Petrol impending strike is the DM scaremongering ?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2120791/Held-ransom-1-000-tanker-drivers-Petrol-stations-face-closure-half-unions-members-vote-strike.html

Held to ransom by 1,000 tanker drivers: Petrol stations face closure as less than half union's members vote for strike

Reminder of protests in 2000 as Unite drivers vote for national strike
Walkout threatens to wreck Easter break closing nearly 8,000 stations
Army personnel on standby to drive tankers and maintain supplies
Ed Miliband stays silent over Unite - one of Labour's biggest donors

By Gerri Peev, Political Correspondent

PUBLISHED: 21:56, 26 March 2012 UPDATED: 08:12, 27 March 2012

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Motorists are being held to ransom by 1,000 militant tanker drivers who yesterday voted for a national strike.

The walkout, which threatens to wreck the Easter break, could close nearly 8,000 petrol stations.

Army personnel are being trained to drive the tankers and are on standby to maintain essential supplies.

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Remember this? Long queues at the pumps during the strike in 2000. Such scenes look likely to be repeated after 1,000 militant tanker drivers voted for a national strike

Remember this? Long queues at the pumps during the strike in 2000. Such scenes look likely to be repeated after 1,000 militant tanker drivers voted yesterday for a national strike
Soldiers at the ready: Talk of industrial action has raised memories of the fuel blockades of 2000, when Army tankers, pictured, were called in to action

Soldiers at the ready: Army personnel are being trained to drive the tankers and are on standby to maintain essential supplies

But only a minority of union members voted for the strike.

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Unite, the union led by militant Len McCluskey, balloted members at seven major haulage and oil companies in a dispute over pay and conditions for drivers.
Vote: Unite, led by the militant Len McCluskey, balloted members at seven major haulage and oil companies

Vote: Unite, led by the militant Len McCluskey, balloted members at seven major haulage and oil companies

Across these organisations, the union has 2,062 members.

But only 1,001 voted in favour of striking – 48.5 per cent.

The union achieved its slender 55 per cent majority for strike action because 12 per cent of members failed to vote.

London Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday renewed his demand for a change in the law to make strikes illegal unless at least half the union members vote in favour.

The strike could begin as soon as next Tuesday – April 3.

Unite is the Labour party’s biggest financial backer, and Ed Miliband has been urged to condemn the strike. But so far he has remained silent.

Tory MP Charlie Elphicke said: ‘Today’s vote is very disappointing news for hard-working families and businesses who will be inconvenienced by this unnecessary and irresponsible strike.

‘Ed Miliband must condemn this strike and get Labour’s biggest trade union paymaster round the negotiating table.’

Unite has warned the strike will lead to 7,900 petrol stations closing, as the firms it balloted supply 90 per cent of the total.

Five of the seven drivers’ depots voted for a strike.

But drivers at DHL, which has the largest number of Unite members, voted against.
Flashback: Tankers standing idle at the Shell petrol tanker in 2008

Flashback: A line of tankers standing idle at a Shell depot in 2008
Pickets: Members of the 'Unite' line up outside the Kingsbury Oil depot near Tamworth in 2008

Pickets: Members of the 'Unite' line up outside the Kingsbury Oil depot near Tamworth in 2008
FIVE FOR, TWO AGAINST

The results for the seven companies involved in the ballot are:

Turners 94.4% in favour on a turnout of 81.8%
Norbert Dentressangle 74.8% in favour on a turnout of 71.3%
Wincanton 68.4% in favour on a turnout of 71.9%
BP 60.2% in favour on a turnout of 85.8%
Hoyer 59.7% in favour on a turnout of 79.7%.
DHL drivers narrowly voted against strike action (44.6%), but voted in favour of action short of a strike (53%)
Suckling voted against strike action (85%) and action short of strike (76%)

And members at JW Suckling overwhelmingly voted against strike action.

Its managing director Peter Larner told the Daily Mail: ‘Our [pay and conditions] agreement for 2012 was supervised by Unite but they still chose to ballot our drivers.

The union then claimed we had refused to sit down with them, which just isn’t true.

We have met with them and other companies several times.

'I really don’t know what this strike is about as we have agreed our standards with the union.’

