Workers at the Grangemouth refinery in Scotland started their two-day strike on Sunday over pension policies.

The strike started on Sunday morning at Scotland's only oil refinery with 1,200 staff walking out, leaving only enough staff to keep the plant safe without production, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.

Strikers and their families were scheduled to demonstrate outside the refinery at midday on Sunday.

Production has already ceased at the plant ahead of the strike. Powered by the Grangemouth site, the Forties Pipeline, which provides 30 percent of the country's daily oil output from the North Sea, has also been shut by BP.

Some garages across Scotland were reportedly running out of fuel, while others have introduced rationing or increased prices. But officials say there is enough fuel to go round.

On Saturday evening, the Scottish government announced that about 65,000 tons of fuel, mostly diesel, will arrive over the next few days on seven tankers from ports across Europe, which is expected to last ten days.

Britain's Business Secretary John Hutton said there was enough petrol and diesel in Scotland "to last through this period and beyond" as long as motorists did not change their habits.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond called on the public not to make unnecessary journeys and to use public transport more.

Industry body Oil and Gas UK says the strike could cost Britain 50 million pounds (about 100 million U.S. dollars) a day.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2008)