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Leaders meet over refinery strike | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Prime Minister Gordon Brown have met to discuss the strike which has closed the Grangemouth oil refinery. | |
The meeting, in the House of Commons, lasted about 20 minutes. | |
A Downing Street spokesman said they discussed the steps being taken to resolve the dispute. | |
The 48-hour stoppage at the refinery had disrupted fuel supplies and brought almost half of the UK's North Sea oil production to a halt. | |
Mr Salmond said there was enough fuel for everyone who needed it in Scotland. | |
Lost production | Lost production |
Business Secretary John Hutton will visit the oil refinery on Tuesday morning, as the two-day stoppage comes to an end. | Business Secretary John Hutton will visit the oil refinery on Tuesday morning, as the two-day stoppage comes to an end. |
His Scottish counterpart, Finance and Business Minister John Swinney, will also visit Grangemouth. | His Scottish counterpart, Finance and Business Minister John Swinney, will also visit Grangemouth. |
Some 1,200 Unite union members walked out of the central Scotland Ineos plant on Sunday in a dispute over pensions. | Some 1,200 Unite union members walked out of the central Scotland Ineos plant on Sunday in a dispute over pensions. |
Ineos founder Jim Ratcliffe was booed by picketers during a visit to the site on Monday. | Ineos founder Jim Ratcliffe was booed by picketers during a visit to the site on Monday. |
The tycoon was heckled by workers taking part in the 48-hour walkout which ends at 0600 BST on Tuesday. | The tycoon was heckled by workers taking part in the 48-hour walkout which ends at 0600 BST on Tuesday. |
Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe was booed as he left the Grangemouth site The man behind oil plant Ineos | Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe was booed as he left the Grangemouth site The man behind oil plant Ineos |
The Forties oil pipeline, which delivers 30% of the UK's oil output from the North Sea, was closed as a direct result of the dispute. | The Forties oil pipeline, which delivers 30% of the UK's oil output from the North Sea, was closed as a direct result of the dispute. |
The disruption has helped push oil prices to a fresh high of just below $120 a barrel. | The disruption has helped push oil prices to a fresh high of just below $120 a barrel. |
Fuel has begun arriving at ports across Scotland to ease pressure on the forecourts where increased buying has led to shortages for some retailers. | Fuel has begun arriving at ports across Scotland to ease pressure on the forecourts where increased buying has led to shortages for some retailers. |
About 65,000 tonnes of fuel is being shipped in to replace some of the lost production from the Ineos oil refinery, Scotland's main fuel supplier. | About 65,000 tonnes of fuel is being shipped in to replace some of the lost production from the Ineos oil refinery, Scotland's main fuel supplier. |
Although workers are set to return to work on Tuesday morning, it could take some time before normal operations are resumed. | Although workers are set to return to work on Tuesday morning, it could take some time before normal operations are resumed. |
The Unite union has not called any fresh strikes but urged Ineos to halt proposed pension changes if talks were to restart. | The Unite union has not called any fresh strikes but urged Ineos to halt proposed pension changes if talks were to restart. |
The two sides held negotiations last week at the conciliation service Acas but they collapsed without agreement. | The two sides held negotiations last week at the conciliation service Acas but they collapsed without agreement. |