First Minister Alex Salmond has welcomed an announcement of a deal to secure the future of Grangemouth petrochemicals plant.

The plant was shut down 12 days ago by operators Ineos. Initially, it was said the plant would shut completely, with the loss of 800 jobs, after union members rejected a survival plan by the firm. However, on Friday, it was reported the facility would remain open after the Unite union made a number of significant concessions. These included changes to pension arrangements, a three-year pay freeze and a promise not to strike for three years.

The site manager has said it will now take "two to three weeks" to fully reopen the plant.

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Welcoming the news, Mr Salmond said: "This news is a tremendous fillip for the workforce and the whole Grangemouth community, following what could have been a potential disaster.

"It's been a great team effort from all concerned, including the unions and workforce, the management, Governments - and BP, who have made a material contribution to help defend and secure Scottish jobs and livelihoods.

"I am delighted that people have rallied round to protect these jobs, and now we can all agree that Grangemouth has an outstanding future.

"Clearly for many people across the communities of the Forth Valley, Wednesday was a day of despair – today is quite different, and is a day of great satisfaction that not only has a key part of Scotland's industrial infrastructure been saved but that people can look forward with confidence to a bright future.

"There will no doubt be continued debate and recrimination in some quarters about why the future of this facility went so close to the cliff edge.

"However, as First Minister, I prefer to stress the positives including the fact that so many people have gone the extra mile to secure Grangemouth's future."

(JP/CD)