Clive Palmer under pressure to explain plan for Queensland Nickel

Clive Palmer is under pressure to explain his plan for the embattled Townsville nickel refinery and whether hundreds of workers will be able to return to their jobs on Monday.

The future of the 550 workers at the Yabulu plant remains unclear after they were this week told their positions would cease as of 5pm Friday.

The new company, Queensland Nickel Sales, which took over last Monday, signalled Mr Palmer's re-entry into the venture and he has promised to rehire the workers.

But the facility is still yet to clear all the appropriate licences, including a major hazard licence, despite overcoming the biggest hurdle when its environmental approval was transferred to the new company on Friday.

Mr Palmer is under pressure to explain his plan and guarantee the workers' entitlements from state and federal MPs, including local Liberal National Party MP Ewen Jones, who yesterday labelled the management of the operation as "piss poor".