Protesters to fight on in refinery row

The contractors were among 400 workers locked out of the site of what will be one of Europe’s largest biorefineries after Redhall Engineering’s contract for the mechanical and piping work was terminated in March. The dispute ended after the vast majority accepted an offer of around £4,000 from Vivergo Fuels, the owners of the biofuels site at Saltend, near Hull.

This was on top of £1.2m paid to 370 workers by Redhall Engineering.

Les Dobbs, from the GMB, said they intended taking Vivergo, Redhall and any new contractor to a tribunal. The union maintains workers should be transferred to the new contractor on their orginal terms and conditions. He said: “Why would two companies pay between them £2.5m if TUPE (The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) doesn’t apply?

Vivergo said Redhall workers hold “no legal basis to TUPE transfer to Vivergo Fuels.”