Betrayed Grangemouth workers are facing 200 job losses, just weeks after agreeing to reduced pay and conditions to keep the troubled petrochemical complex open.

The Unite union revealed plans yesterday to close five plants on the site by unscrupulous owner Ineos.

The closures are part of a series of surprise cost-cutting measures.

Four of the plants process petrochemicals while the fifth is at the oil refinery, the Star understands.

Owners Ineos threatened to close the petrochemical site in October with the loss of over 800 jobs unless workers accepted changes to pay, pensions and terms and conditions.

Now after accepting punishing cuts to save their jobs Ineos bosses have "stabbed workers in the back" by announcing an extra 200 jobs must go.

Remaining staff will see shift payments cut by £2,500 a year and new employees will receive lower wages. There are 1,400 permanent staff at the site and around 2,000 contract workers.

Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty was outraged at the news.

He said: "The high price Scottish and UK taxpayers, BP, the workforce and the wider community are paying to save Grangemouth is becoming clearer by the day. People with years of loyal service are paying with their jobs and their livelihoods."

Mr Rafferty fingered despised owner Jim Ratcliffe, whose hardball tactics have earned him a reputation as a man whose main priority is massive profit for the few.

Mr Rafferty said: "While Ineos's owner Jim Ratcliffe rejoins the billionaires' club, Grangemouth employees face a bleak Christmas and New Year thanks to the price being exhorted by Ineos.

"It's a price that would shame Scrooge and a price which could ultimately be self-defeating, leading to an exodus of the workforce and the senseless deterrent of skills from the site."

Mr Ratcliffe first made waves when he moved the Ineos headquarters out of Britain to Switzerland in 2010 to save £100 million in tax, after the Labour government refused to grant him massive VAT breaks.

Now he has promised a £300m investment for a new gas terminal at the refinery, but only on the back of job losses, reduced wages and the cancelling of the final-salary pension scheme for workers.

Mr Rafferty commented: "Ineos may have its new ethanol tank and a future at Grangemouth, but everyone else including the local economy is taking a tanking to get it."

Labour MSP and finance spokesmen Iain Gray described the job losses as "deeply regrettable" and said support was needed for any workers who are made redundant.

Despite requests for an interview no-one from the company was available to comment.