Please can anyone tell me

[brenda]

the issues behind the posible tanker driver's strike. In other words what caused the discussions to begin ? Thank you.

[ttfn]

A short quote from the Telegraph, brenda:

The union said it had been trying for more than a year to establish minimum standards in the fuel oil distribution industry and halt a "race to the bottom".

Officials called for minimum standards on health and safety procedures, training, pensions, rates of pay, hours and holidays, equal opportunities and disciplinary procedures.

[EvianBaby]

It's all to do with pension changes. Not sure of the exact ins and outs.

[grasscarp]

Something must have fuelled their discontent.
Just as I typed that I looked out of the window and an ESSO tanker was driving by!!!!

[EvianBaby]

How odd that this question has been here for two hours with no answer then 3 of us answer at the same time.

[commoner]

Bottom line imo? Money/brass/dosh/lucre/readies/notes...or whatever you like to call it......I mean! they only get £45 grand.....peanuts?

As I said Just my opinion.

[EDDIE51]

One of the main problems is that fuel suppliers are trying to cut distribution costs to the bone and maximise profit. They are only offering transport companies a 1 month at a time contract to keep negotiation of ever lower prices. A short time ago transport companies could get contacts for several years and were able to guarantee the drivers work . Now a tanker driver is lucky to get a 1 month contract at a time. This means they have no security of employment and no continuous pension fund, obviously they don't like this.

[Dunworking]

as I understand it they wanted changes to their working hours (11 hours driving around a tanker full of inflammable fuel - would YOU do it ?) and I've read somewhere that they can be shifted from one supplier to another, losing £9k a year in salaries...

[brenda]

Thank you all for your answers,very helpful.What a complex industry to work in , with apparently little stability for the drivers..

[TWR]

On the same line as your post Brenda, & as I have said in another post, I was driving HGVs, do any of the public out there know what a HGV driver earns? if you think they are on a fantastic wage for driving a 44 ton truck, & the fines they get for only doing his / her job you may be surprised, for a few that are living / married to a driver i will let them answer IN TIME if there is any interest.

[brenda]

Twr-- thank you for your reply ---unfortunately people like myself only know what they read in the press , or what they hear on TV. I cannot speak for others but in my case have been around for a fair while, am extremely sceptical (sp) about what I hear and read, and know that most of it is a load of you know what. All the best.