30/01/2009

Hundreds Walk Out As Refinery Dispute Escalates

Hundreds of energy workers in North Lincolnshire have gone on strike in protest over the use of foreign labour on a construction strike.

The demonstrators gathered at Lindsey Oil Refinery following a decision to bring hundreds of Italian and Portuguese contractors to work on the new £200 million plant at North Killingholme.

It is understood 100 Italian and Portuguese workers are on site and are expected to be joined by 300 more next month.

Unions have argued British staff should be doing the work.

Total, owners of the refinery, however, have said there would be "no direct redundancies" as a result.

The protest, which began on Wednesday, was disrupted at 6.15am, when a car collided with an oil tanker at the entrance to the refinery.

Firefighters took about 30 minutes to free the driver of the car, who was then taken to hospital.

While demonstrators gathered on site for the third day of the strike, the unofficial action took place in other parts of the UK including Scotland and Wales.

More than 700 workers took action at the giant Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland, while in Barry, Wales police were called to the Aberthaw power station after workers staged a protest.

Employees at BP’s Dimlington gas terminal in East Yorkshire and its chemical manufacturing plant in Saltend, Hull also walked out in support.

In a statement, Total said there would be no direct redundancies as a result of the contract.

"On this one specific occasion, IREM was selected, through a fair and competitive tender process, as the most appropriate company to complete this work.

"We will continue to put contracts out to tender in the future and we are confident we will award further contracts to UK companies.

"We are disappointed they have taken this action and we hope contractors' return to work so the situation can be resolved as soon as possible through discussion with their union representatives."

(JM/BMcC)

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