Thousands of Grangemouth workers facing ‘uncertain future’ after refinery closure announcement

Unite the union has today (Monday 16 September) blasted both the UK and Scottish governments for their ministerial media appearances made over the weekend in relation to PetroIneos’ decision to close the Grangemouth oil refinery during 2025. 

Unite which represents the 500 oil refinery workers and thousands more in the wider supply chain has taken direct aim at Scottish and UK government ministers over ‘downplaying and deflecting’ the scale of the industrial and personal cost.

It is estimated that the economic contribution of the Grangemouth oil refinery stands at £403.6m and with it 2,822 direct, indirect and induced jobs are reliant on its operations. 

Unite has criticised comments by Gillian Martin MSP, energy minister, and UK energy minister Michael Shanks MP, over the weekend who said that they were both “confident” the workforce would find other work - and that they were aware of other companies having “already reached out to the workforce”.  

Unite says both governments despite pre and post general election promises have so far failed to protect the workers by securing an extension in the lifespan of the oil refinery while not accelerating low carbon and renewables alternative projects to prevent any gap in employment. 

The union says the Scottish government and the UK government have known for more than nine months that the refinery could close and they have ‘collectively failed’ to prevent the closure.  

Unite added that Project Willow, which has joint government funding to explore low carbon alternatives could be years away from being developed at the complex and that action was needed to support ‘the workers of today’. 

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: 
“Scotland backed Labour at the ballot box but so far Labour has utterly failed to deliver for the Grangemouth workers when it needed them most. The SNP government has also shown itself to be irrelevant to the needs of working class communities. This is industrial vandalism on a mass scale.” 

Over the last few days, our members have witnessed government ministers condescendingly speaking about ready-made jobs being available. It is fantasy talk from people who have no clue about the realities on the ground. We need urgent action to support the workers of today not just warm words from ministers about the projects of the future.” 

Unite Scottish Secretary, Derek Thomson added: 
“Unite members are furious over the false promises made by both the Scottish and UK governments - and they feel utterly betrayed. Ministers are deliberately downplaying and deflecting from the industrial wreckage which they have allowed to happen. They have collectively failed the workforce.”
  
“Hundreds of millions of pounds are in danger of being sucked out of the economy and hundreds of jobs dependent on the refinery are now at immediate risk”.