Motoring Discussion > Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Meldrew	Replies: 25

Tue 28 Feb 12 17:39   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Meldrew

uk.reuters.com/article/2012/02/28/uk-tanker-strike-idUKTRE81R1EQ20120228 Action suspended by Wincanton drivers at 2 locations to allow a ballot to take place, main ballot proposed for next week. UNITE spokesperson is Chantal Chgrinec which makes me think the Poles over here are not just plumbers! Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 28 Feb 12 22:52   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Dave_

>> which makes me think the Poles over here are not just plumbers! Last week I took a bilingual delivery note for some roof insulation, printed in Polish with an English translation in a smaller typeface, from supplier in Leicester to customer in Birmingham. Also, most big warehouses I load out of are now largely staffed by Eastern Europeans. I find many drivers in my current line of work are of immigrant extraction, as opposed to when I drove a minicab ;) Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Tue 28 Feb 12 at 22:53 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 29 Feb 12 04:19   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Mr PDA

Matt Draper, Unite national officer, says: “This is a clear case of a predatory industry putting its profits and greed before the wider well-being. This workforce is now saying enough is enough.” I've lifted this quote from another press release. No mention of the fuel companies screwing the price of their transport through the floor at every opportunity, or the fact that tanker drivers typically earn 50% more than many drivers for around two thirds the hours. Not a lot of sympathy from me I'm afraid. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Wed 29 Feb 12 08:17   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Lygonos

>>No mention of the fuel companies screwing the price of their transport through the floor at every opportunity, or the fact that tanker drivers typically earn 50% more than many drivers for around two thirds the hours. >>Not a lot of sympathy from me I'm afraid. A somewhat more responsible job than most HGV ones, however, and if tanker drivers' pay comes down, it can only cause downward pressure on the rest of your wages as the 'tanker premium' isn't going to go away. Last edited by: Lygonos on Wed 29 Feb 12 at 08:18 Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 18:24   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Mr PDA

More responsible than most? There are plenty of HGV drivers travelling the country without a tanker behind them carrying chemicals and radioactive compounds far more dangerous than petrol. And doing so without fanfare or fuss, or any need to ransom the country in the name of their own self importance. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Wed 29 Feb 12 17:21   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - -

tanker drivers typically earn 50% more than many >> drivers for around two thirds the hours. That's what comes of getting yourself organised and sticking together under a proper union agreement. Long may it continue, its not as good as it was nor is the car game, but still reasonable enough. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 29 Feb 12 17:22   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Zero

I think you will find its called blackmail, and contributes to the extortionate price of fuel the rest of us have to pay. Last edited by: Zero on Wed 29 Feb 12 at 17:23 Reply to this message | Report message       1

Wed 29 Feb 12 17:45   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Lygonos

Nice try Zed, but I think you'll find the mahooosive amount of tax the government needs to extort to pay for today's pensioners is a much bigger influence on pump prices. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 29 Feb 12 17:56   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Zero

I said contributes, not wholly responsible for. Taxes and duty is 63% of the cost, < Posted with Internet Explorer V9.0.8112.1642 update version 9.0.5 (KB2647516) Windows 7 32 bit -no problems > Last edited by: Zero on Wed 29 Feb 12 at 17:58 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 29 Feb 12 18:27   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - John H

>> < Posted with Internet Explorer V9.0.8112.1642 update version 9.0.5 (KB2647516) Windows 7 32 bit -no problems > >> If I use latest flash version 11.1.102.62 then the problem below does not appear. If I use flash 11.0.1.152 or 11.1.102.55 then the problem below can be reproduced: Load www.grapevine.is/Home/ in a tab in a IE9, and the cursor disappears as described in answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie9-windows_7/mouse-cursor-disappears-over-ie9-menus/1dc1a8de-b8f6-49c5-b17e-9b764e2dc108 If at the same time you load car4play in another tab, and hover your cursor in a text field (including forum search), the cursor disappears. older versions of flash can be found/downloaded here: www.oldapps.com/flash_player.php Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 29 Feb 12 18:40   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Zero

Using flash 11.1.102.55 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 29 Feb 12 18:32   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - John H

