Oil industry's own goal over claim of huge losses caused by refinery strike

Published on Sunday 27 April 2008 21:15

Industrial action by Grangemouth refinery staff will cost the oil industry £50 million a day (your report, 25 April) and affect the national economy through loss in tax revenue.

Of course, such an attempt to gain public support for the company in this dispute should be taken in context; like every other industry, it will simply lose one day's production for each day of a strike.

In fact, this statement is something of an own goal, as it reminds us that 50 million is a normal day's takings, and generates the massive profits BP and the government make through the overpricing of fuel.

WALTER J ALLAN

Colinton Mains Drive

Edinburgh

However bogus the strikers' "justification" for their dispute (over a gradual and minimal contribution to their pensions from their apparently high average pay, and an end to the final-salary basis for future employees' pensions), let no MSP have the gall to criticise them. It has been clear for more than 15 years that such final-salary pension schemes are unsustainable. But what MSP, MP or MEP has even begun to consider the need to change their own top-of-the-range gilt-edged pensions, and all other public-sector schemes, let alone bring forward legislation? On the contrary, they've had the nerve to improve their already inflated benefits, and they never have to threaten strike action. I'd like to have said "guilt-edged" but, regrettably, that would be a misnomer.

JOHN H BIRKETT

Horseleys Park

St Andrews, Fife

I cannot recall such unhelpful and conflicting messages being given about anything in the way differing and contradictory statements have been made regarding the current fuel situation.

When pumps are empty, being assured that there is plenty fuel is a bit rich. If you have an empty fuel tank, the fact petrol is available 50 or 100 miles away is irrelevant.

As for urging motorists not to panic-buy, human nature dictates that people will fill up when they can, for fear of not being able to get fuel later. No amount of urging against this will work when drivers face reports and pictures of empty fuel pumps.

JUDI MARTIN

Alma

Maryculter, Aberdeenshire

We can be sure of two things about the industrial dispute at Grangemouth: there will be a resolution; and the two groups of people not to suffer will be the management and trade union leaders. Workers will lose money and the public will be inconvenienced.

So why do we continue to ignore the simple proposition that the right to strike is a sacred cow that should have been slaughtered many years ago?

That means a complete ban on strikes throughout our public sector and services provided by privately owned organisations such as transport and fuel supplies.

It cannot be too much to ask for an independent arbitration service making decisions binding on all concerned.

JIM PARKER

Banchory Green

Glenrothes, Fife