Oil refinery strike

[Vultch]

This morning the workers walked out on strike, yet tankers are docking tonight (from europe) with fuel supplies. A tanker is not the sort of thing you order on the phone like a take away pizza....so this has been planned by BP management..they sent out the letters that prompted the dispute and obviously knowing staff would walk...ordered the tankers....

[Apache]

Does it come as a surprise?

You tell a workforce that their pensions are going be be reduced in value, you expect that they might have something to say about it. The govt will have been informed, and have made contingiency plans.

[Tiger]

It's all a big ploy too jack the prices up again

[yoshie]

Unite News Release Unite News Release Unite News Release Unite News
Friday 25th April 2008
Unite condemns Ineos’ inflammatory behaviour in Grangemouth dispute
Unite say that Ineos, the company that owns the Grangemouth plant, has sent a letter to all workers telling them that the pension scheme will close on 1st August.
The move comes ahead of a two day strike by workers beginning this weekend intended to keep the pension scheme open.
Unite say that the letter is another demonstration of the company’s cynical approach to the dispute and their workers. It says it makes clear the company’s intention to press ahead with the closure of the pension scheme no matter what.
The union says that company has employed incendiary tactics to seek to exacerbate rather than settle the dispute including misleading the media about how much Grangemouth workers earn and the company of misleading the Grangemouth workers themselves about the pension scheme’s funding levels. Ineos even issued a defamation writ against the union during conciliation talks at ACAS.
Unite also say the company has talked up the effects of the strike and contributed to panic buying in Scotland.
Ineos’ campaign of escalation culminated in a letter being sent to all Grangemouth workers yesterday saying that it would introduce the new defined contribution pension scheme immediately which will be applicable to all employees who join the company at Grangemouth from 1st August 2008.
Unite’s National Officer for Ineos, Phil McNulty, said:
“We believe that Inoes has acted cynically in it’s dealings with us and we are suspicious about its intentions even to try and avert a strike.
“Our members have acted in good faith throughout this dispute. We have talked to Ineos for eight months and only when the company breached the terms of the consultation by introducing changes to the pension scheme without agreement did we ballot out members.
“We have said consistently that we will talk to the company at any time if they agree to halt plans to end the existing pension arrangements.”

- Ends -

The truth about the INEOS dispute
What did the company offer – they say they took the proposal to close the final salary pension scheme off the table?
That’s not true. Ineos insisted the existing scheme will still close to new entrants on 1 August. They made that a condition of any negotiated change. We were unable to agree to that condition. Accepting a money purchase scheme for new entrants means we would eventually be unable to protect the existing scheme because of the diminishing number of members that would be affected.
Why is this proposal unacceptable to the union?
The Company can afford to continue this scheme. Since the scheme opened, despite dropping contributions, the surplus of the scheme has grown. It is funded now at 120%. There is no question to us that this scheme can afford to sustain the current and new members.
Would Unite members consider paying contributions to the scheme?
They do contribute. Other companies in the Oil and Petrochemical sector do have a specific amount deducted from their salary. Ineos workers do not and the size of their salary reflects that - ie - There is a ‘salary surrender’ operating. Some other oil company workers, eg Shell, have both higher salaries and better pension arrangements.
Would we consider going into further talks?
We have left the door open and should ACAS ask us, and the company are willing to negotiate in the proper sense, we will respond.
What are we doing to provide emergency cover?
We have a formal agreement with the Company on how we will deal with providing safety and emergency cover and utilities service to the site in order to protect the plant and equipment.
What are the implications for the Forties? pipeline? What does this do/how does this work? Is it true this is being closed down by Unite’s action?
Utilities are generated on the site including high pressure steam for production. During the strike, the steam pressure would be reduced and we believe this would not allow crude oil to be pumped ashore. Decisions by the operating companies would have to take that into account.
Has Unite agreed to keep open the deep water jetty as the company has requested to keep oil/fuel supply to the rest of Scotland?
See above
What about the Scottish government’s offer to bring in a pensions actuary to arbitrate providing that Unite suspends its action?
Both the Company and the Union have agreed that while we appreciate the offer, it would not assist at this point in time in resolving the dispute.
What about Ineos’ claim that the company needs to make these pension savings to make urgent investments in the plant?
The Company would save around £1.5 million. The investment at the plant requires, they say, £720 million.
Are you planning further strike dates?
If the dispute in not resolved, we will consider our next industrial action.

[KERRSURF]

The gov say the strike will cost around 50million a day to the economy.

I say avoid a strike and stick the money in the pension fund

[Apache]

Hehe, nice but WAAAAY to easy!

Makes you wonder what the REAL agenda is. It will only cost what? £1.7M to leave well alone? They are gonna lose 25 times that per day?

Bonkers!

[Albannach]

This morning the workers walked out on strike, yet tankers are docking tonight (from europe) with fuel supplies. A tanker is not the sort of thing you order on the phone like a take away pizza....so this has been planned by BP management..they sent out the letters that prompted the dispute and obviously knowing staff would walk...ordered the tankers....

FFS, how many times. This has fcuk all to do with BP, it's an Ineos strike. We've known about the strike for 3 weeks, plenty time to buy fuel on the spot markets and have it delivered.

[MattF]

It will only cost what? £1.7M to leave well alone? They are gonna lose 25 times that per day?

Deferred, not lost.

[MattF]

FFS, how many times. This has fcuk all to do with BP, it's an Ineos strike.

Honestly, you've settled in sooooooooo well. Fair brings a tear of pride to ones eye.

[Apache]

Honestly, you've settled in sooooooooo well. Fair brings a tear of pride to ones eye.

It's nice to see our 'children' coming on so well...

[Vultch]

FFS, how many times. This has fcuk all to do with BP, it's an Ineos strike. We've known about the strike for 3 weeks, plenty time to buy fuel on the spot markets and have it delivered.

I assumed its a BP company.... when you order tankers its a hard line approach...you know a strike is coming...so all the chat about meaningful dialogue....

[Albannach]

Honestly, you've settled in sooooooooo well. Fair brings a tear of pride to ones eye.

Ty Ty Ty

[Apache]

I'm pretty damn sure they'd have arranged for it anyway, as a strike was even a possibility. They'd be pretty dumb not to.

(Not taking sides here, just putting myself in the management / govt shoes)

[Apache]

Ty Ty Ty

Can we rely on you when things like 'water power', 'bobboxes', power increases due to cone filters, trucks crashing due to removed ARBs, erroneous aerodynamic theory etc are mentioned then? Thats when you've 'arrived'

[Vultch]

Hindsight is a great thing..but if the unions knew tankers were on the way..they could have called off the strike...leaving the refinery working with tankers waiting to dock to unload unneeded fuel.