Unite meets major fuel distributors
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THE UK’S LEADING fuel distributors were set to meet with union Unite today (10 March) to discuss tanker driver conditions and avert industrial action by 3,000 drivers (CM 3 March).
BP, DHL, Hoyer, Suckling Transport, Turners (Soham) and Wincanton have all accepted Unite general secretary Len McCluskey’s invite to the union’s London headquarters.
“The industry is on the highway to catastrophe. It is unacceptable that an industry of such importance can operate without any stability mechanisms in place, or without market regulation,” says McCluskey.
The trade union is demanding that fuel tanker drivers receive fixed national terms and conditions. All those invited told CM they are willing to improve safety where possible, but some are not convinced that fixed pay terms or pension agreements across the sector would be beneficial.
Paul Day, MD of Turners (Soham), says: “It would be difficult for a forum to control the rates of all our businesses. It is up to each company to decide.”