There is mounting concern electricity supplies could be threatened if strike action in protest at the sacking of hundreds of energy workers escalates.
Almost 650 contract staff at the Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincolnshire have received letters saying they have until Monday afternoon to reapply for their jobs.
The dismissals sparked a wave of sympathy strikes at power stations and other sites, with some activists warning power workers could soon join the walkouts, jeopardising electricity supplies.
Meanwhile, the fallout continues over a planned Acas conciliation service meeting which did not go ahead.
Downing Street announced the talks were due to take place between unions and managers at the oil refinery, owned by French energy giant Total.
But Acas later revealed it did not happen, and issued a statement saying: “After discussions between Total management and their contractors, they decided not to go ahead with the talks. We remain in touch with the parties.”
Union sources said their officials waited for four hours before being told Total “no longer felt the need” to have a meeting.
GMB leader Paul Kenny said it was an “outrage and a disgrace”, adding: “GMB and others were asked by Total to attend talks early this morning and our people travelled from across the country for the meeting.
“Total has not even had the decency or courtesy to turn up at the meeting that they themselves arranged. Total is totally without integrity. Bullying and intimidation is not the way to bring about peace.”
Wildcat strikes have spread to several power stations and other terminals in recent days, as thousands of workers took sympathy action.
Workers who joined the wildcat action included those at the Staythorpe power station in Nottinghamshire, Ferrybridge power station in Yorkshire, Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire and around 1,100 construction workers building a bio-fuel plant on Teesside.
Blackout threat rises as refinery row spreads
Some of Britain’s biggest power stations could be forced into unscheduled shutdowns if industrial action over sackings at the Lindsey oil refinery escalates.
Hundreds of contractors at Drax in West Yorkshire and E.ON UK’s plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire have walked out in sympathy after Total, owner of the Lindsey oil refinery, last night sacked 900 workers for staging a series of “illegal” strikes.
Officials said that the wildcat strikes have not affected power generation activities so far. But sources said there was a risk that if the strikes became official, other staff at heavily unionised plants would refuse to cross picket lines. It could lead to plants being closed or forced to operate at a reduced capacity.
A spokesman for Drax, Britain’s largest power station, where up to 200 contractors have not shown up for work today, declined to comment on the potential impact of escalating disruption.
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