BEAMING Grangemouth worker Eddie Heaney gives the thumbs-up yesterday as he hears his plant is staying open. Workers cheered as owners Ineos lifted the axe hanging over the vital petrochemical plant – 48 hours after staff were left in tears when the firm announced its closure. But the about-turn came at the cost of workers agreeing to a three-year pay freeze, an end to their final salary pension, the scrapping of enhanced redundancy payments and unspecified job cuts. And taypayers will contribute £134 million of backing to billionaire tycoon Jim Ratcliffe’s firm’s £300million investment plans for the site - which is of crucial importance to the Scottish and UK economy. Some workers said they’d signed a virtual “suicide note” to keep their jobs - but others were visibly relieved after a week of massive uncertainty. Record View: Ineos held Scotland to ransom Eddie, the electrical power distribution manager for the petrochemical plant, said: “We have taken a step backwards with conditions. “But 24 hours ago I didn’t have a job,I didn’t have a pension and I didn’t have much hope. Today I have all those things so I’d have to say that I’m happy. “I didn’t think there was any other way to proceed than taking the offer the management put on the table. This could have ended disastrously but we have managed to salvage our careers so I’m grateful for that. “It’s a good day.” Ineos boss: Plant has a bright future Father of two Eddie, 59: “I happen to think there will be very few redundancies. We have found in the past it can be quite difficult to recruit and now we have averted the crisis it may be that some jobs will be created.
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