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Grangemouth petrochemical plant in Grangemouth, December 2021
WORKERS from across Scotland will descend on Grangemouth this Saturday amid “growing belief” that jobs and the oil refinery itself can be saved.
The site and its 2,000-strong workforce, thought to account for 4 per cent of Scotland’s GDP and 8 per cent of its manufacturing base, was plunged into uncertainty in November when anti-trade union oligarch Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Petroineos firm announced its plan to close its refinery in 2025 after a century of operations.
Unions have since fought to secure a future for the site, calling for a reprieve while plans for a green just transition for its highly skilled workforce can be developed and put into action, but have been highly critical of the SNP administration and the outgoing Tory government for their inaction — both before and after November’s closure announcement.
SHARON GRAHAM reflects on the lessons of Murdoch’s confrontation with print workers – and argues that, in an age of AI, automation and net zero, only early organisation, collective power and planning can stop history repeating itself
