Workers at Grangemouth oil refinery block access road in dispute over pay

Last year, workers at the refinery agreed to a pay rise of 5% over two years. 

However, with inflation expected to rise as high as 11%, workers are now calling for pay negotiations to reopen as they look for a higher offer. 

The strike means that maintenance at the refinery could be paused, with the production of oil and gas across the country being impacted. 

The scene in Grangemouth this morning as hundreds of workers from the refinery have walked out amid a pay dispute @STVNews pic.twitter.com/Tgye1D1TX4

— Courtney Cameron (@STVCourtney) August 10, 2022

Speaking to STV News, one worker said: “This isn’t the path we wanted to go down but we feel like we have no choice now.”

Grangemouth is just one of six refineries across the United Kingdom and supplies two-thirds of the petrol and diesel for forecourts in Scotland. 

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It is understood that the workers are intending on taking strike action every second Wednesday until there are further talks on a new pay deal. 

The Falkirk-based refinery is owned by Petroineos – formed in 2011 between state-owned Chinese oil gian PetroChina and Ineos, part of billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s petrochemical empire.