Unite, which represents hundreds of workers at the Lindsey oil refinery and throughout its supply chain, has expressed 'grave concerns' that the government is breaking its promises to preserve jobs and production at the refinery.
Broken government promises
The government had promised to give time for all potential buyers to have their plans fully accessed and that those bids which proposed to preserve jobs and maintain the refineries production capabilities would be considered most favourably.
Unite, has been contacted by several bidders who want to fully protect jobs and ensure that Lindsey oil refinery continues to function, however they have accused the special managers FTI Consulting of not allowing them to lay out their proposals.
Secret decision
There is a growing belief that a decision has already been secretly made to favour the bid from the neighbouring refinery Phillips 66, which would turn Lindsey into an import only facility with the largescale loss of jobs. Phillips 66 is the only bidder whose bid includes largescale job losses and the end of oil refining.
Both FTI Consulting and Phillips 66 have their UK head offices at the same address of 200 Aldersgate in Central London.
Last week around of the third of the workforce at Lindsey were brutally made redundant by FTI Consulting, without notice and without following standard redundancy procedures.
Shady decision
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'The government’s commitment to preserve jobs and support the continuation of an oil refinery at Lindsey is ringing hollow.
'Potential buyers who want to run the whole site are telling Unite that they can’t even get in the door to have their bids considered.
'Instead, it appears that one particular bidder that doesn’t want to keep the refinery running, is being favoured above all others. This all looks shady at best.'
Source: Unite
