HUNDREDS of people have marched through Grangemouth demanding that jobs be saved at Scotland’s last remaining oil refinery.
Locals and trade unionists from across Scotland attended the Keep Grangemouth Working campaign’s March for Jobs on Saturday.
Crowds could be heard chanting “Keep Grangemouth working” as they marched through the town led by the Unite brass band.
A rally also took place following the march with speakers including former Alba MP Kenny MacAskill, Unite regional secretary Derek Thomson and the Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth Brian Leishman.
The event comes after the owner of Grangemouth oil refinery, Petroineos, announced back in November that the site would cease operations by 2025 and instead be turned into a fuel import terminal.
Around 400 jobs are expected to be lost if the closure goes ahead.
However, Unite has said there is a “growing belief” that the life of the refinery could be extended in order to secure jobs for workers in “low carbon projects”.
Speaking to BBC Scotland ahead of the rally, Unite organiser Lorna Robertson said: "We’ve seen a change in the last few months since we’ve had a new UK government and a new first minister in Scotland.
📢@UKLabour Invest in a workers’ transition Invest in Scottish jobs Keep Grangemouth working @UniteScotland pic.twitter.com/LUa9nL2Gs9
— Unite For A Workers' Economy (@UniteEconomy) August 3, 2024
"The general secretary of Unite has been having positive talks with the new UK government and ourselves up here with the Scottish Government and I think there is a willingness now to work with the company to see if the life span of the refinery can be extended.
"We want to bring together everyone who has supported our campaign – the community of Grangemouth have been really positive about the campaign and there's been a real willingness to come together, so this is the act of coming together today".
Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay also attended the rally and said workers and the local community had to be at the heart of shaping a future for the site.
“There is a huge sense of uncertainty hanging over Grangemouth, and I know that the community will be out in force today,” she said.
“I grew up only 200 yards from the refinery and know how important it is for the local economy and jobs.
“Everyone in the town knows somebody who is employed directly or indirectly by these sites.
“The workers at Grangemouth are some of the most talented and skilled anywhere in Scotland, they must be at the heart of shaping what happens next.
“They deserve so much better than the way they have been treated by Ineos.
“What has happened recently at Grangemouth is the exact opposite of a just and fair transition for workers.
“We need the Scottish and UK governments to work with trade unions and the community to do everything they can to end the instability and support local people.
“Grangemouth can’t be left behind. We all need to pull together if we are to ensure a secure, sustainable and prosperous future.
“The refinery has been on the site for nearly 100 years, and we need to ensure that what is there for the next 100 years does good for the community and the workers, and plays its part in building a greener Scotland.
“The just transition can’t be a slogan, it has to provide real jobs and opportunities, and Grangemouth can and must be a blueprint of that collaborative and managed transition in action.”
Petroineos is yet to set out a definitive timetable for the refinery’s closure but said it would take around 18 months to fully wind down operations.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “We’re determined to do all we can in seeking a future for the Grangemouth site.
“We will be immediately funding work to explore options for a sustainable future for the site, working side-by-side with the Scottish Government and the local community.”
