This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24603346

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Grangemouth dispute: Ineos claim 'positive' response to survival plan Grangemouth dispute: Deal deadline approaches
(about 13 hours later)
The owners of the Grangemouth complex have claimed the employee response to their survival plan has been "extremely positive" so far. Staff at the Grangemouth complex have until 18:00 to sign up to new terms and conditions put forward by site operator Ineos.
Staff at the oil refinery and petrochemical plant have until 18:00 BST on Monday to sign up to new terms and conditions put forward by Ineos. The firm said that, by Sunday, it had received about 300 positive returns out of a workforce of 1,350.
The firm said it had 250 positive returns out of a workforce of 1,350. But the Unite union said it had been given more than 500 forms rejecting the offer on pay and pensions.
But Unite said it has had more than 500 forms coming back to the union which reject the offer on pay and pensions.
The union has asked its 1,100 members at Grangemouth not to hand the forms to Ineos.The union has asked its 1,100 members at Grangemouth not to hand the forms to Ineos.
It has accused the company of giving workers an ultimatum of accepting worse pay and conditions or losing their job.It has accused the company of giving workers an ultimatum of accepting worse pay and conditions or losing their job.
The Grangemouth site was shut down last week as a result of the industrial dispute, which came close to strike action by the union. The 2.6 square-mile refinery and petrochemical site was shut down ahead of a planned strike by Unite members. It remains closed despite the 48-hour strike, which had been due to begin on Sunday, being called off.
Calum MacLean, chairman of Ineos Grangemouth, said: "Whilst it's early days, the initial response to the survival plan has been pleasing. We weren't expecting many returns before Monday so we are taking this is a positive development." 'Going bust'
The refinery, which has an annual capacity of 10 million tonnes, provides most of the fuel in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland.
The petrochemicals facility at the site manufactures more than two million tonnes of chemical products per year, which are later transformed into essential items such as bottles and pipes, cabling and insulation and food packaging.
Calum MacLean, chairman of Ineos Grangemouth, told BBC radio's Good Morning Scotland programme the company had received "around 300" forms by Sunday.
Mr MacLean said he expected most of the returns to come in on Monday, and he "remained pretty confident" there would be strong support for the company from workers.
He added: "Getting the plant back up and running again is not about necessarily the number of people, albeit that will influence when we can start it.
"What is important here is that we have asked the unions to give us an assurance that there will be no strike action during the consultation period, which is the 45 to 60 days when we are going to sit down and negotiate with the employees and talk about the changes we are trying to impose.
"People need to realise that this site has lost £150m per year for the last four years. It has got a pension fund which is £200m in deficit and it is on the point of going bust.
"If it wasn't because of the support of the shareholders, who are funding those losses, then there is a very, very serious situation here which means the site may not start up again".
Ineos has put forward what it calls a survival plan for Grangemouth and warned that the plant would close in 2017 without fresh investment and changes to workers' terms and conditions.Ineos has put forward what it calls a survival plan for Grangemouth and warned that the plant would close in 2017 without fresh investment and changes to workers' terms and conditions.
These changes were detailed in letters sent to staff at the end of last week. They include freezing the basic salary and offering no bonuses until at least the end of 2016.These changes were detailed in letters sent to staff at the end of last week. They include freezing the basic salary and offering no bonuses until at least the end of 2016.
The shift allowance would also be reduced and pensions transferred from a final salary to a defined benefits scheme. The company has said no job cuts were expected.The shift allowance would also be reduced and pensions transferred from a final salary to a defined benefits scheme. The company has said no job cuts were expected.
It also said employees who support its survival plan at this stage will receive a transitional payment of up to £15,000 and an enhanced employer contribution to their pension.It also said employees who support its survival plan at this stage will receive a transitional payment of up to £15,000 and an enhanced employer contribution to their pension.
Unite said it had strongly advised its members at Grangemouth not to return the forms backing the changes to their contract. It accused Ineos of "bribes and blackmail".Unite said it had strongly advised its members at Grangemouth not to return the forms backing the changes to their contract. It accused Ineos of "bribes and blackmail".
The union's Scottish secretary, Pat Rafferty, said: "We have had a flood of forms coming back to us that are rejecting this offer. Members want their union to be sitting negotiating with its employer. The union's Scottish secretary, Pat Rafferty, told Good Morning Scotland: "We have continuously given assurances of no strikes from now up until December.
"They don't not want terms and conditions imposed on them or to be bullied the way they are getting bullied right now by this employer." "In fact yesterday (Sunday), when we had a rally here, I gave a commitment that we would have no strikes for however long it took to allow negotiations to take place between ourselves and Ineos on the survival plan. We are not imposing any conditions.
On Sunday hundreds of workers staged a rally at the Grangemouth site. "Ineos wants to come to the negotiating table at the same time as threatening our members and threatening people here with the sack in 45 days. You can't negotiate and impose at the same time."
First Minister Alex Salmond also repeated his calls for Ineos to "fire up the plant" and for Unite to commit to a "no strike - without strings - guarantee". Mr Rafferty said he expected the majority of workers have would reject the new pay and conditions.
First Minister Alex Salmond repeated his calls for Ineos to "fire up the plant" and for Unite to commit to a "no strike - without strings - guarantee" at the SNP conference in Perth.
Ineos shareholders are due to discuss the future of the complex on Tuesday.Ineos shareholders are due to discuss the future of the complex on Tuesday.
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, who is scheduled to meet with Ineos later this week, urged the company to "withdraw the ultimatums delivered to the workforce".Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, who is scheduled to meet with Ineos later this week, urged the company to "withdraw the ultimatums delivered to the workforce".
She said: "The company should also undertake to immediately reopen the plant and return to production and both the union and the company should return to meaningful talks, with Acas if necessary, to deliver a solution to this matter which has serious consequences for Scotland and the UK."She said: "The company should also undertake to immediately reopen the plant and return to production and both the union and the company should return to meaningful talks, with Acas if necessary, to deliver a solution to this matter which has serious consequences for Scotland and the UK."
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.