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| 'Talks planned' over refinery row | 'Talks planned' over refinery row |
| (40 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. |
| Lee Bayliss, from Unite, said a meeting was planned for Tuesday afternoon, but unless the workers were reinstated there would be "a continued problem". | Lee Bayliss, from Unite, said a meeting was planned for Tuesday afternoon, but unless the workers were reinstated there would be "a continued problem". |
| The owners of the North Lincolnshire site, Total, said earlier they were encouraging talks between the parties. | The owners of the North Lincolnshire site, Total, said earlier they were encouraging talks between the parties. |
| The workers were sacked last week after staging unofficial strikes. | The workers were sacked last week after staging unofficial strikes. |
| Since then some 3,000 staff at other sites around the UK have walked out in support. | Since then some 3,000 staff at other sites around the UK have walked out in support. |
| The plants affected include Sellafield in Cumbria, Longannet Power Station in Fife and South Hook in Milford Haven . | The plants affected include Sellafield in Cumbria, Longannet Power Station in Fife and South Hook in Milford Haven . |
| 'Continued problem' | 'Continued problem' |
| 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. |
| Protests have taken place at the plant since the 647 sackings and on Tuesday morning as many as 500 men waving placards picketed the gates in a demonstration organised by the GMB union. | Protests have taken place at the plant since the 647 sackings and on Tuesday morning as many as 500 men waving placards picketed the gates in a demonstration organised by the GMB union. |
| Top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked Lee Bayliss, Unite | Top of that agenda is the reinstatement of the people that have been sacked Lee Bayliss, Unite |
| At the same time, French company Total released a statement saying it was "actively encouraging" talks to "facilitate the return to work of its contracting companies' former workforces". | |
| 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. | 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. |
| Mr Bayliss, who is assistant general secretary of Unite, said a meeting was due to take place in London on Tuesday afternoon after Total. | |
| It will bring together representatives from Jacobs and another sub-contractor Shaw, but Total will not be involved. | |
| "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," he 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," he said. |
| "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." |
| A Unite spokesman said members of the Engineering and Construction Industry Association would also take part in the meeting. | |
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| 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. |
| 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". | 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". |
| 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." |
| UNREST AT LINDSEY REFINERY 28 Jan: Workers walk out over use of foreign labour5 Feb: Strikers vote to return to work after deal is struck19 May: Workers strike over use of non-local labour in Wales21 May: They return to work11 June: Workers walk out over job losses15 June: Talks aimed at resolving the dispute fail16 June: Deadlock over proposed further peace talks19 June: Nearly 650 workers are sacked | |
| Foreign workers | Foreign workers |
| 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. |
| 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-contactor and therefore Total had no legal responsibility for the employment of the men. | 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-contactor and therefore Total had no legal responsibility for the employment of the men. |
| 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. |