A “CRITICAL” meeting on the future of Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, was convened today.
PetroIneos announced in November that it would cease production at the site by spring 2025 at the cost of around 400 jobs.
The Scottish government has come under fire from unions after it emerged that SNP Health Secretary Michael Matheson had been told of the plans by company executives in 2022.
In response, SNP Energy Secretary Neil Gray acceded to Unite demands that future talks on the site’s future would be expanded to include ministers from the UK and Scottish governments, Falkirk Council and trade unions.
He said: “The future of the refinery will play an important part in that and we recognise that we cannot do this alone.”
Unite Scottish secretary Derek Thomson said: “This as a positive development, but we are crystal clear that the forum can’t be a talking shop.
“It urgently needs to bring forward proposals which could extend the lifespan of the oil refinery and see new alternative energy products, including biofuels, being developed at the complex.
“Our priority is to protect the hundreds of jobs at the oil refinery and Unite will continue to lead this fight.”
