Dozens of workers at Scotland's largest oil refinery have walked out in a wildcat strike following a row over pay.
Around 250 maintenance contractors downed tools and joined an unofficial picket line at 7am outside the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical plant.
They stood across the A904, one of the main access roads to the giant industrial site, in order to raise awareness of their dispute with the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA).
The peaceful protest caused some minor tailbacks in the local area, with several tankers temporarily unable to access the site.
Grangemouth is one of six refineries in Britain and supplies two-thirds of the petrol and diesel for forecourts in Scotland.
The strikers are calling on ECIA to resume talks over an improved pay offer.
Contractors are bound by the "blue book agreement" which sets the terms and conditions of employment for the hourly paid engineering construction workforce.
But workers feel the terms previously agreed by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) have not kept pace with soaring inflation.
In a pamphlet handed out to members of the public, the group said: "Today's action is in response to the ECIA's refusal to recognise the impact of the cost of living crisis.
"We received a 2.5 per cent pay rise in January and will receive 2.5 per cent again in January next year.
"Due to extraordinary events beyond our control, inflation is currently running at 11.8 per cent.
"Many employers have acknowledged these events and have negotiated pay rises and one-off payments.
"Unfortunately, workers covered by the NAECI and those whose pay mirrors the NAECI are expected to get on with it.
"Some of us worked throughout the pandemic to keep the country running, some of us were made redundant.
"We accepted changes to the agreement and took a pay freeze to help the employers and to keep the industry moving during lockdown.
"Now we are asking the ECIA to come back to the negotiating table because of these once in a lifetime events.
"So far, they have point blank refused. We cannot allow this cavalier attitude to continue."
An Ineos spokesman said: "We can confirm that a number of contractors employed by third parties are taking unofficial industrial action at the Grangemouth site as part of a nationwide protest event.
"Our manufacturing and fuel distribution operations are unaffected.
"The site has a very good working relationship with the contracting companies and their employees at Grangemouth, including those operating under the NAECI agreement.
"We are disappointed that the protesters have chosen to use the Ineos Grangemouth site as one of their backdrops for their unofficial action today."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of a protest at a premises on Inchyra Road, Grangemouth.
"Road closures have been put in place from Inchyra Road to Boness Road."
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