Government must be ‘forced to act’ to save Grangemouth refinery, union says

Union leaders person insisted the Labour Government “must beryllium forced to act” to prevention Scotland’s lone lipid refinery.

Sharon Graham, the wide caput of the Unite national branded the planned closure of the refinery astatine Grangemouth a “horrific enactment of concern vandalism” arsenic she insisted that “the Government indispensable marque the indispensable investments to safeguard” its future.

Her comments came arsenic Unite Scottish caput Derek Thomson attacked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, saying they had “contributed ‘net zero’ successful enactment of the Grangemouth workers”.

Earlier this month, bosses astatine Petroineos confirmed the refinery volition adjacent successful the 2nd 4th of 2025, with the nonaccomplishment of 400 jobs.

How tin Scotland’s lone lipid refinery beryllium allowed to close? This is an horrific enactment of concern vandalism, and erstwhile again the politicians person fto america down

Unite wide caput Sharon Graham

Ahead of the alteration – which volition spot Grangemouth run arsenic an import-only terminal – the Scottish and UK governments promised a associated £100 cardinal enactment package.

But Ms Graham, addressing much than 150 Unite delegates astatine the union’s Scottish argumentation league successful Dundee, deed retired astatine the UK Government, attacking some the Prime Minister and Ed Miliband, his Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

She insisted: “It’s clip to enactment Ed Miliband and Keir connected notice: Grangemouth indispensable beryllium saved.

“The Government indispensable marque the indispensable investments to safeguard its future. Labour indispensable beryllium forced to act.”

The Unite wide caput added: “Grangemouth is making nett zero look acold from a conscionable transition, much a jobless transition.”

Ms Graham continued: “How tin Scotland’s lone lipid refinery beryllium allowed to close? This is simply a horrific enactment of concern vandalism, and erstwhile again the politicians person fto america down.”

She deed retired astatine the “missing politicians”, including Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar and Scottish First Minister John Swinney successful her attack.

Mr Thomson said some the Scottish and UK Governments had “failed miserably to transportation Petroineos to widen the lifespan of the refinery”,

Referring to the Prime Minister and the Scottish First Minister, helium added: “In the archetypal existent trial they person contributed ‘net zero’ successful enactment of the Grangemouth workers.”

Mr Thomson branded Petroineos’s determination to adjacent the refinery arsenic “premature and needless”, adding: “Make nary mistake astir this –  the refinery’s closure is an economical earthquake which volition beryllium felt for generations to come.”

He besides claimed politicians were making a “choice to basal by and bash nothing”.

The union’s Scottish caput said: “We request to inquire the politicians, including John Swinney, Ed Miliband and Anas Sarwar, ‘why wouldn’t they instrumentality a modulation involvement to support the jobs and wider proviso concatenation astatine Grangemouth?'”

He besides warned the enactment that “if Scottish Labour won’t assistance a digit to enactment our members astatine Grangemouth” and different communities facing concern closures, past “Unite won’t beryllium lifting a digit to enactment Scottish Labour astatine the adjacent elections”.

“Those Labour candidates who basal up for workers and backmost policies which support jobs volition get our backing successful Scotland, of that those candidates tin beryllium assured,” helium added.

“But we can’t proceed to stay soundless portion a Scottish Labour enactment is successful hiding implicit its breached promises implicit Grangemouth.”

Turning connected the Scottish Government, helium accused SNP ministers of “sleepwalking done the halls of Holyrood portion our members are being thrown connected an concern scrapheap”.

Mr Thomson insisted Unite would beryllium “taking the fight” to SNP ministers implicit nationalist services, telling them: “The hand-wringing wrong Holyrood volition not chopped it anymore, moving into the Scottish Parliamentary elections successful 2026.

“We volition beryllium taking the combat to them connected the cuts crossed our nationalist services. They person taken the gloves disconnected successful presumption of cutting services but it volition beryllium Unite who punches backmost to unafraid due nationalist services and to guarantee unit are rewarded.”

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “Labour volition ever basal up for moving people.

“The UK Labour Government and the Scottish Government person acted decisively to enactment the workforce astatine Grangemouth and person announced a £100m enactment bundle for Grangemouth.

“These plans see concern successful caller vigor projects, a caller exertion centre to enactment the usage of debased c technologies, vocation and skills enactment for the existing workforce and an employment hub to enactment emerging vigor sectors.

“The UK Government volition besides research imaginable opportunities for Labour’s nationalist wealthiness money successful cleanable technologies similar hydrogen and cleanable aviation fuel.

“In the abbreviated play of clip since the UK Labour Government was elected, it has acted with urgency to assistance unafraid a strong, concern aboriginal for Grangemouth.

“Work is besides nether mode to found GB Energy present successful Scotland, which volition assistance to support Scotland’s concern base, unafraid the well-paid jobs of the future, and present a conscionable modulation to nett zero.

“Labour volition proceed to enactment with workers and commercialized unions to present the jobs our state needs.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “The Energy Secretary has been wide that Petroineos’s caller confirmation of the closure of Grangemouth lipid refinery is profoundly disappointing and we basal with the Grangemouth workforce successful these hard times.

“Our associated concern plan, including a £100 cardinal package, volition assistance the workforce find bully alternate jobs and enactment the section assemblage – arsenic good arsenic helping to unafraid a viable concern aboriginal for the Grangemouth site.

“The Government has a non-negotiable committedness to securing a arrogant aboriginal for the North Sea, and we are engaging with industry, workers, commercialized unions and civilian nine to supply certainty done a phased and liable transition.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers person made wide their disappointment that Petroineos has made the commercialized determination to cease refining astatine the site. Despite sustained and concerted efforts by some governments, Petronineos person opted not to proceed operations astatine the tract for longer to let a longer modulation timeline for the workers.

“Our absorption present is connected delivering contiguous enactment for affected workers to unafraid caller jobs and springiness entree immoderate indispensable grooming and to unafraid a sustainable, conscionable modulation for the wider Grangemouth concern cluster.

“With the UK Government, we are exploring viable options for the aboriginal of the tract via the Project Willow cross-site survey and look guardant to exploring routes to supporting the aboriginal phases of debased c projects astatine Grangemouth via the nationalist wealthiness fund.”