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Fuel protests more a fizzle than a bang
Page 6
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Fuel protests in the UK fail to attract support — but Italian drivers forced their government to see things their way. David Harris reports.
ONE OFTHE CHIEF organisers of last weekend's fuel protests plans to continue campaigning throughout 2008, even though he accepts support for the latest protests was disappointing.
Sheerness-based tipper operator Mike Presneill founded campaign group Transaction 2007 which was behind last weekend's demonstrations.
He accepts that the turnout was poor but says the organisation will continue to fight against high fuel prices in 21)08: "We just have to get on with it.We accept that it was not supported as we would have liked, but we are not bitter.
"We tried and we did our best, but it was not supported by the industry.We have got to reflect on that and continue the effort to put pressure on the government about fuel prices in 2008.
The weekend's protests were seen as disappointing because only a small number of truckers turned out; the turnout might have been affected by bitterly cold weather.
In Southampton, fewer than 30 attended what was supposed to be one of the largest demonstrations. At Grangemouth in Falkirk, nobody turned up, according to the BBC, although 45 trucks did take part in a protest convoy travelling across central Scotland.
Elsewhere, protester numbers were sometimes in single figures.
Part of the problem for Transaction 2007 was that neither the Road Haulage Association (RHA) nor the Freight Transport Association (FTA backed the action.
Both organisations have campaigned consistently against high fuel prices,but the RHA's view that staging demonstrations would not get enough support to be credible was proved right, asTransaction 2007 admits.
While maintaining its opposition to high fuel costs the VIA is even more convinced that demonstrations are not the answer. In a statement last month, it said that it "totally rejects calls to undertake direct action in the form of blockades or other onthe-roads protests".
The weak action in the 11K was in stark contrast to nationwide protests in Italy last week, where the Government caved in to a national haulage strike, agreeing to reduce fuel costs and crack down on cheap foreign competition.
Its promise to address the hauliers' concerns came after a threeday blockade which stopped food reaching shops, cut off fuel supplies and closed factories.
Italian drivers had blockaded major ports, border crossings and the main roads into cities. Many motorways were reduced to a sin
gle lane and atVentimiglia on the Italian-French border, there were traffic jams extending to several kilometres as trucks were stopped from crossing.
Unions representing 80% of Italy's drivers were involved in the strike.
John Pike, a retired UK truck driver who now lives outside Turin, says the Italian truckers may appear to have won their battle, but they annoyed many other Italians in the process. "They upset a lot of people and in some ways I think they might have been better to just have left the trucks in the yards," he suggests.
Pike, who spent 12 years driving for Italian haulier Detra, says the local truckers were also concerned about pay, long hours and finding a place to park at night: "It is very difficult for them to stick to the hours rules.
"I know for a fact that if they load up in Turin on one day they are expected to be unloading in Naples the next morning.