Its a shame for sure...what with the impending collapse in the price of oil n everythin!

Still, I'm sure it will all work out..?

"This will probably once again open up the scargill vs climate camp debate ... which is more important - keeping emissions low or protecting workers."

Oh I see, your point being that the debate will all be about either the climate or employment! Or the two versus each other.

Nah.

Something is in the grass up ahead.

Nobody has spotted it yet!

I don't think we should be cheering when a refinery closes, because it's the poorest in society who will be hit hardest from knock on price rises. Rising fuel costs means higher costs for public transport, food, heating, clothing, etc. This presents no problem for the upper classes who can easily afford to absorb rising costs, for those at the bottom though people on job seekers or disability benefit surviving on Tesco value and Asda smartprice even just a few pound extra a week is enough to tip them into debt. And that is definitely nothing to celebrate.

Whilst green issues are important we need to come up with strategies to protect the vulnerable in society who aren't able to absorb rising costs like the upper classes can. David Cameron and Philip Green aren't going to notice rising fuel costs if a refinery closes, Joe Average struggling to survive on benefits is.

Anyway I doubt it'll be shut down for long, Cameron's oil industry buddies will soon have it up and running again. They'll use taxpayers cash to buy the site, and then sell it on cheap to Shell or Chevron. Just like the government did with Northern Rock selling it to Branson's Virgin group.

scargill vs climate camp. jobs vs those who dont need them. working class vs middle and upper class trustifarians. reality vs heads in the clouds

"I don't think we should be cheering when a refinery closes, because it's the poorest in society who will be hit hardest from knock on price rises. Rising fuel costs means higher costs for public transport, food, heating, clothing, etc!

And if the price of oil goes down...where is that argument then?

You're about to become the victim of a very great hoax.

The oil refinery workers are being used!

The price of oil is about to crash. And Coryton management have decided to schedule large-scale redundancies just before it happens or doesn't happen. They either get to have the government come in with a rescue package if the price falls as expected...or they get to lay off those workers if it doesn't.

The workers don't mean shit.

When it happens the climate lot will carp, the anarchists will whine, the unions will stamp their feet as usual and the media will make a mint.

But the workers won't mean shit.

the price of oil being what it is, is due in some part to a lack of refining capacity.

This place will be bought up on the cheap, probably by some russian tycoon, and it will be business as normal - just at a lower hourly rate.

from now on, i'm only going to drive my car/bus/train on air!

The price of oil / petrol / diesel that we pay as apposed to the price that it is traded / sold at have very little connection.

The price at the pump is almost entirely decided by taxation. A litre of unleaded fuel sold on a uk garage is mostly tax. It breaks down as follows:

Duty 57.9p
Fuel 47.8p
VAT 22.1p
Retailer 3.5p