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Alex Salmond to hold Grangemouth talks with Ineos and Unite Alex Salmond to hold Grangemouth talks with Ineos and Unite
(35 minutes later)
Scotland's first minister is to hold talks with both sides involved in the dispute at the Grangemouth oil refinery and petrochemical plant.Scotland's first minister is to hold talks with both sides involved in the dispute at the Grangemouth oil refinery and petrochemical plant.
It is understood Alex Salmond earlier spoke to officials from the plant's operators Ineos.It is understood Alex Salmond earlier spoke to officials from the plant's operators Ineos.
Mr Salmond confirmed in his opening address at the SNP conference in Perth he will hold further talks with both Ineos and the Unite union.Mr Salmond confirmed in his opening address at the SNP conference in Perth he will hold further talks with both Ineos and the Unite union.
The facility remains shut down despite Unite calling off a planned strike.The facility remains shut down despite Unite calling off a planned strike.
The first minister told delegates at the SNP conference that officials from both Ineos and Unite had been quoted in the media as saying they believed Grangemouth had a "great future".The first minister told delegates at the SNP conference that officials from both Ineos and Unite had been quoted in the media as saying they believed Grangemouth had a "great future".
Pay and pensions
He added: "What I will attempt to do is to take and build on that belief, and say to both Unite and Ineos that only by negotiation, cooperation and agreement can we get an effective resolution.He added: "What I will attempt to do is to take and build on that belief, and say to both Unite and Ineos that only by negotiation, cooperation and agreement can we get an effective resolution.
"We believe, and Scotland believes and expects, that Grangemouth as an industrial facility has a great future.""We believe, and Scotland believes and expects, that Grangemouth as an industrial facility has a great future."
Ineos is putting proposals over pay and pensions to workers at the Grangemouth complex, which has 1,400 employees and many more contractors. Mr Salmond left the first day of the conference in Perth for the discussions in Edinburgh.
"Governments can't make agreements" in such disputes but can "encourage the circumstances in which agreements can be found", he told party delegates.
Ineos has put proposals over pay and pensions to workers at the Grangemouth complex, which has 1,400 employees and many more contractors.
A letter outlining the proposed changes will be couriered to employees on Friday.
It is believed the plans involve replacing the final salary pension scheme with a "money purchase pension", a pay freeze and changes to bonus payments.
It has asked for an answer to the proposals by Monday, and has said shareholders will discuss the complex's future on Tuesday.It has asked for an answer to the proposals by Monday, and has said shareholders will discuss the complex's future on Tuesday.
The company has said Grangemouth is "financially distressed" and must reduce costs.The company has said Grangemouth is "financially distressed" and must reduce costs.
It has also asked for guarantees that no further strike action will be held by workers.It has also asked for guarantees that no further strike action will be held by workers.
But Unite has hit back with an analysis of accounts suggesting Ineos is in better health than it is saying. Unite claimed the company had told staff they could lose their jobs and be reemployed on poorer terms unless they agreed to give up their final salary pension, and accept pay freezes and pay cuts, by 18:00 on Monday.
The union claims to have "blown a hole" in the claims of losses, and that the Swiss-based company has been "pulling the wool" over the country's eyes. Pat Rafferty, Unite's Scottish secretary, said: "This is cynical blackmail from a company that is putting a gun to the heads of its loyal workforce to slash pay, pensions and jobs.
"We are considering taking legal action over the company's menacing tactics and urge members not to be threatened into signing their livelihoods away.
"It is increasingly clear that the company is deliberately generating a dispute and hiding behind fancy accounting to attack its own workforce."
'Complex system'
On Wednesday, Ineos said Grangemouth "is shut and remains shut", despite Unite calling off a 48-hour strike that had been due to begin on Sunday.On Wednesday, Ineos said Grangemouth "is shut and remains shut", despite Unite calling off a 48-hour strike that had been due to begin on Sunday.
The dispute that led to a vote for strike action had centred on the company's treatment of union official Stephen Deans.The dispute that led to a vote for strike action had centred on the company's treatment of union official Stephen Deans.
Ineos claims it is unable to immediately restart the complex, which had been shut down ahead of the planned strike.
A spokesman said: "The Grangemouth site is three times the size of the City of London and it is an incredibly complex system of manufacturing plants all connected by miles of pipes carrying highly flammable materials.
"Shutting down the site and restarting again is not like switching the lights off and on. It takes days to shut down properly and it takes weeks to bring it back up again.
"When Unite forced us to shut down in 2008 we had two major incidents and it took eight weeks to get back to normal. In the first incident, we had a large fire on a compressor. If our employees had been close to the area then there would have been serious injuries or even fatalities."