Oil refinery dispute escalates with 900 jobs - and electricity supplies - at risk

Published on Friday 19 June 2009 09:35

A BITTER dispute over jobs at an oil refinery escalated today after the sacking of hundreds of workers who have been taking unofficial industrial action.

French giant Total wrote to 900 workers at its Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire saying they had until Monday to reapply for their jobs.

Union leaders condemned the dramatic development, which sparked sympathy strikes amid warnings of a major industrial dispute.

Some activists warned that power workers could now walk out, threatening electricity supplies.

"The entire industry will shut down over this," one warned.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB, accused Total of "locking out" the workers after refusing to attend talks since the dispute flared a week ago, adding: "It seems pretty obvious that there is a case of victimisation taking place. Locking out the workforce will not solve the problem, it will escalate it."

Wildcat strikes had already spread to several power stations and other terminals in the past few days as thousands of workers took sympathy action.

Sources said contract workers at the Staythorpe power station in Nottinghamshire and Ferrybridge power station in Yorkshire walked out early today after hearing the news.

One of the sacked Lindsey workers said: "We are asking for support from workers across the country which I am sure will be given. Total will soon realise they have unleashed a monster.

"It is disgraceful that this has happened without any consultation. It is also unlawful and it makes me feel sick.

"If they get away with this the rest of the industry will crumble and it will be like a turkey cull. Workers will be decimated and unskilled employees from abroad will be brought in on the cheap, treated like scum and sent back after the job is done.

"There is a serious possibility that the lights will go out because of this. We just cannot stand by and see workers discarded like an oily cloth."

Text messages being sent to workers across the country read: "Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Your support is now needed more than ever. If you are supporting our brothers across the country thank you. If you're not yet out just remember next time it could be you. We must fight this NOW."

Contract workers at power stations took action yesterday at Fiddlers Ferry in Cheshire, Drax and Eggborough in Yorkshire, Ratcliffe in Nottinghamshire, Didcot in Oxfordshire and Aberthaw in South Wales.

Contractors at a BP refinery near Hull also joined the strike action.

The dispute flared when a contractor laid off 51 workers while another employer was hiring staff at Lindsey, which was hit earlier this year by unofficial strikes over jobs for non-UK workers.

Around 1,200 contract workers at the terminal have been taking unofficial action all week as efforts to convene talks floundered.

The company said in a statement: "Total can confirm, with regret, that our contractors have now started the process of ending the current employment contracts for their workforce on the HDS-3 construction project.

"The contractor workforce has been engaged in an unofficial, illegal walk-out since last Thursday, June 11. This action has been repudiated by both the Unite and GMB unions.

"The main contract company, Jacobs, and Total have repeatedly sought to encourage the workforce to return to work so that proper negotiations can take place.

"This is in line with the union and industry agreed process that negotiations over illegal strikes cannot commence until the workforce has returned to work.

"It is frustrating and disappointing that these attempts have failed."

About 100 strikers gathered outside the main gates of the Lindsey site waving placards and claiming no-one had yet received a letter from the management.

But all the workers on strike from the construction project at the centre of the dispute believed they had been sacked and were expecting confirmation at their homes later today.

Smaller groups of strikers were stationed outside the other entrances to the huge site as well as at the gates of the equally large ConocoPhillips refinery a few hundred yards down the road.

Those manning the pickets said other strikers had been sent to other parts of Yorkshire, Teesside and further afield to drum up support for the action.

Among the placards brandished at the refinery gates today was one which said: "900 sacked by greedy bosses. No to cheap labour. Yes to workers' rights. Join the strike." One construction worker, who did not wish to be named, said: "The situation is horrendous."

Another picket said: "This has been a dispute about consultation all along. It started with blokes being told they were out via a Post-it note."

Only two police officers were visible at the main gates and the atmosphere was peaceful, but a number of police vehicles including vans were parked at a number of locations in the area.

Phil Whitehurst of the GMB said the mood among the pickets was angry and predicted further action around the UK later.

"This is all about Total now. They have done this and they have to come to the table. We have been trying to get them to the table all this week. Now these men have been sacked so what can Total do now."

Also speaking outside the refinery, Unite shop steward Kenny Ward said he was among those who had lost their jobs at the site.

He said: "For me and for 900 people here the gloves are off. I've never walked away from a fight in my life. Total have to realise what they've unleashed. The lads have come out all over the place, Wales, Cheshire, power stations, refineries, everywhere.

"Even non-unionised sites are supporting us and walking out. It's disgraceful what's happened here. We've been trying long and hard for eight days to get Total and the employers to come to the negotiating table.

"The moral high ground is on our side.We've always been up for negotiation and that doesn't stop now."

Total UK chief executive Bob Emmerson said the company was not prepared to talk until there was a return to work.

"We would welcome talks but for those talks to take place, we have to have the people back in work," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"There is a due process to go through that is agreed with the unions,that is agreed with the employers in the construction industry.

"We have lines of communication that are open, we have elected union representatives, but in order for those to take place there has to be people back at work."