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| Strike refinery shutdown complete | Strike refinery shutdown complete |
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| The shutdown of the Ineos oil refinery at Grangemouth in central Scotland has been completed, the company has said. | The shutdown of the Ineos oil refinery at Grangemouth in central Scotland has been completed, the company has said. |
| The 1,700-acre plant is being closed in preparation for a two-day strike by staff over pension changes, which is due to start on Sunday. | The 1,700-acre plant is being closed in preparation for a two-day strike by staff over pension changes, which is due to start on Sunday. |
| Oil giant BP has said that if the strike action went ahead, it would have to close the Forties oil pipeline. | |
| The pipeline links North Sea oil production with Grangemouth, delivering 30% of the UK's daily oil output. | The pipeline links North Sea oil production with Grangemouth, delivering 30% of the UK's daily oil output. |
| The process to shut the refinery, which is Scotland's main fuel supplier, began on Monday. | The process to shut the refinery, which is Scotland's main fuel supplier, began on Monday. |
| It is the first time the facility, which processes 210,000 barrels of oil a day, has been completely shut down. | It is the first time the facility, which processes 210,000 barrels of oil a day, has been completely shut down. |
| Ineos said it could take up to three weeks for the plant to get back up to 100% production capacity following the shutdown. | Ineos said it could take up to three weeks for the plant to get back up to 100% production capacity following the shutdown. |
| Despite the plant's closure, the BBC understands last minute talks aimed at averting the strike are still continuing. | Despite the plant's closure, the BBC understands last minute talks aimed at averting the strike are still continuing. |
| The Forties pipeline, which ends at Kinneil, near Grangemouth, is reliant on the Ineos facility for steam and electricity to function. | |
| Ineos chief executive Tom Crotty said that despite "repeated requests" the Unite union had refused to maintain power and steam to keep the Kinneil Plant in production. | |
| He said: "We are deeply disappointed that today the Unite union has chosen to escalate this dispute further. | |
| "We call on Unite to change their plans that target other businesses and indeed the wider Scottish and UK economy." | |
| Industry groups have warned that the closure of the pipeline could cost the UK economy more than £1m an hour and cause the suspension of production across 65 oil fields in the North Sea. | |
| The Unite union, which represents 1,200 workers at the refinery, accused Ineos of acting cynically. | |
| National officer, Phil McNulty, said: "We believe that Ineos has acted cynically in its dealings with us and we are suspicious about its intentions even to try to avert a strike. | |
| "Our members have acted in good faith throughout this dispute. | "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 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." |