Contractors at ExxonMobil oil refinery at Fawley set for 12 days of strike action
A UNION leader has warned petrol supplies could be affected when contractors working at Fawley oil refinery go on strike for 12 days in a dispute over cost-of-living payments.
The action involves more than 130 Unite members, as well as staff from the GMB union, employed on construction engineering maintenance contracts for Altrad, Bilfinger, and Enerveo.
The workers wanted a maximum increase of £2.37 an hour to offset inflation – which has not been met.
Strike action will take place at the refinery, run by ExxonMobil, from 21st-26th November with a further strike from 28th November to 3rd December.
More than 2,5000 staff and contractors work there.
GMB regional organiser Bryan Hulley said the strikes were "a last resort" and added: "Our members work hard in arduous and hazardous conditions, outside in all weathers, to repair and maintain process units.
"Without their efforts, breakdowns cannot be repaired and maintenance work to prevent breakdowns will not be carried out so there is a real possibility that supplies of petroleum products could be affected."
He added: "During the pandemic our members were asked to work a shift system and waived a shift allowance due to the difficult financial situation.
"Given the current cost-of-living crisis it is only fair that the employers put their hands in their pockets and reinstate this allowance to which our members should be entitled."
Fawley oil refinery is the biggest in the UK and works through 270,000 barrels of oil a day. It claims one in five cars on the country's road run on fuel produced there.
An ExxonMobil spokesperson told the A&T it was "disappointed" at the outcome of the ballot and encouraged union representatives to continue to work with employers to reach a resolution.
The spokesperson added: "We have a large and flexible workforce at Fawley and have resource plans to cover a range of scenarios. We do not anticipate any customer impact should action occur."
But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham took aim at the company's profits, saying: "Energy companies are making record profits of hundreds of billions yet there is apparently no money available for our hard-pressed construction workers who are essential to ensure Fawley remains operational.
"Unite’s members are not going to meekly stand by and continue to struggle to make ends meet when major corporations are indulging in rampant profiteering. Our workers will be receiving Unite’s unflinching support."
Unite regional officer Malcolm Bonnett added: "The strike action will inevitably cause serious disruption and delays across operations at Fawley but this dispute is entirely of the employers’ own making. They have had every chance to resolve this dispute through negotiation but have chosen not to do so."
