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'Talks planned' over refinery row 'Talks planned' over refinery row
(31 minutes later)
Union officials have told the BBC they are due to meet contractors later to hold talks over the sacking of 647 workers at the Lindsey oil refinery.Union officials have told the BBC they are due to meet contractors later to hold talks over the sacking of 647 workers at the Lindsey oil refinery.
Les Bayliss, from Unite, said a meeting was planned but problems would continue unless the workers were reinstated.Les Bayliss, from Unite, said a meeting was planned but problems would continue unless the workers were reinstated.
The owners of the North Lincolnshire site, Total, said earlier they were encouraging talks between the parties. Owners of the North Lincolnshire site, Total, has confirmed it will attend the meeting, but merely to observe.
Some 3,000 workers at construction sites round the UK have walked out in support of the Lindsey strikers.Some 3,000 workers at construction sites round the UK have walked out in support of the Lindsey strikers.
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.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.
TUESDAY'S PROTESTS 1. Longannet power station Fife, Scotland 2. Cockenzie power station East Lothian3. Sellafield Cumbria4. Ensus refinery Teesside 5. Eggborough Near Goole, East Yorkshire6. Drax power station North Yorkshire7. Stanlow oil refinery Ellesmere Port, Cheshire8. South Hook LNG terminal Milford Haven9. Aberthaw West of Cardiff10. Didcot A power station Oxfordshire 11. Coryton refinery EssexTUESDAY'S PROTESTS 1. Longannet power station Fife, Scotland 2. Cockenzie power station East Lothian3. Sellafield Cumbria4. Ensus refinery Teesside 5. Eggborough Near Goole, East Yorkshire6. Drax power station North Yorkshire7. Stanlow oil refinery Ellesmere Port, Cheshire8. South Hook LNG terminal Milford Haven9. Aberthaw West of Cardiff10. Didcot A power station Oxfordshire 11. Coryton refinery Essex
Just over a week later, Total sacked 647 construction workers for taking part in unofficial strikes. Just over a week later, Total announced that 647 construction workers had been sacked for taking part in unofficial strikes.
On Tuesday morning, French company Total released a statement saying it was "actively encouraging" talks to "facilitate the return to work of its contracting companies' former workforces". Since then, walkouts have taken place at Lindsey and at other sites around the UK in sympathy with the sacked workers.
Previously it had said that talks could only take place if the striking workers, employed by a sub-contractor company called Jacobs, returned to their jobs. The first meeting of unions and management since the sackings is due to take place in London at 1600 BST on Tuesday.
Unite says a meeting is due to take place in London at 1600 BST on Tuesday. It is expected to be attended by a sub-contractor company called Jacobs, Total and union officials from Unite and the GMB.
It will bring together representatives from Jacobs and another sub-contractor Shaw, but Total will not be involved. Another sub-contractor Shaw may also attend.
The attendance of Total, confirmed only hours before the start of the meeting, marks a turnaround.
Previously it had said that talks could only take place if the striking workers returned to their jobs.
A Total spokesman said: "Total will not be actively involved in the meeting but will be present in an observatory manner."
Les Bayliss, assistant general secretary of Unite, said: "We're confident that we can find a mechanism to get a return to work, but... I've made it clear from Unite's position that top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked.Les Bayliss, assistant general secretary of Unite, said: "We're confident that we can find a mechanism to get a return to work, but... I've made it clear from Unite's position that top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked.
"So unless that issue is dealt with then we're going to have a continued problem.""So unless that issue is dealt with then we're going to have a continued problem."
Protests have taken place at the plant since the sackings and on Tuesday morning about 1,000 men waved placards at the gates in a demonstration organised by the GMB union.Protests have taken place at the plant since the sackings and on Tuesday morning about 1,000 men waved placards at the gates in a demonstration organised by the GMB union.
Total 'in control'Total 'in control'
The BBC's Paul Murphy, who is at the refinery, said Total had insisted that calling for talks was all it could do because Jacobs was a sub-contractor and therefore Total had no legal responsibility for the employment of the men. General secretary of the GMB union, Paul Kenny, said Total had far more control over the situation than it was admitting.
But general secretary of the GMB union, Paul Kenny, said Total had far more control over the situation than it was admitting. "The reality is, Total call the shots," he told the BBC. "If they tell the contractors, 'settle this dispute,' it'll be settled.
"The reality is, Total call the shots," he told the BBC. "If they tell the contractors, 'Settle this dispute,' it'll be settled.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programmeFROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme
"The reason that those dismissal notices were issued was because Total wanted them to be.""The reason that those dismissal notices were issued was because Total wanted them to be."
A spokesman for Total refused to comment on what its exact role would be in the imminent talks.
He did say however that the company wanted the situation resolved as soon as possible.
"We are extremely disappointed by the execution performance on this project. It has faced significant delays and it's costing an extra £100m," he said.
The GMB also reiterated its plan to hold a national ballot for industrial action among tens of thousands of its members employed in the mechanical engineering sector.The GMB also reiterated its plan to hold a national ballot for industrial action among tens of thousands of its members employed in the mechanical engineering sector.
Total said discussions "should focus on getting the project back up and running within the agreed timeframe and budget".Total said discussions "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."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.The sacked workers had been employed on a project known as HDS-3 to build a new site alongside the existing Lindsey plant.
Paul Kenny: "There's a lot of exploitation in the industry"Paul Kenny: "There's a lot of exploitation in the industry"
Bob Emmerson, from the company, told the BBC the row could jeopardise the long-term future of the plant.Bob Emmerson, from the company, told the BBC the row could jeopardise the long-term future of the plant.
"It's about safeguarding the future of the refinery and the jobs that go with it over the next few years," he said."It's about safeguarding the future of the refinery and the jobs that go with it over the next few years," he said.
"Without talks with our workers this project cannot continue and it does put its future on thin ice.""Without talks with our workers this project cannot continue and it does put its future on thin ice."
The company said it expected to hear by the end of the week how many contract workers had chosen to return.The company said it expected to hear by the end of the week how many contract workers had chosen to return.
Foreign workers
A number of other sites were affected by sympathy strikes on Tuesday. Among those walking out were:
  • Up to 150 contract workers at Longannet Power Station in Fife
  • Up to 300 contractors at Aberthaw power station in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales
  • 200 workers at Drax and Eggborough power stations near Selby, North Yorkshire
  • At least 200 contract workers at the Coryton oil refinery in south Essex
  • About 500 contractors at Stanlow Oil Refinery in Cheshire
  • About 60 contract maintenance workers at Didcot A, a power station in Oxfordshire
  • "A small number" of contractors at Cockenzie power station in East Lothian
Refinery owner Ensus also said some of its 1,100 workers on Teesside had walked out, but the exact number was unclear.
There are also reports of continued striking at Sellafield in Cumbria, where 900 walked out on Monday.
The Lindsey workers are accusing bosses of breaking an agreement not to cut jobs while there are vacancies elsewhere on the site. Total insists no such agreement was in place.The Lindsey workers are accusing bosses of breaking an agreement not to cut jobs while there are vacancies elsewhere on the site. Total insists no such agreement was in place.
Workers say the assurances were given in February following a bitter dispute in which they said foreign labour was being used to exclude British contractors and to undermine hard-won conditions.Workers say the assurances were given in February following a bitter dispute in which they said foreign labour was being used to exclude British contractors and to undermine hard-won conditions.
The foreign workers row led to a wave of unofficial strikes and protests at refineries and power stations across the UK.The foreign workers row led to a wave of unofficial strikes and protests at refineries and power stations across the UK.