Grangemouth workers fear future ahead of Scottish Parliament rally

Fiona Binnie has worked at the Grangemouth oil refinery for 11 years but now has no idea what to do with her life.

The mother of two believes she needs to retrain to earn a salary similar to what she currently earns.

He is among hundreds of Grangemouth workers fearful for the future after owners Petroineos announced the refinery would close in the second quarter of next year.

Fiona, 44, told STV News: “Initially we found out via email that the factory was closing and it was scary, intimidating. We obviously experience ups and downs of emotions.

“We’re lucky to get a pretty decent redundancy payment, but where will we work next? What jobs are available in the area?

Fiona lives in Grangemouth with her partner and two sons, eight-year-old Gregor and four-year-old Campbell.

Fiona Binnie on the playground with her children, Grangemouth oil refinery in the background. STV News

He added: “My partner also works in the oil and gas industry. It operates offshore, so even though it’s here, it affects the oil and gas industry as a whole.

“It’s a ‘just transition,’ we’re the first ones this has happened to, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a ‘just transition.’ I worry about my entire family and both of our careers.

“Morale (among workers at Grangemouth) is low. We are all afraid, we all have our own unique situations; some people are having children, they are pregnant, it’s a scary time for all of us and with Christmas approaching, this was the last time the announcement was made. year.

“There is no other industry that will replace this; There is a terminal but the number of jobs is very small. We knew that oil and natural gas would run out, but I didn’t think it would happen so quickly and I thought the ‘just transition’ they talked about would happen.

“If I want to have comparable wages and comparable terms and conditions, I will have to retrain for something else.”

Fiona was speaking as hundreds of workers from Grangemouth and other Scottish oil and gas businesses were due to take part in a march and rally at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.

A number of speakers will speak at the rally, including Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

He said: “To throw away highly skilled workers in Grangemouth would be a massive act of industrial vandalism.

“Grangemouth is vital to the success of the Scottish economy and politicians from all parties need to focus on finding a workable solution.

“Politicians from all sides need to come together to deliver a liveable future for Grangemouth; Not in the distant future, but here and now. “The Westminster or Holyrood government’s failure to act will not be forgiven or forgotten.”

Climate campaigners will also attend the rally to show their support for Grangemouth workers affected by the closure.

Rosie Hampton, transition campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “As climate campaigners we are marching in solidarity with Grangemouth oil workers because they need and deserve a credible transition plan.

“For too long politicians have taken away responsibility for industrial planning, causing companies like INEOS to run riot, with devastating effects on communities and the climate. We must see increased public investment in job creation, improving our ports and retraining pathways for workers in places like Grangemouth.

“The understandable fear and anger among the people of Grangemouth and workers could be replicated across the country as we inevitably move away from fossil fuels.

“Closing the oil refinery is a litmus test for politicians’ genuine commitment to ensuring that this move is both consistent with climate science and meets the needs of affected communities.”

“By importing refined oil, INEOS shamelessly transfers carbon emissions to other countries, proving once again that they do not care about devastating climate impacts.”

“Scotland and its workers need a renewable energy industry that is run for the public good and can deliver secure jobs in the long term.”