Britain’s tanker drivers have had enough, Unite warns
1 August 2010
The UK's major oil companies, retailers and independents
providing fuel for the nation have been warned by Unite the union
that their strategy of squeezing the conditions of delivery drivers
to feed profits will backfire with potentially serious consequences
for the country.
With morale among the estimated 3,000 drivers at an all-time
low, Unite has written to the leading operators in the fuel sector
(see list in notes below) to warn them that unstable employment,
redundancies arising from constant reorganisation of operations and
attacks on earnings are forcing the workforce towards
conflict.
Such is the scale of the problems Unite has called an autumn
summit to consider the action needed to safeguard stability within
the sector. Unite is urging the employers to stop and think
again about their employment strategy, offering them this
opportunity to enter into discussions now with the union to avert
possible industrial action later in the year.
Ron Webb, Unite's national officer for logistics, said: "We have
consistently warned the oil employers that their strategy of
attacking wages and squeezing more and more out of their drivers
but giving them less and less in return will backfire.
"Unfortunately, they have not listened so now we are at a very
dangerous moment for this sector. In my 15 years as a
negotiator for this sector I have never witnessed such low morale
among the drivers. This is a workforce which is highly
specialist and delivers a product this country's smooth functioning
depends upon. They are also working for some of the most
profitable companies in the land. All they are asking for in
return is a wage which reflects their hard work and
professionalism."
Unite claims that the greater use of alternative contractors
only too willing to undercut other employers is behind the driving
down of wages and hitting conditions of employment. In addition,
tanker drivers are reporting a brutal management style with little
protection for the drivers.
Ron Webb continued: "It is sadly not unusual for a tanker driver
to have long service and a good work record yet to find that if
they make mistake, have one bad day, they are then sacked. It is
now a ‘one strike and you are out’ culture which places drivers
under dreadful pressure.
"Time and workers' patience are now running out so we appeal to
the key stakeholders to engage with Unite in finding a better way
forward. Minimum standards on safety and decent terms
and conditions are a prerequisite for success in this sector.
So too must the attacks on workers' pensions cease and the
merry-go-round where it is not unusual for drivers to have as many
as ten different employers with no or poor pensions when they
retire. Quite simply enough is enough."
In the letter to the country's leading petroleum sector
employers, Unite’s assistant general secretary Len McCluskey,
writes: "We know at this moment in time there are many challenges
facing the UK economy, which Unite fully understands and is dealing
with in a variety of ways. Notwithstanding this, it is our
firm belief that unless the key stakeholders within this particular
sector must take considerable note of the serious deterioration in
employee morale with the constant threats to continued employment,
the constant threats arising from cost down agendas, constant
attacks on our members’ terms and conditions of employment, which
all give rise to an extremely negative period within this
sector."
ENDS
For further information, please contact Ron Webb on 07976 833
487 or Pauline Doyle on 07976 832 861
Notes to editors: Unite has written to the following employers
within the sector: Asda Stores Ltd; BP Oils Ltd; Conocophillips
Petroleum Ltd; Esso Petroleum Company Ltd; GB Oils; Greenergy Fuels
Ltd; J Sainsbury's PLC; Kuwait Petroleum (UK Holdings) Ltd; Murco
Petroleum Ltd; PACE Petroleum Ltd; Petroplus Refining &
Marketing Ltd; Shell Tankers (UK) Ltd; Tesco Distribution Ltd; WM
Morrisons Supermarkets PLC; Total UK Ltd; Texaco.
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