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Refinery owner 'encourages talks' 'Talks planned' over refinery row
(31 minutes later)
The owners of the Lindsey oil refinery say they are "actively encouraging" talks to begin between contractors and unions over the sacking of 647 workers. Union officials have told the BBC they are due to meet contractors later to hold talks over the sacking of 647 workers at the Lindsey oil refinery.
In a statement on Tuesday, Total said it wanted the parties to "facilitate the return to work of its contracting companies' former workforces". Lee Bayliss, from Unite, said a meeting was planned for Tuesday afternoon, but unless the workers were reinstated there would be "a continued problem".
The workers were dismissed from the North Lincolnshire refinery last week after staging unofficial strikes. The owners of the North Lincolnshire site, Total, said earlier they were encouraging talks between the parties.
Since then some 3,000 staff at other sites have walked out in support. The workers were sacked last week after staging unofficial strikes.
The wildcat strikes are being held at eight sites including Sellafield in Cumbria, Longannet Power Station in Fife and the Ensus biofuel site in Teesside. Since then some 3,000 staff at other sites around the UK have walked out in support.
The plants affected include Sellafield in Cumbria, Longannet Power Station in Fife and South Hook in Milford Haven .
'Continued problem''Continued problem'
The Lindsey workers first withdrew their labour on 11 June in protest at a sub-contractor axing 51 jobs while another employer on the site was hiring people.The Lindsey workers first withdrew their labour on 11 June in protest at a sub-contractor axing 51 jobs while another employer on the site was hiring people.
The GMB union has organised a protest outside the plant on Tuesday morning, with as many as 500 men waving placards. Protests have taken place at the plant since the 647 sackings and on Tuesday morning as many as 500 men waving placards picketed the gates in a demonstration organised by the GMB union.
Les Bayliss, assistant general secretary of the Unite union, told the BBC a meeting was scheduled between the parties on Tuesday afternoon. At the same time, French company Total released a statement saying it was "actively encouraging" talks to "facilitate the return to work of its contracting companies' former workforces".
There is no question of a reduction in pay or dilution of existing terms and conditions Total statement Top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked Lee Bayliss, Unite
Previously it had said that talks could only take place if the striking workers, employed by a sub-contractor company called Jacobs, returned to their jobs.
Mr Bayliss, who is assistant general secretary of Unite, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a meeting was due to take place on Tuesday afternoon.
"We're confident that we can find a mechanism to get a return to work, but... I've made it clear from Unite's position that top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked," he said."We're confident that we can find a mechanism to get a return to work, but... I've made it clear from Unite's position that top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked," he said.
"So unless that issue is dealt with then we're going to have a continued problem.""So unless that issue is dealt with then we're going to have a continued problem."
French company Total had said previously that talks could only take place if the striking workers, employed by a company called Jacobs, returned to their jobs. Total said discussions "should focus on getting the project back up and running within the agreed timeframe and budget".
But on Tuesday it said that discussions should begin immediately and "focus on getting the project back up and running within the agreed timeframe and budget".
"There is no question of a reduction in pay or dilution of existing terms and conditions," it added."There is no question of a reduction in pay or dilution of existing terms and conditions," it added.
The sacked workers had been employed on a project known as HDS-3 to build a new site alongside the existing Lindsey plant.The sacked workers had been employed on a project known as HDS-3 to build a new site alongside the existing Lindsey plant.
Total said the project was now six months behind schedule and that delays had already cost "in the region of an additional 100 million euros".Total said the project was now six months behind schedule and that delays had already cost "in the region of an additional 100 million euros".
The company said it expected to hear by the end of the week how many contract workers had chosen to return.The company said it expected to hear by the end of the week how many contract workers had chosen to return.
The BBC's Paul Murphy, who is at the refinery, said Total had insisted that calling for talks was all it could do because Jacobs was a sub-contactor and therefore Total had no legal responsibility for the employment of the men.The BBC's Paul Murphy, who is at the refinery, said Total had insisted that calling for talks was all it could do because Jacobs was a sub-contactor and therefore Total had no legal responsibility for the employment of the men.