Chamber and committees

I bring in Willie Coffey, who joins us online.

Has the company defined to you what it would regard as a credible and viable bid or what the criteria are in that regard?

Thank you.

We are still waiting for our witnesses to arrive for the next item of business, so I will suspend the meeting until they are here.

Yes, absolutely.

Our next item of business is an evidence session on the future of the oil refinery at Grangemouth. I refer members to the voluntary part of my entry in the register of members’ interests, where I note that I am a member of the GMB and of Unite the union.

That is very helpful indeed.

The issue of skills comes up quite a lot in the committee’s meetings. On the company’s plan for the import facility, do the trade unions have real clarity on the roles and skill set that would be required if the proposal for an import terminal goes ahead? I appreciate that the unions have a very different view on what the proposal should be. In the longer term, is there an understanding of the skill requirements beyond the immediate plan for the Grangemouth site?

Thank you.

On 22 November 2023, it was reported that the refinery at Grangemouth would be transitioned to a finished fuels import terminal and distribution hub. On 12 September 2024, it was confirmed that that transition would take place in the second quarter of next year. Last week, the committee received an update from Petroineos Manufacturing Scotland Ltd and Ineos Olefins and Polymers UK, a year on from the initial announcement. Following last week’s meeting, the committee wrote to Ineos. Yesterday, we received a response, which has been circulated to members.

This morning’s evidence session is an opportunity to hear from the trade unions that represent workers at the site. I welcome Robert Deavy, senior organiser for manufacturing from GMB Scotland, and Derek Thomson, Unite Scotland’s regional secretary.

On Monday’s announcement by Petroineos that it had rejected a US-led approach to buy the refinery, are the unions aware of the details of any bids that come in to buy the refinery? The company has said that it was not a viable or credible bid. Are the unions aware of the criteria that the company uses to define a credible and viable bid?

Lorna Slater wants to come in.

I will bring in the deputy convener at last.

I am conscious that we have focused a lot on the immediate challenges in relation to the refinery. Please rest assured that the committee will absolutely return to that subject. However, I want to turn our attention to some of the longer-term issues around the transition, and I will bring in Lorna Slater on those.