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Wildcat walkout action continues Wildcat walkout action continues
(20 minutes later)
Workers in Scotland are continuing wildcat strike action for a further 24 hours as the row over the use of foreign contractors escalates.Workers in Scotland are continuing wildcat strike action for a further 24 hours as the row over the use of foreign contractors escalates.
It comes after unions have been holding mass meetings with about 2,500 workers.It comes after unions have been holding mass meetings with about 2,500 workers.
Thousands of workers across the UK staged unofficial walkouts on Friday over the use of foreign staff at a Lincolnshire refinery.Thousands of workers across the UK staged unofficial walkouts on Friday over the use of foreign staff at a Lincolnshire refinery.
In Scotland, fresh action has hit the Ineos oil plant at Grangemouth and the Longannet power station.In Scotland, fresh action has hit the Ineos oil plant at Grangemouth and the Longannet power station.
Contractors at Longannet voted to stay out on strike for 24 hours and return to hold another mass meeting at 0730 GMT on Tuesday. About 400 workers at Longannet, in Fife, voted to stay out on strike for 24 hours and return to hold another mass meeting at 0730 GMT on Tuesday.
About 300 contractors at the Grangemouth oil refinery near Falkirk, who took unofficial action on Friday, walked out again on Monday, but agreed to return to work on Tuesday. 'Staying out'
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the wildcat strikes were "not defensible". Hugh McGarvey, a shop steward at Longannet, said the vote there reflected solidarity with workers elsewhere.
And Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy called on unions not to "escalate" the dispute. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I think the government are planning certain things, although I haven't heard anything definite, I'm sure a lot of guys, like today, wanted to stay out until they get the recommendations that they've asked for."
The walkouts began after bosses at the Lindsey oil refinery brought in Italian and Portuguese contractors. About 300 contractors at the Grangemouth oil refinery, near Falkirk, walked out again on Monday, but agreed to return to work on Tuesday.
In England, contractors at the Sellafield nuclear site have walked out in support of protests against foreign contractors.
Mr Brown says the government will help workers facing redundancy
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the wildcat strikes were "not defensible" and Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy called on unions not to "escalate" the dispute.
The government has said it might challenge EU law to stop cheap foreign labour "undercutting" British workers.
This would need the agreement of other member states and could take years to get through and the Liberal Democrats warned challenging EU labour laws would be a "huge, self-defeating step too far".
The walkouts were sparked after bosses at the Lindsey oil refinery brought in Italian and Portuguese contractors.
Unions said the jobs should have gone to British workers.Unions said the jobs should have gone to British workers.
The action began on Friday and quickly spread to sites across the country. The dispute quickly spread to sites across the country, with about 1,400 workers staging action in Scotland on Friday.
About 300 workers from the Ineos oil refinery at Grangemouth joined the protest. Hundreds of staff walked out at Grangemouth, Longannet in Fife and Cockenzie in East Lothian.
They were followed by about 500 from the power station at Longannet in Fife and about 100 from Cockenzie power station in East Lothian.
Scottish Power said the walkout did not affect operations at either of the sites and that it was meeting senior members of all contractors to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.Scottish Power said the walkout did not affect operations at either of the sites and that it was meeting senior members of all contractors to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
Shell said about 180 contractors at the St Fergus gas terminal at Peterhead had stopped work, while at British Energy's Torness facility, about 80 workers have downed tools. Contractors also downed tools on Friday at the St Fergus gas terminal int Peterhead, British Energy's Torness facility, the ExxonMobil ethylene plant at Mossmorran in Fife, and the Shell plant at Mossmorran.
According to ExxonMobil, 40 workers contracted to Deborah Services Limited (DSL) have gone on strike at its ethylene plant at Mossmorran in Fife, along with colleagues at the Shell plant at Mossmorran.