Thursday 5th June 2008

New Fuel Chaos Threat

Tanker drivers threaten a strike over pay that could shut one in ten forecourts

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Could there be more trouble ahead?

After soaring fuel prices and a planned hike in car tax, Britain’s drivers are heading for more misery in the form of a strike by fuel tanker drivers.

It is feared that if the truckers vote to stop working over pay then over 1,000 forecourts could be closed.

The 500 drivers are said to mostly supply fuel to Shell garages and are demanding a 13% pay rise.

They are threatening strike action if they don’t get the rise and it is estimated this could halt fuel supply to one in 10 garages across the UK.

This could cause huge queues at the pumps and spark panic buying like we have seen in the past.

Last night a source from Unite, which represents the drivers, reportedly said the disruption would be huge.

He also warned that secondary picketing would cause havoc with other petrol supplies across Britain.

He added: ‘This will bring petrol forecourts to a halt and picket lines will not be crossed.’

The AA said last night that the biggest disruption would be in rural areas and on motorways where Shell garages are the only option.

Union officials are understood to be meeting the drivers’ employer today in a bid to halt the strike action.

However, it is thought that their employer, Hoyer UK, is offering a 6% rise whereas they are demanding 13%.

[Nick Young]

Complaining about 6%??? Wanting 13%??? They should try working in the real world!

[tegwin]

hmm....I fancy a 13% payrise too......But instead, I am going to end up not actually being able to get to work due to lack of fuel... GRRRR!!

[_James]

Do they have to pay for their own fuel or something? Otherwise 13% seems a little ambitious, particularly when they're being offered an above inflationary increase anyway.

[Fetchez la vache]

It's going to be an interesting summer...

OK, Everybody out!

[AdamT5]

I got 4% this year and considered that generous.

I think they're just aware that, in the current climate, they have some element of control over the situation. Like postmen at Christmas.

[Old Geezer]

Sorry cahps, but don't you need more information than has been given to be so jugemental??

13% of £100 = £13

6% of £300 = £18

It's all relative, as they say?

But are we at the start of another huge rise in large wage calims as people JUST WANT TO STAY BALANCED??
We all know the real cost of living is soaring!

I don't suppose tanker drivers are as highly paid as the average wage earner??
I don't know!
We need to know thw actual figures, not just the PRESS stiring up the situation.

YES? NO?

[Ricky944s2]

I think they're just aware that, in the current climate, they have some element of control over the situation. Like postmen at Christmas.
[/quote]

+1

[Ricky944s2]

Old Geezer said:

Sorry cahps, but don't you need more information than has been given to be so jugemental??

13% of £100 = £13

6% of £300 = £18

It's all relative, as they say?

But are we at the start of another huge rise in large wage calims as people JUST WANT TO STAY BALANCED??
We all know the real cost of living is soaring!

I don't suppose tanker drivers are as highly paid as the average wage earner??
I don't know!
We need to know thw actual figures, not just the PRESS stiring up the situation.

YES? NO?

No, i dont think so, in my opinion, yes the cost of living is soaring, but its soaring for all of us!! Jeze, i wouldnt mind a pay rise, but if i where to strike id be told not to come back!!!! the current climate these boyos should be glad they have a job in a country where more and more businesses are shuting down and increasing job cuts!! All in all, there profiting on the back of fuel hikes, some could argue the same as the bloody garage forecourts!!!

[Stefan Tapp]

I would say that's a fair pay rise to cover the cost of petrol in their cars, and that's all it would cover. A small drop in the ocean when you look at the oil companies profits!

Perhaps we should all go on strike for a 13% pay rise? Oh, wait, hang on, I own my own company......................

If they do strike it would be a great opportunity for further fuel protest action wouldn't it!

Stef

[dazsmith69]

good for them, the more disruption the better, if all the oil companies are claiming all these record profits, their employees should get paid more too especially the drivers, block all the motorways whilst their at it aswell

country is fked anyway, our government have just let it slip further and further down

[Stefan Tapp]

I would say that's a fair pay rise to cover the cost of petrol in their cars, and that's all it would cover. A small drop in the ocean when you look at the oil companies profits!

