Wildcat refinery strike escalates

Unofficial strikes at oil terminals and king stations receive spread to more sites across the uk. Planned talks between unions and employers had aimed at breaking the deadlock which was stalled on Tuesday. The action has spread to power stations at Drax and Eggborough in yorkshire and Ratcliffe in Nottinghamshire, and BP's Saltend refinery near Hull. About 1,200 contract actors had walked forbidden over jobs at the Total oil refinery at Lindsey, North lincolnshire, last week. Workers are also out at the BOC O plant at Scunthorpe, in addition to 2 other strikes begun earlier this week. Contractors at a BP refinery near Hull also joined the strike action. The unite union said conciliation service Acas was dealing with both parties in the dispute but that there weren't any direct negotiation between the 2 sides. The Lindsey actors withdrew their labour in protest at a sub-contractor axing 51 jobs spell another employer on the site was hiring people. Total said that the strike was illegal and talks could not begin until actors had reverted to their jobs. The Lindsey refinery which was standed hits earlier this year over the employment of non-UK workers.