A student accommodation firm is to spend £21 million to install energy-saving lighting in 120 properties across the UK. Unite Students has teamed up with electronics company Philips, which will upgrade the lighting in 23 town and cities in the next two years. The project would see 300,000 LEDs and 85,000 automated sensors installed in […]

The Big Six supplier EDF has struck an agreement with unions on the building of the new Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. The deal with the GMB and Unite trade unions sets out the pay and terms of employment – including welfare facilities and training – for electrical and mechanical workers. It follows a similar […]

Questions will be asked about why the future of Grangemouth petrochemical plant came so close to the “cliff edge”, according to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. Under today’s deal union Unite agreed not to strike for three years and accepted the plant owner INEOS’ survival plan. Mr Salmond said: “There will no doubt be continued debate and […]

The Grangemouth petrochemical plant has been saved from closure after the owner INEOS agreed a deal with the Unite union. It marks a lucky escape as the site has been shut down since last week and looked set to close for good after Unite rejected INEOS’ survival plan on Monday. It will now reopen after […]

Unite’s General Secretary Len McCluskey has said the union will “embrace” the survival plan of Grangemouth owner INEOS “warts and all” in order to prevent the closure of the petrochemical plant, which was announced yesterday morning. Union officials and management from INEOS met at 8am today to hold talks. Mr McCluskey said he had spoken […]

The Grangemouth petrochemical plant is to close for good with the liquidation expected to begin within a week, its owner announced today. Following the failure of talks with the Unite union and a narrowly averted strike, the Grangemouth site had been temporarily shutdown since last week, whilst the owner INEOS tried to secure a deal […]

The Scottish Government is trying to find a buyer for the troubled Grangemouth oil refinery. John Swinney, Scottish Finance Secretary said: “In view of the clear danger of a stalemate developing between the owners and the union, the Scottish Government has indeed been actively pursuing alternative options. This is what the people of Scotland expect. […]

The Chairman of INEOS says the threatened closure of the Grangemouth refinery “is not a bluff.” Jim Ratcliffe told the Sunday Times: “It’s really simple. The employees have a decision to make.” He added: “They either want a future for Grangemouth and are prepared to accept change or they wish to continue to inflict damage […]

A walk-out at Scotland’s sole petrochemical refinery looms after Unite union members began limited industrial action yesterday. From midnight on Monday workers at Grangemouth (pictured) began their protest which falls short of a strike – including a ban on overtime – after 81% of Unite members who voted were in favour of it in at […]

Power supplier EDF Energy has signed two labour relations agreements with trade unions and a major contractor for the proposed new nuclear project at Hinkley Point C. They include a ‘Common Framework Agreement’ covering industrial relations, recruitment, training, apprenticeships, health and welfare and a ‘Civils Sector Agreement’ relating to pay and pensions. By the time […]