Fresh talks in foreign worker row

Workers say the action is not racist, but about discrimination against Britons

Hundreds of workers are continuing unofficial strike action over the use of foreign contractors, as talks resumed to try to resolve the dispute.

Protesters gathered outside Lindsey Oil Refinery - where the wave of strikes originated last week - saying they were awaiting the outcome of the Acas talks.

Contractors at Longannet power station in Fife have voted to continue their support and will meet again on Friday.

Up to 500 workers at Shell's Stanlow refinery, Cheshire, have walked out.

No protests are being held at the site, and workers are believed to be expected back on Wednesday.

Some workers are Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, have also continued to strike in support of the dispute, following a walk-out by 150 contractors there on Monday.

Drax said the action was having no impact on power generation.

About 500 protesting contractors at Grangemouth oil refinery in central Scotland returned to work on Tuesday.

'Not racist'

Thousands of workers went on strike last week and on Monday in a series of unofficial walk-outs around the UK, to show solidarity with workers protesting at the use of Italian and Portuguese labour at the Lindsey refinery.

Workers there were angry that a contract for work to expand the refinery was sub-contracted by Total's main contractor - engineering firm Jacobs - to an Italian company, IREM, which decided to use its own workforce.

Total insists it is not discriminating against British workers.

Speaking from the crowd of protesters at the Total-owned Lindsey refinery, in North Lincolnshire, strike committee member Phil Whitehurst said he and his colleagues were convinced of their case.

He said they had nothing against the Italian workers at the centre of the dispute.

"People have said it's racist. It's not. We're not part of the BNP [British National Party]. I've shunned the BNP away from here.

"It's about British workers getting access to a British construction site."

On Monday contractors at two UK nuclear plants - Sellafield and Heysham - joined the dispute with a "sympathy strike".

Workers at Grangemouth oil refinery, central Scotland, and power stations in Longannet, Warrington, and Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire were also among those to walk out.

Talks have resumed at a hotel near Grimsby between the mediation service Acas, Total managers, the main contractor Jacobs, and union officials. The talks began in Scunthorpe on Monday.