Foreign workers row 'deal in sight'

Feb 4 2009

Marathon talks aimed at resolving the bitter row over foreign workers have ended with the outline of a possible deal aimed at breaking the deadlock.

The conciliation service Acas chaired a meeting between union officials, representatives of Total, which owns he North Lincolnshire oil refinery at the centre of the dispute, and the Italian sub-contractor which has hired its own workforce.

Unions claimed that British workers had been excluded from the contract with Irem, which has brought about 200 Italian and Portuguese workers to the UK.

Acas said in a brief statement: "Conclusions are to be discussed with a large group of local trade union officials first thing on Wednesday morning. This will be followed by a mass meeting of the workforce."

Union sources said the suggested deal involved offering half the jobs at the disputed contract to UK workers.

National union leaders were waiting to see details of the formula.

The development came after another day of wildcat strikes at power stations and other sites across the country in the increasingly bitter dispute.

Hundreds of strikers held another protest at the Lindsey Oil Refinery in North Lincolnshire.

Unofficial strike action at the plant sparked solidarity protests, with about 500 workers at Shell's Stanlow Oil Refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and 250 at Hartlepool engineering company Heerema joining the national walkout for the first time on Tuesday.

Labour MP John Mann (Bassetlaw) tabled a Commons early day motion "deploring" the use of foreign workers at the Lindsey refinery, and congratulating unions for "exposing this exploitation and the absence of equal opportunities to apply for all jobs".