Perhaps we should all go on strike for a 13% pay rise? Oh, wait, hang on, I own my own company......................

If they do strike it would be a great opportunity for further fuel protest action wouldn't it!

Stef

[JohnLatham]

People who strike over pay are socialists, and therefore deserve to have all their property nationalised.

If you don't like the pay, get a better paying job or stop bhing.

I think I've been spending too much time on PH.

[mattikake]

Ah to even get a 4% pay rise...!

Get ready to panic-buy. It really seems like we are teetering on the edge of economic collapse and total anarchy. It's a bugger it's Shell as well. Consistently the cheapest and best fuel, judging by my car.

Thanks goes to the greedy rich few, again.

We need a coup d'etat and the first move should be to pull out of OPEC and use our North Sea oil reserves to supply ourselves, not the global market. Fucck the rest. Your greed has brought this on yourselves.

[Old Geezer]

[quote=Ricky944s2
No, i dont think so, in my opinion, yes the cost of living is soaring, but its soaring for all of us!! Jeze, i wouldnt mind a pay rise, but if i where to strike id be told not to come back!!!! the current climate these boyos should be glad they have a job in a country where more and more businesses are shuting down and increasing job cuts!! All in all, there profiting on the back of fuel hikes, some could argue the same as the bloody garage forecourts!!!
[/quote]


Ricky mate you need to get Union membership if your boss is a Vitorian work house owner!

Don't knock it if your not prepared to stand up for yourself!
The only reason we earn what we do today is because our forefathers rocked the boat many years ago!

These tanker lads seem prepared to do a bit of rocking!

So when a company say's it best asset is it's workers, it should share the benefits proportionally and fairly.

But I would want to know what their basic wage is before I chastise them!

[gsx600]

Apparently after tax the drivers only get £24k a year

And it seems they are not actually employed by shell, but contracted to shell ?

Now that to me seems a fair whack and way above national average

I'll be lucky if I get a payrise of 2% this year

Edited by gsx600 on Thursday 5th June 11:28

[Old Geezer]

gsx600 said:

Apparently after tax the drivers only get £24k a year

And it seems they are not actually employed by shell, but contracted to shell ?

Now that to me seems a fair whack and way above national average

I'll be lucky if I get a payrise of 2% this year

Edited by gsx600 on Thursday 5th June 11:28

Is that the BASIC wage? Or with OT?

£2000 take home a month ain't bad and [EDIT] ABOVE the National Average wage.

Edited by Old Geezer on Thursday 5th June 11:45

[Ricky944s2]

Ricky mate you need to get Union membership if your boss is a Vitorian work house owner!

Don't knock it if your not prepared to stand up for yourself! (quote)

Sorry mate, im in the construction industry i aint rocking no boat!!!

[Mustow]

I'm a freelance IT Project Manager and the pay rates collapsed after 9/11. All this time on and I'm still only able to get a rate that is 20% below the pre 9/11 rate I was getting.

[Old Geezer]

Ricky944s2 said:

Ricky mate you need to get Union membership if your boss is a Vitorian work house owner!

Don't knock it if your not prepared to stand up for yourself! (quote)

Sorry mate, im in the construction industry i aint rocking no boat!!!

Ricky
You come across here as inteligent and resourcefull person (working on a building site and using the internet during the day!!)

So why not start your own business?

[mycerbera]

mattikake said:

Get ready to panic-buy.

It's because of posts like this that people cause panic buying!

Let them strike, there are plenty of other stations out there to supply us all the few days that this may effect us!!

Keep it business as usual and then we won't cause

mattikake said:

an economic collapse and total anarchy

I say good on them for striking for what they believe in, they are just trying to survive and provide for their families like the rest of us when cost of living is in real terms going up about 6% a year when most wages are lucky to get a 4% rise!!!!

That's my view anyway