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Grangemouth strike workers take out ads

28/04/2008

Grangemouth oil workers have taken out a series of adverts in the Scottish media on the second day of strikes at the refinery.

The adverts claim the workers regret the inconvenience caused by the action but say Grangemouth owner Ineos left employees "with no choice".

The adverts appear today in the Daily Record, the Scottish Metro, the Scotsman, the Edinburgh Evening News, the Aberdeen Press and Journal, the Dundee Courier and the Evening Telegraph.

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 it."

Workers are striking in response to pension changes planned by the plant's owners, Ineos. The company wants to close the scheme to new staff.

The refinery processes about 200,000 barrels of crude oil a day and supplies most of Scotland's demand for fuel. The strike is due to finish today, and Ineos said it expects workers back tomorrow.

Despite widespread fears of that panic-buying would constrain fuel supplies, few petrol stations were forced to close at the weekend.

The AA has advised people to only buy as much fuel as they need.