Calls have been made for clarity over the future use of Lindsey Oil Refinery and for assurances that jobs will be protected following the announcement of a deal to purchase the site.
Organisations and individuals, including Unite the Union and Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns, have urged the new owner of the refinery’s assets, Phillips 66, to set out clear proposals for the future of the plant, alongside plans to secure long-term employment for workers.
It has been confirmed that refining operations will not resume at the site. Instead, key assets will be integrated into the existing Phillips 66 Humber Refinery operation.
All remaining directly employed refinery workers are guaranteed their jobs until the 31st of March 2026. However, many employees were made redundant prior to the deal being agreed. It remains unclear how many roles will be retained beyond this date, or whether new positions will be created.
In a video statement shared by the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, she pleaded with the company to “please save these jobs, please continue supporting the wider community.”
She continued: “I know you already do support them, but they’re going to need a lot of support going forward, and let’s think of these workers,” before acknowledging that there is “some great mental health stress at the moment” for employees and their families as a result of the situation.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham urged Phillips 66 and the government not to allow the sale of the site to result in it being turned into a “glorified storage tank”.
She said: “Lindsey oil refinery is a critical piece of UK energy infrastructure. Phillips 66 should not be allowed to just mothball the site and turn it into a glorified storage tank. Lindsey is one of the few remaining oil refineries left in the UK, supplying a quarter of the country’s diesel market when running properly and supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs.
“The government should be working with Phillips 66 to ensure this sale retains and creates jobs and helps safeguard the nation’s energy security rather than harming it. The Labour government needs to finally get into gear. It’s net zero policies are hurting workers – it’s time it showed them whose side it is on.”
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.