ExxonMobil to close plant with hundreds of jobs at risk

Hundreds of jobs are astatine hazard aft planetary vigor elephantine ExxonMobil announced plans to adjacent its manufacturing works successful Fife.

The Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) astatine Mossmorran - which produces the basal worldly for plastics - is expected to unopen successful February adjacent year, taxable to a afloat worker consultation.

A full of 179 straight employed jobs volition beryllium astatine risk, on with 250 contractors, with the anticipation of 50 unit transferring to the Fawley Petrochemical Complex astir 500 miles distant successful Hampshire.

In a statement, the steadfast said: "We considered assorted options to proceed accumulation and tested the marketplace for a imaginable buyer, but the UK's existent economical and argumentation situation combined with marketplace conditions, precocious proviso costs and works ratio bash not make a competitory aboriginal for the site.

"FEP has been a cornerstone of chemic accumulation successful the UK for 40 years, and its closure reflects the challenges of operating successful a argumentation situation that is accelerating the exit of captious industries, home manufacturing, and the high-value jobs they provide."

The institution acknowledged the interaction this volition person connected its workforce, contractors and section communities.

It added: "Our priorities are present to enactment our radical done this challenging period, portion ensuring continued harmless operations done to extremity of production."

How has the UK authorities responded?

The UK authorities said it "stands ready" to enactment those affected via the Department for Work and Pensions' accelerated effect work and the Scottish government's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative.

A spokesperson added: "This is, of course, a commercialized determination for the institution to take.

"The UK authorities explored each tenable avenue to enactment the site, but Exxon has had important planetary challenges, and this determination comes connected the heels of closing different chemic works successful France.

"Our absorption present indispensable beryllium connected supporting the workforce successful the months ahead."

A elder UK authorities root said determination had been "extensive" engagement betwixt with the institution up of the announcement.

Forbes 'extremely disappointed'

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said she was "extremely disappointed by the abrupt news" and described it arsenic a "significant blow" to the nation's economy.

The MSP added: "I person met with the concern connected a fig of occasions and expressed my heavy interest astir the interaction this announcement volition person connected the dedicated workforce, arsenic good arsenic the contractors and proviso concatenation companies whose employment relies connected the site."

The Scottish authorities volition acceptable up a taskforce to look astatine what it tin bash to enactment workers, but Ms Forbes said the bulk of powers beryllium with the UK authorities connected specified an issue.

She said: "UK ministers indispensable see what much they tin bash for the workers astatine the plant, and instrumentality urgent enactment to code the precocious outgo of vigor which is dilatory crippling industry, to assistance enactment the assemblage and the livelihoods of those who beryllium connected it."

Read much from Sky News:
More than 100 firms look online pricing crackdown
AI bubble fears instrumentality clasp of banal markets and bitcoin

Calls for a 'planned' transition

Robert Deavy, a elder organiser for commercialized national GMB, which represents contractors connected the site, called for politicians to enactment unneurotic a "planned and measured" transition.

He said: "This is much grim quality for workers, their families and communities but precisely however overmuch much atrocious quality is needed earlier ministers support jobs and our country's vigor security? How galore dominoes person to fall?"

Earlier this year, the lipid refinery astatine Grangemouth closed its doors aft much than a period successful operation, with relation Petroineos blaming soaring costs.

More than 400 jobs were mislaid astatine the site, leaving some the Scottish and UK governments scrambling to archetypal support the workforce and subsequently to unafraid different work.

Mr Deavy added: "Our members bash not request much politicians wringing their hands oregon making much speeches promising conscionable transitions. There is thing conscionable astir what is going connected and determination is nary transition.

"We request politicians consenting to yet basal up and request an concern strategy that protects the UK's important lipid and state portion really delivering a planned and measured modulation alternatively of the economical carnage unfolding time by day."