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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Refinery owner 'encourages talks' | Refinery owner 'encourages talks' |
| (11 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. | 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. |
| In a statement on Tuesday, Total said it wanted the parties to "facilitate the return to work of its contracting companies' former workforces". | In a statement on Tuesday, Total said it wanted the parties to "facilitate the return to work of its contracting companies' former workforces". |
| The workers were dismissed from the North Lincolnshire refinery last week after staging unofficial strikes. | The workers were dismissed from the North Lincolnshire refinery last week after staging unofficial strikes. |
| Since then some 3,000 staff at other sites have walked out in support. | Since then some 3,000 staff at other sites have walked out in support. |
| The wildcat strikes are being held at eight sites including Sellafield in Cumbria and the Ensus biofuel site in Teesside. | |
| 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. | |
| Six months late | |
| Total said on Tuesday that discussions between unions and the contracting companies "should 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. | |
| 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". | |
| The company said it expected to hear by the end of the week how many contract workers had chosen to return. |