A fresh row is brewing between furious union chiefs and petrochemical giant Ineos over pay talks for workers at Grangemouth.
Ineos, the operator of the chemical plant, has terminated collective bargaining agreements with the unions following “abusive” and “rude” meetings which saw a breakdown in negotiations over a pay increase.
In a letter to employees, chief executive John McNally claimed discussions with Unite were creating a “divisive, hostile battleground”.
But Unite claim it is Ineos who is being “reckless” at the round table talks.
In his letter McNally said: “The negotiations with Unite have been very unsatisfactory.
“There has been no ‘fresh start’ as was promised. We offered more than 25 meeting dates to Unite over the past 5 months of which only 4 were acceptable to them.
“Recent mass meetings have been rude and abusive.”
Unite members say they have endured a three-year pay freeze at Grangemouth, losing around 6.25% of their wages in real terms.
In negotiations, Unite was seeking a pay rise of 3.25%.
Instead they claim Ineos offered a 2.8% increase for newer grades of staff and 1.4%, with a 1.4% lump sum, for staff with longer service.
Ineos and Unite dispute whether this pay offer was voted on – with Unite claiming members rejected it “unanimously” but Ineos claiming Unite did not allow a vote.
McNally aaded in his undated letter to workers: “As of today, we will implement our pay increase as described in our latest offer backdated to January 1, 2017.
“We will also pay business and retention bonuses to all employees that qualify in the April pay roll.”
McNally also claimed negotiations were being negatively impacted by the involved of Grangemouth convener Mark Lyon.
However Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said Ineos management were acting like a “moody schoolkid in a playground”.
The union has pledged to resist all attempts to strip workers of union representation on their jobs, pay, terms and conditions – up to and including using the law to force the company to respect the outcome of an independent ballot.
Rafferty added: “This is an incredibly foolish attempt to undermine the democratic rights of Grangemouth workers, so that Ineos can be free to squeeze every last bit of profit out of their jobs, wages, and conditions.
“If there’s to be reasonable balance and fairness in the workplace, Ineos needs to recognise that workers have a right to a collective, democratic voice through their union. Employers can’t just go ahead and do what they like without consultation and negotiation.
“If Ineos doesn’t change its mind, we will simply go through the normal legal procedures, and push for an independent ballot of workers.
“When that happens, we are confident of the outcome. Workers know that the only effective way they can protect themselves is to stand strong and united in a democratic union that works for them.””
Unite was involved in two major disputes with Ineos over the treatment of workers at the Grangemouth petrochemical refinery in 2008 and 2013.
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