OIL company BP is cutting about 1,000 jobs at a Scottish refinery.
Bosses blamed the move, which is to be phased over the next two years, on depressed markets and operational problems.
The company said the decision followed a ten-week review of the Grangemouth complex.
It will see a streamlining of the three main businesses - refining, petrochemicals and the Forties pipeline terminal - into a single organisation.
Union officials, workers and local politicians have condemned the move, saying more should have been done to prevent the job losses.
BP said it would make every effort to move people with the appropriate skills to other BP locations, or provide retraining, jobs search assistance and severance packages.
Colin Maclean, director of the complex, near Falkirk, described the cuts as appalling, but inevitable.
Russell Gray, of the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: "The workers have been as flexible as they can, but the timescale of 18 months to two years is totally unacceptable.
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