>> amount of tax the government needs to extort to pay for today's pensioners >> The amount needed to be extorted for future public sector pensioners will pale in to insignificance compared to today's pensioners needs. Last edited by: John H on Wed 29 Feb 12 at 18:32 Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 08:12   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Pat

The support for the tanker drivers strike is so typically British. Every member of the public is behind them for whatever reason...until the forecourt runs dry. When the people who support them find they can't get to work, or even manage to go out to do the shopping it will be a different story. We've all seen it before and this will be no different. Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 08:41   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Duncan

>> Every member of the public is behind them for whatever reason Just how did you arrive at that conclusion? Reply to this message | Report message       2

Thu 1 Mar 12 08:47   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Meldrew

I can only speak for myself and my neighbours; I do not think very many people support the tanker drivers at all at any point in the proceedings! Reply to this message | Report message       2

Thu 1 Mar 12 08:57   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Zero

I am not behind them, they have been "elitist" for far too long. Ok they are some of the best drivers around, but most of that is down to survival instincts. Tho I remember a tanker driver rolling his in the middle of Walton on Thames once, boy did that cause some consternation. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 09:50   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - sooty123

>> The support for the tanker drivers strike is so typically British. >> >> Every member of the public is behind them for whatever reason...until the forecourt runs dry. >> >> When the people who support them find they can't get to work, or even manage >> to go out to do the shopping it will be a different story. >> >> We've all seen it before and this will be no different. >> >> >> Pat >> Not sure how you come to that conclusion, some people might be a bit dozy, but I'm fairly sure most understand if they stop delivering it'll run out. Like any issue thoughts are varied. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 10:19   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Pat

Remember the first fuel protest which started at Ince by the farmer? The public were right behind him, right behind lorry drivers forming convoys to protest, but that was only until they were held up by a convoy. You should have been sat in the driving seat of one of the lorries and heard what we were called by car drivers using expensive fuel. Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 10:23   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - sooty123

>> Remember the first fuel protest which started at Ince by the farmer? >> >> The public were right behind him, right behind lorry drivers forming convoys to protest, but >> that was only until they were held up by a convoy. >> >> You should have been sat in the driving seat of one of the lorries and >> heard what we were called by car drivers using expensive fuel. >> >> Pat >> >> Like I said people aren't that stupid, you don't know they were the same. 'Public' covers a very large amount of people. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 15:08   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Pat

Public is a general term Sooty and your argument doesn't hold water with a general observation from someone who was there at the time....but why accept the truth if it's a tad uncomfortable? I shall be here watching, and reminding those if the strike goes ahead who have posted in support, when they whinge! Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 15:24   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - sooty123

>> Public is a general term Sooty Precisely my point, 'some people' would have been a better choice. It's not me being awkward you brush stroked way too big a group of people you can't sum up in short post. and your argument doesn't hold water with a general observation from someone who was there at the time....but why accept the truth if it's a tad uncomfortable? I wasn't argueing what you'd seen or not was true or not. Just that you couldn't extrapolate out what you'd seen to the wider public. It's neither comfortable nor uncomfortable for me either way. >> >> I shall be here watching, and reminding those if the strike goes ahead who have >> posted in support, when they whinge! >> >> Pat >> Good for you. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Thu 1 Mar 12 18:27   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Pat

You may chide me for my bad grammar or indeed my phraseology Sooty, but you can't deny you understood exactly what I meant, so I achieved the purpose of my post! Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 18:30   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Pat

On second thoughts, maybe the emphasis on grammar is simply an admission that the content is correct? Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 21:36   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - sooty123

no emphasis on grammar at all i just disagreed with your conclusion that's all. Yes i did understand your post, but i can't say the same for you. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 1 Mar 12 18:27   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Mr PDA

A premium for the specialised nature of the work I can live with, and theres nothing wrong with union agreements either if they suit. But greedy unions overplaying their hand? Not a good place to go, ask miners or printers. Reply to this message | Report message       1

Wed 29 Feb 12 07:57   Tanker Driver Strike on the Cards? - Meldrew

I should add, to prevent any misunderstanding, I am not against anybody from Eastern Europe working here! I get excellent service wherever I find them. I am amazed that they can live anywhere near where they work, assuming that they are on minimum wage + tips. I think it must be multi-occupancy accommodation, in part. Reply to this message | Report message