Do-or-die duty protest threatens to block M25
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• by David Cralk
British hauliers will launch a "door-die" campaign of direct action on 17 May which they say will only end when they have stopped the Government's fuel duty escalator.
A new group calling itself British Road Hauliers Unite (BRHU) wants to increase pressure on the Government with stronger protests. It is calling on all members of the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and Trans-Action to help "keep UK hauliers on the road".
Tougher action, which is understood to involve a blockade of the M25, is the only effective response to the Government's "failure to come up with a solution to help our dying industry", says the BRHU.
It wants hauliers to meet at South Mimms or Clacket Lane Services at noon on 17 May for "prolonged action".
Protesters are urged to
"bring their sleeping bags and be prepared to stay".
The move comes only two weeks after hauliers attending the fuel duty protest in Park Lane, London told CM that future action had to be hardened up—and had to be heard (01415-21April).
Trans-Action has given its phone numbers over to the BRHU for hauliers to commit their support to the action.
For details contact: 07901 901103; 07901 901104; 07901 901107; or 07901901200.
• Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told hauliers at the ETA annual dinner in London that
"public disruptions from hauliers have no excuse". He said the Government would "never give in to blackmail" and that the way forward is "to proceed by dialogue".