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| Alex Salmond warns of 'risk' as Grangemouth dispute continues | Alex Salmond warns of 'risk' as Grangemouth dispute continues |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland's First Minister has warned of a risk to the future of Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical plant if the current stand-off between management and unions continues. | Scotland's First Minister has warned of a risk to the future of Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical plant if the current stand-off between management and unions continues. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Alex Salmond said the longer site remained "idle and cold" the more difficult things would become. | Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Alex Salmond said the longer site remained "idle and cold" the more difficult things would become. |
| The facility remains shut down despite Unite calling off a planned strike. | The facility remains shut down despite Unite calling off a planned strike. |
| Mr Salmond met operators Ineos and union representatives on Thursday. | Mr Salmond met operators Ineos and union representatives on Thursday. |
| Unite said it would not strike before January if Ineos agreed to withdraw proposed contract changes. | Unite said it would not strike before January if Ineos agreed to withdraw proposed contract changes. |
| Ineos said it would restart Grangemouth if it received a guarantee that there would be no further industrial action of any kind during the 60-day consultation period on the company's survival plan for the site. | Ineos said it would restart Grangemouth if it received a guarantee that there would be no further industrial action of any kind during the 60-day consultation period on the company's survival plan for the site. |
| The first minister had urged both sides to agree to a "truce deal". | The first minister had urged both sides to agree to a "truce deal". |
| Following his discussions, Mr Salmond called for Unite to confirm in writing that it would not strike this year, and at the same time, for owners Ineos to restart operations and return the site to normal production. | Following his discussions, Mr Salmond called for Unite to confirm in writing that it would not strike this year, and at the same time, for owners Ineos to restart operations and return the site to normal production. |
| Mr Salmond told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "If the plant stays down and we stay in the war of words and the exchange of press releases and exchange of interviews and exchange of tweets then there is the risk things will deteriorate further and the fundamental risk is to the future of the Grangemouth plant." | Mr Salmond told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "If the plant stays down and we stay in the war of words and the exchange of press releases and exchange of interviews and exchange of tweets then there is the risk things will deteriorate further and the fundamental risk is to the future of the Grangemouth plant." |
| Ineos said shutting down the Grangemouth complex had cost the company £20m so far. | Ineos said shutting down the Grangemouth complex had cost the company £20m so far. |
| The firm had put proposals over pay and pensions to workers at the complex, which has 1,400 employees and many more contractors. | The firm had put proposals over pay and pensions to workers at the complex, which has 1,400 employees and many more contractors. |
| A letter outlining the proposed changes - which includes freezing the basic salary and offering no bonuses until at least the end of 2016 - was being couriered to employees on Friday. | A letter outlining the proposed changes - which includes freezing the basic salary and offering no bonuses until at least the end of 2016 - was being couriered to employees on Friday. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Pat Rafferty, Unite's Scottish secretary, said the union had already agreed not to take industrial action up until the end of December and had put that in an offer to Ineos when the two sides met at the arbitration service, Acas, earlier this week. | Pat Rafferty, Unite's Scottish secretary, said the union had already agreed not to take industrial action up until the end of December and had put that in an offer to Ineos when the two sides met at the arbitration service, Acas, earlier this week. |
| He added: "The only thing we are asking for now in return, is for the company to drop this imposition and stop this blackmailing of the workforce to accept these things by Monday and sit down with us and negotiate this settlement going forward. | He added: "The only thing we are asking for now in return, is for the company to drop this imposition and stop this blackmailing of the workforce to accept these things by Monday and sit down with us and negotiate this settlement going forward. |
| "We will give you that guarantee, as we did at Acas." | "We will give you that guarantee, as we did at Acas." |
| Calum MacLean, Ineos Grangemouth (UK) chairman, said that for safety reasons the company could not restart the site until the risk of further industrial action was removed. | Calum MacLean, Ineos Grangemouth (UK) chairman, said that for safety reasons the company could not restart the site until the risk of further industrial action was removed. |
| He added: "We can confirm that we would restart if there was a clear guarantee that there would be no further action during the next 60 days. | He added: "We can confirm that we would restart if there was a clear guarantee that there would be no further action during the next 60 days. |
| "This would allow us to complete a full consultation process with our employees on the changes that the site so urgently needs." | "This would allow us to complete a full consultation process with our employees on the changes that the site so urgently needs." |
| 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. |