More walk-outs expected following Lindsey sackings

SYMPATHY walk-outs are expected across the region today after oil giant Total admitted it had sacked 900 workers at its Lindsey oil refinery.

Last week 1,200 contracts workers walked out in a dispute of 51 redundancies at the Lincolnshire site, which they claimed broke an agreement not to cut any jobs.

Their action quickly spread to other power stations including Drax and Eggborough, BP’s Saltend refinery near Hull, BOC’s oxygen plant at Scunthorpe and Fiddlers Ferry in Cheshire.

Total has denied that any such agreement was in place and talks between the energy company and unions Unite and the GMB to resolve the situation broke down on Tuesday.

In a statement on the recent sackings Total said it had “repeatedly sought to encourage the workforce to return to work so that proper negotiations can take place”.

It added that its contractors had now started the process of ending the current employment contract for its workforce on the construction project.

The Lindsey workforce downed tools in protest at a sub-contractor axing 51 jobs while another employer on site was hiring.

They believe the sacked workers should have been transferred to the new jobs.

Earlier this year the Lindsey refinery suffered strikes over the employment of non-UK workers.