been accused of being greedy and irresponsible but this strike is not about getting more money from their employer or an attack on the ordinary people of Scotland.

“The Grangemouth workers are having to strike to defend their existing pension scheme, which, despite the fact it is well-funded and in profit, their hugely rich employer, Ineos, wants to close,” he said.

Union workers are expected to go back to work after the strike ends Tuesday, but further strike action is expected again next week if an agreement is not reached.