More fuel strikes
June 11, 2008
After the recent strikes at Grangemouth oil refinery which put motorists across the UK into a panic buying frenzy, another strike is imminent in the fuel industry. Around 500 oil tanker drivers that indirectly work for Shell are set to carry out a four day walk out due to an unresolved dispute over pay. The workers are represented by Unite, and work for Hoyer UK, a haulage company that is contracted by Shell to deliver fuel to petrol stations.
The employees voted at the end of May to strike after being offered a 6% increase, an offer which has subsequently been improved upon to 6.8%. The union and employer are in disagreement about the current average salary of a driver, which Unite claims is around £32,000 basic pay for a 48 hour week, and the employer says is actually more than £36,000. The union says the employer is probably including overtime pay in this figure, and is looking for a 13% increase. Shell is hoping that Unite and Hoyer can find a way to resolve their differences, but the union feels that Shell should intervene as the company achieved record profits of £14.2billion in 2007 and petrol prices are still rising.
The whole fuel issue at the moment just seems to be a total mess. Costs are rising literally once a week, and the problems are escalating due to the failure to resolve these major employment disputes. I can’t see it improving either. You can already see the effect these problems are having on the amount of fuel efficient and alternative energy cars on the market, and I can imagine us seeing a significant growth in the number of companies that provide these alternatives in the coming years. If I was an entrepreneur or businesswoman, that’s where I would be focussing my attentions right now!
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