Friday, June 13, 2008
Strike hits Shell petrol supplies.
Petrol supplies to Shell garages were hit today as hundreds of drivers launched a four-day strike in a long-running row over pay which union leaders warned will lead to shortages over the weekend. Industry officials said there were no reports of panic-buying by drivers, one maintaining: "We are genuinely not seeing increased demand."
Unite joint leader Tony Woodley joined strikers on the picket line at Stanlow and said "Despite what management is saying, our members are on a basic wage of £31,800 and if they had remained working for Shell that would now be £46,000. What we are asking for is a basic wage of £36,000. A 7 per cent pay offer looked very fair but we are talking about a very low base so it is just not acceptable".
Hoyer and Suckling Transport said they had put two offers to the union today - an increase for this year of 7.3 per cent backdated to 1 January 2008, which would take average earnings to over £39,000, with a further 6% increase from January 1 2009, which would take earnings to around £41,500.
...Are these spokesmen on the same planet as me? I do not think so as I think that the current high price of fuel has reduced demand at filling stations throughout our country, this is not motorists heeding governmental advice not to panic buy. I feel that the volume of cars on our motorways has also decreased with the recent rises in the price of fuel.
I have no sympathy with the striking tanker drivers who are already on incredibly good money. A basic wage of £31,800 is brilliant and for Tony Woodley to claim that
"we are talking about a very low base" is stupid and an insult to people on normal wages. Everybody else in our country would be over the moon with a 7 per cent pay rise but not these overpaid tanker drivers who think the sky is the limit. I think the bosses should call their bluff and sack the lot of them for breach of contract. Then the penny will drop with these greedy tanker drivers, who have voted for the strike action and they will then learn that they are employees just like everyone else. We all have a price on our heads, a market price - not a fantasy market price. There are plenty of people ready to take their places on their existing money, never mind another 7 per cent on top.
Petrol supplies to Shell garages were hit today as hundreds of drivers launched a four-day strike in a long-running row over pay which union leaders warned will lead to shortages over the weekend. Industry officials said there were no reports of panic-buying by drivers, one maintaining: "We are genuinely not seeing increased demand."
Unite joint leader Tony Woodley joined strikers on the picket line at Stanlow and said "Despite what management is saying, our members are on a basic wage of £31,800 and if they had remained working for Shell that would now be £46,000. What we are asking for is a basic wage of £36,000. A 7 per cent pay offer looked very fair but we are talking about a very low base so it is just not acceptable".
Hoyer and Suckling Transport said they had put two offers to the union today - an increase for this year of 7.3 per cent backdated to 1 January 2008, which would take average earnings to over £39,000, with a further 6% increase from January 1 2009, which would take earnings to around £41,500.
...Are these spokesmen on the same planet as me? I do not think so as I think that the current high price of fuel has reduced demand at filling stations throughout our country, this is not motorists heeding governmental advice not to panic buy. I feel that the volume of cars on our motorways has also decreased with the recent rises in the price of fuel.
I have no sympathy with the striking tanker drivers who are already on incredibly good money. A basic wage of £31,800 is brilliant and for Tony Woodley to claim that
"we are talking about a very low base" is stupid and an insult to people on normal wages. Everybody else in our country would be over the moon with a 7 per cent pay rise but not these overpaid tanker drivers who think the sky is the limit. I think the bosses should call their bluff and sack the lot of them for breach of contract. Then the penny will drop with these greedy tanker drivers, who have voted for the strike action and they will then learn that they are employees just like everyone else. We all have a price on our heads, a market price - not a fantasy market price. There are plenty of people ready to take their places on their existing money, never mind another 7 per cent on top.
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