Mid and West Wales AM, Rebecca Evans, has backed a campaign calling on the Prime Minister to step in and ensure that highly-skilled jobs at Murco are not lost for good.
The campaign has been launched by the trade union Unite, which represents the workers at the beleaguered Murco Oil refinery at Milford Haven.
The Milford Haven refinery employs 400 direct employees and over 200 contractors. It also has a £ 20 million annual spend on material and services with companies in Wales and the UK. Following the failed buyout of the Milford refinery by Greybull Capital, MURCO has announced that it will be entering into a period of consultation with employees, and their representatives, as to the future of the company and its Milford Haven refinery.
Mrs Evans, who is a Unite member and has been in constant communications with Murco and all interested parties, said: “The future of the refinery is hanging on a knife-edge following the recent buyout failure. It is of real concern that the refinery has stated that it will not purchase any more crude oil – this effectively means that it will cease production when current stocks run dry.
“I am pleased to join Unite in calling for Government intervention to save what is a highly-skilled industry. Across the EU, national governments have stepped in to ensure that their essential refinery sectors have a future, and David Cameron should do the same in Milford Haven.
“The refinery injects £30 million a year into the local Pembrokeshire economy and creates seven jobs for every job at the refinery. I am urging people in Pembrokeshire to join me in supporting the campaign and sign the petition now.”
Allan Card, Unite Wales officer said,
“We are stepping up the campaign to save the Milford Haven Refinery, taking to local town centres and to the heart of the community to build support for our petition calling on the UK government to step in and save the oil refinery. If the refinery were to be let go it would have massive impact not just on the jobs of those employed there but on the local community and economy as a whole.
When the Coryton refinery in south east England was allowed to close in 2012, it cost businesses and the community in the area an estimated £589 million.
We’re calling on the community to come together to tell David Cameron to not let that happen here.”
The petition and more information on the campaign can be found here: http://www.unitetheunion.org/how-we-help/listofregions/wales/walesenglish/campaigns/save-milford-haven-oil-refinery/#Milford%20Haven%20oil%20refinery%20petition%20-%20tcm:11-17663
