Grangemouth workers rally to save jobs at oil refinery

Speaking to BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Unite organiser Lorna Robertson said all eyes are on Grangemouth today.

“We’ve seen a change in the last few months since we’ve had a new UK government and a new first minister in Scotland,” she said.

“The general secretary of Unite has been having positive talks with the new UK government and ourselves up here with the Scottish government and I think there is a willingness now to work with the company to see if the life span of the refinery can be extended.

“We want to bring together everyone who has supported our campaign, the community of Grangemouth have been really positive about the campaign and there’s been a real willingness to come together, so this is the act of coming together today,” she added.

Grangemouth is one of six refineries in the UK and the only one in Scotland.

It is the oldest refinery in the UK. It opened in the 1920s, expanded into petrochemicals in the 1950s, and is in need of an expensive overhaul.

It accounts for about 14% of the UK’s overall refining capacity and supplies almost two-thirds (65%) of demand for refined oil products in Scotland.

While the petrochemical plant is wholly owned by Ineos, the refinery is owned by Petroineos – a joint venture between Ineos and PetroChina.

It is currently the primary supplier of aviation fuel for Scotland’s main airports, and a major supplier of petrol and diesel ground fuels across the central belt.

Petroineos announced its intention to shut down the refinery in November, saying Grangemouth had been facing significant challenges because of global market pressures.