Tanker Drivers dispute
Nobody wants these folk to go on strike, but they are not striking over pay, most of it is health and Safety and working conditions.
The trade union Unite says the strike ballot is about safety standards and terms and conditions. The union says the industry is too "fragmented" and wants a "national forum" which would hold the employers to account over conditions. It claims some workers have had their contracts repeatedly renegotiated and some have had six different pension providers in 10 years.Unite also says shorter delivery deadlines have created a "turn and burn" culture. Unite insist the dispute is not about pay.
These folk are not carrying pallets of toilet rolls but up to 30,000 Ltrs of highly inflammable petrol. Luckily we have very few accidents involving Road Tankers in the UK, this is down to the experience and qualifications of the drivers, but it seem like all other jobs they are being pushed for the last penny. If God forbid there was a bad accident and the subsequent enquiry shown bad conditions and rushed drivers, you watch the same two faced Tw*ts poking the finger at these so called evil Tanker Drivers, will soon be banging the drum of regulations. Some have short memories with some recent incidents involving Fuel storage and death were shown to be the fault of bad management, training and cost cutting.
If this dispute is genuinely about conditions of work for workers involved in a dangerous occupation, then they really need to get round the table.