Grangemouth plan must provide stability for local workers and community
Words are not enough and the Scottish Government needs to provide answers for people in Grangemouth, says Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.
The latest updates on the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Plan for the Grangemouth refinery leave many unanswered questions for the workforce and community who are being impacted by threats of closure, says the MSP, who grew up only 200 yards from the refinery.
Ms Mackay said:
“This plan does not go anywhere near far enough. There is a lot of repackaged information with very little detail on anything that is new. The Just Transition Plan for Grangemouth lacks timelines and clarity on what it will actually mean for workers and the town.
“It talks a lot about the ‘circular economy’ and ‘tailored career support’ but has no indication of what that support will look like in practice, and little indication of the types of reskilling that will be available to those whose jobs are safe.
“We need to get this right, not just for people in Grangemouth but also for our hope of hitting our climate targets. The best way to do this is to utilise the vital skills of the workers who have run the site for decades to support the changes, not only maintaining the site but repurposing it to be used in an environmentally conscious way.
“We also have no confirmation that INEOS will commit to investing in the workforce.
“The problem our governments face is that they have allowed these self-interested private businesses to profit for decades and never demanded that they invest in a sustainable future for the sites or communities like Grangemouth.
“There needs to be accountability for those who have enriched themselves from polluting our planet. There needs to be commitment that future sustainable industries will be run in the public interest, with the local communities at the very heart of the cause first and foremost.”
