Grangemouth Petrochemical Plant

[72C]

Given the brinkmanship that has been going on on the Forth. I was wondering if the site generated any rail traffic and what impact a partial closure would have had?

 

[PaxVobiscum]

The notes on this admittedly not-too-exciting photo give a reasonable summary of the refinery rail traffic.

Worth an advanced image search for "Grangemouth" on the Railbrit website. Clicking the "Grangemouth" link on the bottom left of the link above should take you there.

 

[callum112233]

Plenty potential rail traffic. Although they mostly run as required I think.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...13/10/25/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

 

[PHILIPE]

This showed that Bob Crow typee militancy doesn't always work. It was strange to see one of his fellow comrades, Len McCluskey of UNITE, even talking like management after realising that idealology does not always win over reality.
In the Coal Strike in the 80s before secondary picketing was outlawed, we had railway unions boycotting almost anywhere that dealt with coal by rail. What happened, I know some traffic diverted to road and never came back. Strikes lost the Newspaper trains to road or even some by air.

 

[Boothby97]

It is sort of as required traffic. Trains are run by Colas Rail (Class 56, normally out based at Bo'ness when not in use I believe). Trains run to Prestwick, Linkswood and Rolls Royce Sinfin (Derby). There are also trains run by DBS to Dalston.

 

[fgwrich]

It is sort of as required traffic. Trains are run by Colas Rail (Class 56, normally out based at Bo'ness when not in use I believe). Trains run to Prestwick, Linkswood and Rolls Royce Sinfin (Derby). There are also trains run by DBS to Dalston.

That would be from the not affected next door Grangemouth Refinery though.

 

[Boothby97]

That would be from the not affected next door Grangemouth Refinery though.

Correct, apologies for that

 

[jopsuk]

This showed that Bob Crow typee militancy doesn't always work.

It showed it doesn't work when the company has absolutely no scruples and will cheerfully pull out of a location with no regard for the local area. The strike threat works where total, permanent closure is not possible.

 

[Freightmaster]

It showed it doesn't work when the company has absolutely no scruples and will cheerfully pull out of a location with no regard for the local area. The strike threat works where total, permanent closure is not possible.

So what you are saying is that in cases where the company has no scruples,
they win, but if they do have scruples and don't use bullying tactics,
the union will often still use a strike threat to blackmail the company???

Hardly seems an incentive for businesses to negotiate fairly, does it?? :roll:


MARK

 

[David Barrett]

Strikes lost the Newspaper trains to road or even some by air.

There is no evidence to support this assertion at all, the driving force behind this was, of course, that well known paragon of principle and candour one R. Murdoch and his cronies who removed the newspaper traffic from the railways because of a fear (or paranoia) that the railway unions may boycott the traffic in sympathy with the print workers who were in dispute at the time, much against the wishes of the other newspapers as stated by their association as it happens, but this move undermined the economics of the whole operation forcing the others to follow suit. My own view is that News International wanted to be off the railway for reasons of their own and, in the best tradition of their own particular brand of journalism concocted a silly story to suit which far too many accepted as being the one true script on the matter and evidently continue to do so now after so many years of deception.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In the Coal Strike in the 80s before secondary picketing was outlawed, we had railway unions boycotting almost anywhere that dealt with coal by rail.

The railway unions did indeed boycott some traffic but I don't see quite where secondary picketing is related to this. The sadness of this is, that after a short period of time, the railway unions were poised to relent on the boycott in a good number of cases but the Government and managements, particularly that of the C.E.G.B. under Lord Marshall aided and abetted by one Freddie Plaskett of the Road Haulage Association (no vested interest there then) went in feet first and darned near took the lot.

Whilst I have little sympathy for the road transport industry, at the time I certianly did feel for a number of lorry firms who went under, not because of the coal strike as such but because of the amount of other operators who flooded in as part of "Plaskett's Crusade" prepared to do much of the work for the price of the Diesel and to Hell with the consequences, not just for the railways or the unions but of their own associates.

Shortly after, in a strange twist, Plaskett ended up on the British Railways Board.