One industry source told the Mail: ‘This is all about the ego of one union leader who is picking a political fight.

‘If this was really about pay and conditions and safety, they would be balloting the smaller firms who do things on the cheap.’

Mr McCluskey is known as the most Left-wing union leader and is a controversial figure even within Unite.
What the driver can earn
Memories of 2000: Cars rushed to the forecourts as tankers struggled to make it to garages

Memories of 2000 (when fuel cost less than 80p a litre): Cars rushed to the forecourts as tankers struggled to make it to garages

The looming protests serve as a reminder of September 2000, when the petrol blockade brought the nation to its knees.
Pugh

Convoys of truckers and farmers blockaded refineries, preventing the vital flow of fuel and forcing prices higher.

Business leaders yesterday warned a strike would be bad news for firms.

Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors, said: ‘A tanker drivers’ strike threatens to clog the arteries of the economy.

'The vast majority of travel in Britain takes place on the roads.’

John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said: ‘This vote should disappoint us all. Disruption is in nobody’s interest at this critical moment in the recovery.’

Unite will decide in the next 24 to 48 hours whether to set a date for strikes.

Diana Holland, the union’s assistant general secretary, said: ‘These votes send a clear message through- out the industry and should prompt all the major companies to get around the table to establish mini- mum standards.’

The union claims safety has been compromised since fuel companies outsourced petrol deliveries to ‘squeeze profits and win contracts’.

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said the strike was ‘wrong and unnecessary’ but added that the Government had ‘robust resilience and contingency plans’ to deal with one.






Wonderfull, just off to blow £120 on filling up the Landy and then Madam...


:slapme: :slapme: :slapme: :slapme: :slapme: :slapme: :slapme:

I find it interesting that these workers are suddenly holding the country to ransom when the government and oil companies have been shafting us drivers continuously for years. :rant:

I also love the way politicians only interest is to score points off the opposition party. Pathetic. :bang:

With so much gas coming from our illustrious leaders in all parties i cud fill up my 4x4 lpg by plugging
Into one - no party preference! Is there an 'how to' on an adaptor???
:bust:
John

Don't really know enough about this dispute to have a valid opinion.

Not sure who this quote came from:

"Across these organisations, the union has 2,062 members.

But only 1,001 voted in favour of striking – 48.5 per cent.

The union achieved its slender 55 per cent majority for strike action because 12 per cent of members failed to vote."

I can comment on this and that is if 12 percent choose not to vote then by doing so they are effectivly saying they are neither 'for' or 'against' the proposal and the fact that the total number who voted for action is less than 50% of the TOTAL membeship is completely irrelevent.

Isn't that the way most of our 'illustrious' (read moronic) national leaders get to power?

As I said, I don't know enough about this dispute but can spot BS a mile off :dry:

I put £30 in the Landy today, that was half a tank last year, now its one line below the half tank marker
I need to get some pedals fitted :coat:

the panic buying has started qued up for 30 mins on my way to work, all the petrol stations i passed were choca block :rant:

Not good :nonod:

Not sure what it is like by us now I have not been out
I tend to do half a tank as it is better fuel economy than a full tank which = extra weight, guess I will just have to fill her right up and drive economically

Independent petrol stations won't be affected anyway, so I think people will survive.

still got the focus if needed, the mrs will have too walk to work lol :lol:

Just had a call half our petrol stations are shut grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so off to go and try and get some ..
Stupid panic buying :rant:

All local petrol stations BP, Esso, Tesco, and Sainsburys doing normal business this afternoon, i put half a tank (top half) in Honda this afternoon £45 ~ will fill wifeys Polo tomorrow (although she cant drive it with a broken shoulder) i think the panic is going to set in by the weekend :rant:

The queues at petrol stations this evening was a sight to behold, you'd think they had just announced the end of worldwide oil production :nonod:

The problem with TV announcements and coverage of this issue is that it sends people in to a panic causing the shortages.

I remember visiting my grandmother's house in the 70's when the sugar shortage had been announced. She asked my dad if he wanted any sugar, then opened the kitchen cupboards to reveal dozens of bags of sugar :slapme: my dad bust out in laughter saying 'you don't even take sugar in you tea or coffee, what on earth's this lot? To which came the reply ' I might need to bake a cake'