Tanker drivers in series of pay rows
Page 4
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Sally Nash • Industrial action, pay disputes and tribunals are threatening to rock the tanker industry this spring as drivers finally say "enough is enough" to poor wages and working conditions.
More than 50 tanker drivers at Hoyer (UK) have voted to take industrial action from 2 February following mounting concern over health and safety issues.
Drivers at depots in Hythe, Avonmouth and Manchester voted overwhelmingly in support of action short of an all-out strike. They claim that when Hoyer won an Esso fuel distribution contract from Wincanton Logistics at the end of last year their terms and conditions deteriorated substantially. Their complaints include: • A reduction in running times; • Working up to 15 hours a day; • No proper start or finish times; • No set working week; • Drivers being on call all the time; • Drivers being sent home then recalled later in the day.
The Transport and General Workers Union says the Hoyer drivers are being "treated worse than slaves". It is supporting its members even though Hoyer refuses to recognise the union.
TGWU co-ordinating officer John Moulsdale says: • One piece of good news "Drivers are saying for petrol tanker drivers is that the conditions that they do not face a are very stressful greater risk of contracting and we fear that they cancer from their jobs than will lead to serious other drivers.
accidents." This was confirmed by a But in a written survey into the deaths of statement the compa300 tanker and general dri ny says: "Hoyer UK vers, conducted for the has been successfully TGWU by Leicester managing a number University.
of contracts in the However, the TGWU's UK petroleum sector Danny Bryan has written to for many years. We the Institute of Petroleum operate in full and calling for further research. unreserved compli ance with the regulations laid down by the Health & Safety at Work Act, EC drivers' hours and all other legislation concerning the safety and welfare of our employees."
There has been mounting concern about poor conditions in the tanker industry: last year 450 drivers from all the major oil firms threatened to hold strike ballots. • The first signs of pressure on pay have emerged as about 150 TGWU drivers working for oil giant BP voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay offer which represented an increase of over F.
Last December the TGWU warned that "more and more drivers are saying no to offers". However, drivers at Conoco have accepted a package which is worth about 4%.