CONTRACT workers at Fawley Refinery today staged a 24-hour walkout for the second week running amid claims that they are being treated as second class citizens.

The "double standards" row first blew up last Wednesday when an estimated 500 men working for contract companies left the huge petro-chemical complex.

Matters had come to a head after five contract workers had their site passes taken away and lost their jobs for working at height without being clipped to safety harnesses. Meanwhile a permanent member of the ExxonMobil staff had stayed on after what contractors claimed was a similar offence. They were particularly incensed because they claimed that worker had been involved in the dismissing of contractors from the site. Differences in canteen and coffee benefits for contractors and Esso and Exxon staff were also cited as an issue.

At this morning's frequently stormy meeting on the Refinery boundary, one worker shouted: "Safety on site is for all of us. Double standards is not what we want."

Another said: "We've taken this kind of thing for long enough."

There was also a call for an end to instant dismissals.

The contractors were told by union officials Bob Stokes of the HGMB, Jennie Sandle of the Transport and General Workers' Union and Terry Abbott of UCATT, that they had had talks with Esso, during which bosses claimed that there had been some incidents where contractors had been kept on despite being caught at height without clips.

"They say they treat every case on its merits. On the question of contract workers being treated as second class citizens, they have agreed to hold more talks to discuss this," said Mr Stokes.

In a statement, Esso said the incident involving the member of its own staff had been fully investigated.

It added: "Refinery management have demonstrated equity of treatment of contractors and ExxonMobil employees. This information has been shared with the contractor workforce.

"It is a matter of great concern to us that Fawley site contractors have voted to stage a 24-hour unofficial strike, following on from the 24-hour unofficial strike they held on April 30.

"ExxonMobil rejects allegations of double standards being applied in this case and we can see no justification for the action being pursued by these contractors."