Total says 1,200 workers walk out at UK refinery

France's Total said today
that 1,200 contractors have walked out on unofficial
strike over planned redundancies at its British Lindsey
refinery, according to Reuters.
Total said in a statement that 600 workers were protesting
outside the refinery, but production was not affected.
The dispute centres around plans to reduce the number of
contractors who have been working on an expansion project at the
refinery.
Total said it had sent letters to 65 workers that they were
at risk of redundancy "as the mechanical stage of the project
which these contractors are working on is about to be
completed".
"This is a normal process in the construction industry."
The Lindsey oil refinery in eastern England processes about
223,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It was at the centre of a
wave of unofficial strike action in January by contractors angry
at the employment of foreign workers.
Total said it was in talks with unions to try to resolve the
situation as soon as possible. A union spokesman was unavailable
for comment.