'900 sacked' after refinery strikes
Almost 900 workers at Lindsey oil refinery have been sacked after unofficial strikes at the terminal, the union Unite said.
The dismissals follow an escalation of wildcat strikes over jobs earlier on Thursday when workers from several power stations and oil plants across the UK took unofficial industrial action.
The dispute flared a week ago at Lindsey, in Lincolnshire, when a contractor laid off 51 workers while another employer on the site was hiring staff.
About 1,200 contract workers at the terminal, which is owned by Total, have been taking unofficial action all week as efforts were made to convene talks.
Unite said it is "extremely concerned" about Total's actions and is understood to be working behind the scenes to facilitate immediate talks with Total's local management.
A spokesman for Unite said: "We are extremely concerned about the ramifications of the employer's actions.
"We are urging all parties to get back around the negotiating table to resolve this situation.
