Grangemouth oil refinery 'will be unaffected by strike'

Ineos says strike action by tanker drivers will not affect operations at Grangemouth

The company which runs the Grangemouth oil refinery has said its operations will not be affected by a planned three-day strike by tanker drivers working at the site.

Ineos Group AG said the facility would operate as normal even if BP's tanker drivers took industrial action.

More than 40 staff voted for strike action in a dispute over pensions and pay.

The drivers will walk out at 04:00 on Friday and return on Monday morning.

Unite said the industrial action would hit aviation supplies and deliveries to BP forecourts across Scotland and the north east of England.

Pay cuts

The 42 BP drivers said they were protesting over cuts to pensions and pay following the transfer of a key fuel transport contract from BP to a new employer, DHL.

Unite said the drivers were set to lose £1,400 a year in pay and as much as £100,000 from the value of their pensions.

BP said it was working to minimise any potential disruption and that its priority remained the safe delivery of fuel products to all customers.

A spokesman for Ineos said: "We are aware that the Unite union has completed a ballot of tanker drivers based in Grangemouth employed by one company, with the outcome being a mandate for industrial action.

"This is a dispute between a fuel distribution employer and their employees. The Grangemouth site does not employ any drivers directly or indirectly to deliver fuel.

"Our refining operations continue as normal."