Business concern at strike action

Businesses are concerned about the possible impact of a strike

Business representatives in some areas have expressed their "concern" and "disappointment" about the possible impact of a strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery.

The chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Geoff Runcie, said he was disappointed that industrial action had been seen by the unions as a means to settle the dispute.

He added: "There can be no justification for holding Scotland to ransom over this matter."

He said problems over diesel seemed to have been exacerbated by earlier policies to encourage the adoption of diesel vehicles, while drivers for road haulage companies have been encouraged to fill up down south.

There will be some inconvenience but not enough to cause any fundamental and major long-term impacts on businesses Alan Mitchell Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce

In Ayrshire, the local chamber of commerce said although there was concern, there was no indication that the area had been badly affected.

A similar picture had emerged in Renfrewshire

On the other side of the country, Alan Mitchell, chief executive of the Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, told the BBC Scotland news website that businesses in the area would not be seriously hit by the Grangemouth strike, as long as the public stopped panic-buying.

He said: "There will be some inconvenience but not enough to cause any fundamental and major long-term impacts on businesses."

Genuine concern

In Greenock, Elaine Stewart, senior vice president of the chamber of commerce said: "If fuel availability is disrupted for any time, then businesses across Inverclyde feel they will undoubtedly start to see the impact of shortages locally. Many pumps are already closed.

"While some companies are busy planning contingencies to maintain deliveries even in a reduced capacity, others feel they will be affected by staff unable to travel to work by car, particularly shift workers."

In Lanarkshire, about 130 businesses discussed the strike on Thursday and Douglas Miller from the Lanarkshire Chambers of Commerce said there was a genuine concern about the possible impact.

Mr Miller said those who had large fleets of vehicles or had contracts that involved travelling long distances were particularly worried.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said its members were waiting to see how the shutdown would affect them, adding that smaller businesses did not have the fuel reserves to mitigate any effects.

FSB Scottish policy convenor, Andy Willox, added: "The Scottish Government has given FSB Scotland assurances that the disruption will be limited, however if there is unanticipated serious disruption to the fuel supply network, the economic impact to the small business community cannot be underestimated."

He called on members not to 'overfill' vehicles and asked petrol stations to "behave responsibly and not to exploit individuals, organisations and businesses that will need fuel during this difficult period."

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