Canteen staff employed by Compass Group at ExxonMobil’s Fawley advanced within the UK are resulting from strike, UK union Unite revealed in a press release despatched to Rigzone not too long ago.
“Fawley staff might be famished when the oil refinery’s canteen employees strike over poverty pay,” Unite famous within the assertion.
“The predominantly feminine staff, employed by catering outsourcer Compass, are paid solely barely greater than the minimal wage,” it added.
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“They’re demanding a pay rise that displays the rising price of dwelling and ensures the hole between their wages and absolutely the authorized minimal doesn’t shrink,” it continued.
Unite revealed within the assertion that the employees will strike from 25 to twenty-eight July and from 1 to 4 August. Canteen and meals companies throughout the refinery is not going to be accessible throughout the strikes, Unite famous, including that industrial motion will intensify if the dispute shouldn’t be resolved.
Within the assertion, Unite stated London based mostly Compass Group is the world’s largest catering supplier and famous that it “raked in practically GBP 1.2 billion ($1.61 billion) in working earnings within the six months to March 2025 – a rise of 11.6 p.c”.
Unite Common Secretary Sharon Graham stated within the assertion, “the Fawley canteen staff have their union’s full assist in taking strike motion for so long as needed”.
Unite Regional Officer Rebecca Johns-Lawrence added, “there may be nonetheless time to keep away from industrial motion however that can require the corporate placing ahead an appropriate supply”.
Rigzone contacted Compass Group and ExxonMobil for touch upon Unite’s assertion.
In response, an ExxonMobil spokesperson informed Rigzone, “we don’t consider such actions are in anybody’s curiosity”.
“We encourage employers and representatives to work collectively constructively to achieve a decision as shortly as potential. Now we have taken contingencies to make sure onsite personnel should not impacted,” the spokesperson added.
ExxonMobil additionally directed Rigzone to Bram Frankhuijzen, EMEA Procurement Director at CBRE World Office Options (GWS) EMEA, in its response, describing him because the employees’s employer. Rigzone has contacted Frankhuijzen for touch upon Unite’s assertion.
On the time of writing, Compass Group and Frankhuijzen haven’t responded to Rigzone.
ExxonMobil Fawley is the UK’s largest built-in petrochemical advanced, producing a spread of vitality merchandise, lubricants, and chemical substances, a brochure on Fawley hosted on ExxonMobil’s web site states.
Fawley opened in 1951 and helps over 2,000 provide chain firms, in line with a truth sheet on the advanced accessible on Exxon’s website, which notes that “greater than 2,500 employees and valued contractors work at ExxonMobil Fawley”. The location produces round 650,000 tons of petrochemical merchandise yearly, refines 270,000 barrels of oil on daily basis, and covers 3,250 acres, the very fact sheet outlines.
In a press release posted on ExxonMobil’s website in March 2025, the corporate stated its “transformation within the UK continues with a reorganization of our enterprise and the centralization of the vast majority of workers to our Fawley facility”.
“We plan to convey the overwhelming majority of our Leatherhead, Surrey, workplace and home-based workers collectively to our Fawley Petrochemical Complicated,” it added.
“Centralizing our folks in a major location will permit for even better collaboration, improve teamwork, and supply broader profession alternatives,” it continued.
“We additionally checked out the place and the way we work and recognized a number of areas the place we will seize efficiencies to ship better worth to our shareholders,” it went on to state.
Exxon warned in that assertion that this sequence of adjustments will lead to fewer UK positioned positions.
“We anticipate that roughly 250 positions might be impacted by the top of 2026,” it stated within the assertion.
“The UK is a vital nation for ExxonMobil. We’re investing in sturdy companies, together with rising our London Buying and selling hub and revitalizing our Fawley Petrochemical Complicated. We are going to proceed to have a significant presence within the nation,” it added.
Unite describes itself because the UK and Eire’s main union preventing to guard and advance jobs, pay, and situations for members working throughout all sectors of the financial system. ExxonMobil describes itself as one of many largest publicly traded worldwide oil and gasoline firms. Compass Group gives “nice meals and assist companies to thousands and thousands of individuals around the globe on daily basis”, the corporate’s web site states. It operates in round 30 international locations, with 580,000 workers worldwide, in line with its website.
To contact the creator, e mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
