rankermen in new Ivertime ban moves
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L TANKER drivers rejected wage increases of around 12 per at this week and imposed an overtime ban from 6am on )nday. They plan to strike from January 3.
The BP, Shell, Esso, Texaco and Mobil drivers were all offered [..reases of five per cent with an additional productivity owance of between seven and eight per cent.
increases of 30 to 40 per cent re being sought by the .vers, and some of the cornnies claim the men are Acing for something nearer per cent.
Sources close to the men say at tighter journey scheling built into the proposed oductivity allowance was e main stumbling block to agreement.
An Esso spokesman told CM that the company is prepared to meet the drivers at any _ time, but he added: "We are looking to see whether we can come up with something which is worth talking about."
None of the companies had any definite plans for talks as we went to press this week.
Esso says the Government defeat on wages sanctions will have no bearing on its bargaining position as it based its negotiations on its own profitability.
The company spokesman added that the Commons vote made no difference to the national need to control inflation. "We still feel obliged to support the Government's efforts to keep inflation in check."
Like the other companies, Esso is keeping a close watch on its customers' stocks of fuel to ensure that no one suffers too much inconvenience.
"Once we get behind on our deliveries, the shortages will have a cumulative effect," the spokesman added.
A London Transport spokesman told CM that there were no contingency plans as such to deal with a fuel shortage, and added that the undertaking has several days' supply in its tanks.
No one at National Freight Corporation was available for comment when CM contacted NFC this week.