Mark Lyon, spokesperson for UNITE trade union, said: The strike is finished. The guys are back in work.

The plant’s 1,200 workers went on strike due to a dispute with refinery owner Ineos over pensions. The strike, which led to the closure of the Forties North Sea oil pipeline, spurred panic fuel buying in Scotland and also pushed oil prices to almost $120 a barrel.

Ineos said that it will take up to three weeks to commence full production at the refinery. The union maintained that full output could be restored within a week to 10 days.