Talks aimed at resolving the pensions row, which closed the huge Ineos oil refinery for two days, have begun at a secret location in London.
A meeting aimed at resolving the pensions row which closed the Grangemouth oil refinery for two days has reached a possible resolution.
Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, joint leaders of the Unite union, are meeting Ineos founder Jim Ratcliffe to discuss the dispute.
The huge Ineos refinery was shut down on Sunday and Monday causing disruption to fuel at the pumps and the closure of a North Sea oil pipeline.
Earlier the union said it was hopeful the talks could lead to a breakthrough.
Unite union leaders Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson met Ineos founder Jim Ratcliffe to discuss the dispute.
The meeting comes as 1,200 workers returned to work at the Grangemouth refinery following a 48-hour walkout.
A statement from Ineos said a proposal would be considered in the coming days.
The strike also resulted in the closure of the BP-run Forties Pipeline System, which supplies much of the UK's oil output from the North Sea.
The independent arbitration service, Acas, has said it is standing by should the unions and Ineos require its services.
We are anticipating some inconvenience for members of the public over the next couple of days until fuel starts coming out of Grangemouth again as normal Nicola SturgeonHealth Secretary Fuel issues continue for farmers
A spokeswoman for the organisation said it had been in "constant contact" with both parties and was willing to host further talks should the need arise.
Last week, prior to the stoppage, talks at Acas broke down after Ineos and Unite failed to reach agreement over the future of the company's pension scheme.
Business Secretary John Hutton and Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney, who visited the Grangemouth plant on Tuesday, have welcomed the new talks.
Mr Hutton said: "I hope there is now a mood to try and reach an agreement."
Mr Swinney added: "What the two governments will be encouraging is a process of dispute resolution between the two parties, that they focus on those essential differences and work to resolve them and to avoid any possibility of further strike action."
'Essential Services'
Mr Hutton also met First Minister Alex Salmond and visited the Scottish Government's emergency room (SEER), where contingency plans to manage the response to the dispute have been coordinated.
It is expected to be at least two weeks before fuel production is back up to 100% capacity at the Ineos plant.
Emergency fuel supplies have been arriving in Scotland since Sunday to ease the pressure on forecourts, with more expected on Tuesday.
A fleet of between 500 and 600 tankers is also expected to move out of Grangemouth to replenish supplies at filling stations.
The shortages occurred after several days of motorists rushing to fill up their tanks.
During a visit to an ambulance station in Edinburgh, Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, said the public should be reassured that the emergency services would not go without fuel.John Hutton and John Swinney visited the Ineos plant to meet staff
She said: "We are anticipating some inconvenience for members of the public over the next couple of days until fuel starts coming out of Grangemouth again as normal.
"Until then, we will make sure that essential services - including ambulances - continue to get the fuel they need."
Meanwhile, Shell has announced profits of $7.8bn (£3.9bn) in the first three months of the year, up from $6.9bn a year ago.
Rival BP has also seen its profits jump 48% to $6.588bn (£3.31bn), from $4.4bn.
The news has been met with anger from the Unite trade union.
Graham Tran, regional officer, said: "These profits are a slap in the face for 180 staff at Shell who were told less than seven days ago that they face redundancy.
"Furthermore, both Shell and BP have announced pension holidays for 2008 at a time when our members in Grangemouth are fighting to protect their pension fund."
