Page 12 - EurOil Week 33 2022

EurOil POLICY EurOil

Unofficial strikes take place

across UK refineries

UK UNOFFICIAL strikes have been launched at construct and maintain process plants used by
several industrial sites across the UK, including sectors including oil and gas, water, power gen-
Strikes are targeted Ineos’ Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland, in eration and petrochemicals. The workers have
against the spiralling a dispute over pay amid soaring living costs in demanded that they return to the negotiating
cost of living in the UK. the country due to the energy crisis and broader table to agree a pay increase.
inflation. The Unite and GMB labour unions reached
A hundred workers employed by a third- the National Agreement for the Engineering
party contractor blocked a road outside the Ineos and Construction Industry (NAECI) with ECIA
site for several hours on August 10, preventing in August 2021, which granted a pay rise for
tankers from arriving and leaving. A spokesper- workers of only 2.5% in January 202, and 2.5%
son for Ineos said that manufacturing and fuel in January next year. But workers want to see it
distribution were unaffected by the action. revised, given that inflation is now almost 12%
Meanwhile, around 250 contractors and is continuing to climb.
employed at the ExxonMobil Mossmorran “We deserve a decent pay rise,” a leaflet dis-
ethylene plant in Fife, Scotland, also blocked a tributed by striking workers demanded, saying
road, and a number of workers down tools at their actions were “in response to the ECIA’s
the Valero refinery in Pembroke, Wales. And refusal to recognise the impact of the cost of liv-
close to 300 workers held a strike at the Humber ing crisis on its workers.”
refinery in north-east England, run by Phillips “Some of us worked throughout the pan-
66, and another protest was held at the Exxon- demic to keep the country running, some of us
Mobil refinery in Fawley, Southampton. Hun- were made redundant,” while others “took a pay
dreds also walked out at the Drax power station freeze,” the leaflet stated. Employers “have point
near Selby in Yorkshire, the UK’s largest source blank refused” to make another offer, and “we
of electricity. cannot allow this cavalier attitude to continue,”
The strike is targeted against the Engineering it said.
Construction Industry Association (ECIA), the The strike was unofficial, as it was not organ-
trade body for employers of those who design, ised by unions. ™

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