Q&A: Total oil refinery dispute

The sacking of nearly 650 contract workers at the Total Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire has prompted sympathy action from hundreds of workers across England and Wales.

Total's contractors dismissed the Lincolnshire workers after they walked out unofficially in a dispute over job losses.

The refinery also suffered strikes earlier this year over the hiring of non-UK workers. Employment Correspondent Martin Shankleman looks at the background to the current action.

What's the dispute about?

The workers have been sacked for going on unofficial strike after 51 of their colleagues lost their jobs last week.

They felt this broke an agreement with management that the workers would not be made redundant, while other recruitment was taking place elsewhere on the site.

Is this dispute linked to the previous stoppage at Lindsey in January?

Yes, it has its roots in that strike, which was over the employment of foreign labour.

The strikers felt that dispute was resolved with an agreement which meant workers would not subsequently lose their jobs. And it is this deal which they feel has been breached.

They also feel management are using the redundancy process to victimise activists involved in the previous strike.

What does Total say?

It says the latest strike action was unofficial and illegal, and has been repudiated by the unions. It has refused to hold any discussions until the strikers returned to work.

The sacked workers are being given the chance to re-apply for their old jobs, but that does not constitute any guarantee.

Can you sack striking workers?

It is an extremely provocative step which in the past management have shied away from. But, as an unofficial walk out normally constitutes a breach of contract, management may feel they are acting within their rights.

What do the unions say?

Wildcat strikes place unions in a difficult position, as they cannot be seen to condone the action. There is a legal process involved in calling a strike which entails organising a formal ballot of members and serving notice to the employer. Failure to adhere to the law could make a union liable for damages.

So union leaders have to tread a fine line between sympathising with their members and their grievance and distancing the union from the strike action.

What happens next?

Observers will closely follow the level of sympathy action by fellow construction workers elsewhere in the UK.

No doubt unofficial steps are being taken to galvanise support at other sites, and if the disruption is severe that will place extra pressure on the management of Total to reach agreement.

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