RIGGERS at a Hampshire oil refinery claim they have been unfairly sacked.

Four Fawley oil refinery workers say it was agreed they would be reinstated in their jobs after a hearing found in their favour last week.

But when they arrived at work yesterday they claim they were barred from entry – and then told their employment would be terminated on Friday.

Rigger Adrian Hulme, from Totton, said: “We were completely exonerated and given our jobs back. When we turned up they told us to go home with pay and that they were laying us off.”

Now Unite the union is threatening to ballot for industrial action to win them their jobs back or compensation.

Mr Hulme, a 43-year-old dad-of-five, said he and colleagues Gary Almond and David Roberts, from East Yorkshire, and Peter Robison, from Newcastle, were originally sacked in July. He said their dismissal surrounded claims of gross misconduct following an alleged incident involving a hoist that split while carrying a load, dropping it a matter of inches.

No one was injured and there was no spillage, but Mr Hulme said they were accused of not maintaining health and safety standards. But he said he was cleared of health and safety negligence.

Their claim was taken to a dismissal arbitration panel at the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA).

Unite regional officer Malcolm Bonnett, who is representing the men, said: “We are disappointed that this has happened after we went through the process which found in my members’ favour – all disciplinary action was dropped against them.”

The men were set to hold a peaceful demonstration this morning outside the plant’s Gate One in Cadland Road.

ExxonMobil, the Texas-based firm that runs the site, declined to comment, as did subcontractors BIS Industrial Services.

The ECIA also declined to comment.