Photograph by Colin Angus Mackay
Leaders from Unite are reportedly optimistic that Grangemouth petrochemical plant may be reopened after a meeting with management in which they decided to embrace the Ineos survival plan.
These concessions have been offered by unite after Ineos decided to close the plant yesterday after the union played a game of brinkmanship with the company over its proposed survival plan, which included a pay freeze and final salary pension downgrades. The closure would affect 800 direct employees as well as around 2,000 subcontractors – with Unite calling the move “catastrophic”.
Unite and members of the Scottish government have been scrambling to find a way to protect the jobs of those at the plant, either by bringing Ineos back to negotiations or finding a buyer for the site. The longer the site is on cold shutdown, the harder it will be for it to restart operations, and so it is important for everyone involved that a deal is found quickly.
Echoing similar comments from Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, Unite leader Len McClusky has said:
“Grangemouth is too important to the economy. We will not let it close”
McClusky has asked for a face-to-face meeting with Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe so that the two men can find a solution more quickly, and has said he is optimistic for a positive response from the company within the next 24 hours.
Both prime minister David Cameron and leader of the opposition Ed Miliband have made it clear that they would like to see a deal found between Ineos and Unite so that people could get back to work.
