Cameron can put his moment of madness behind him by breaking UNITE's petrol strike

Presumably it isn't just nurses that would be eligible for the special passes - doctors would get them too?

2old
Yay! Me too!(wheelchair user)
Go strikers!

Also what happens to those who are totally dependant on wheelchairs. We have 2 DC's hospital 29miles away. Mind you as myBOYS has said no nurses no point in going . But I back the strike.

I think if the Tanker Drivers strike they will play into Cameron's hands. I felt he was alarming the public today and so making the situation worse by stirring up public anger toward the Tanker Drivers. I also felt the BBC news was biased this evening. In the 6 o'clock news the BBC correspondent Emphasised the words '£45,000 a year' with a strong lilt to his words as though shocked that a mere driver could earn that amount! Why not, cos their not university educated?

any news yet about petrol for nurses?? I cant get to work without my car and last time I was able to get fuel if I showed my pass.

There are not enough of us at work already let alone if we cant get to work because of no fuel

ttossca please don't cloud the issue by referring to your socialist 'facts' again. We're dealing with the real world here. Ever noticed how the 'real' world is always right-wing? Strange.
The rest of you - stop accusing octopi of evil-doing. Let us never forget the noble Paul (sadly deceased) of World Cup prediction fame. May his name be praised, peace be upon him. May he rest on a bed of lettuce with a nice marie rose sauce in peace.

'claig - I am not sure that Richard Littlejohn is a heavy weight - perhaps lterally, certainly not intellectually!'

very good!!!

claig - I am not sure that Richard Littlejohn is a heavy weight - perhaps lterally, certainly not intellectually!
What pisses me off about this is that you can be sure that the costs of any changes made to fuel delivery regulations will be passed onto the consumer - as if fuel wasn't expensive enough already. This will disproportionately affect the poorer in our society - something that those who support the strike should bear in mind. As mentioned £40-£45K is a very good salary to most and many of us in all walks of life are on short term contracts.
It will be interesting to see how Cameron handles this if/when it starts to bite. Also will be interested to see the had wringing contortions of Miliband over this (not supporting the strike but not against it either).

I watched the film and I must say I am in two minds.

On the one hand naturally I want world class safety levels. I dont want to see exploding fuel trucks on our roads or idiots careering around with a lorry full of petrol, from A-B just to meet a deadline.

That said......whilst they say this dispute isn't about money, they repeat several times about pension changes and non-contracted drivers on less money.

So i guess it is a little to do with money....or actually from the sounds of things it's to maintain a cartel under the guise of health & safety.

This is essentially an argument over outsourcing. Drivers don't want it, the companies want to, to save money. As long as the contracts which have been issued have insisted upon the same standards of training and safety then I don't support the strike. If they've scrimped on safety & training then yes I'd cautiously support them.

Minimum standards for what?

It's an area which is legislated on: the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations (as amended).

And I read on another site that pay is around £40k per year, pensions were being changed (possible a result of the chopping and changing).

Has anyone considered investigating why the Unite workers are threatening to strike?

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Fuel tanker drivers give their side of the story

26 March 2012

With the results of the oil tanker strike ballot just hours away, Unite, the country?s biggest union, has released a film to explain the issues surrounding this long-running dispute:

The film focuses on three Unite drivers who deliver fuel for a living. It highlights the changes to the industry which has seen contracts chop and change and drivers at the sharp end of the race to the bottom.

Strike action is not what the drivers want, but the industry?s failure to get to grips with the growing instability and fragmentation in its downstream operations is too risky to ignore.

For over a year the country?s biggest union Unite has been pushing the industry to establish minimum standards to protect the workers, the public and the supply of this vital commodity.

Unite national officer, Matt Draper, said: ?The film shows the dangers involved in delivering this highly volatile national commodity. The job isn?t for everyone and nor would we want just anyone to do it.

?The professionalism of tanker drivers is at stake. We should not accept a lowering of standards so that the oil companies can maximise their profits.

?Four of the top global oil companies posted combined profits of a staggering £106 billion in 2011. Yet, drivers are suffering a contract merry-go-round, with their working conditions under constant attack.?

ENDS

For more information, please contact Chantal Chegrinec, Unite campaigns officer, on 07774 146 777 or 0203 371 2063

Note to editors:

To view the film please visit:

I do, however, support the moral aim of making Britain a more conservative country, and of removing the malignant tentacles of socialism in every possible way from our society Nearly fell off my chair What exactly are the malignant tentacles?

LFN if you're so keen on conservativism you'd better get your dancing shoes out because when you look into it, you'll either be shooting the wildlife or joining us peasants dancing round the maypole. Which is it?

I don't believe that the public are so stupid to just be won over by decisive action or what they read in news papers. Do you think everyone on MN is the chattering classes and anyone who reads the mail has no brain? If you do, you are no better than the Torry party who show utter contempt towards the entire electorate including their own voters. At least the union has taken a ballot of it's members.

I'm in favour, it seems that the tanker drivers are concerned over safety and working conditions, just as they have every right to be.

Oh thanks OP. You are vair, vair funny.

"Mirror readers rarely swing"

Indeed they're the most 'vanilla' in terms of their sexual interests according to the latest polls.

Also, Labour isn't run by an evil octopus, so less of the malignant tentacles thanks.

marking place

Nah, they are staunch labour supporters. Not the champagne socialists that some posters think we are, but proper union supporting, hard working people who believe in society and equality.

I have no beef with tories, I just don't share their political views.

Nah, they are staunch labour supporters. Not the champagne socialists that some posters think we are, but proper union supporting, hard working people who believe in society and equality.

I have no beef with tories, I just don't share their political views.

They sound like very wise people - the TV mag is outstanding. But if they wish to discover the truth about what is happening in our world, they really must begin buying it on a daily basis. The time for laughing is over, now is the time to be informed.

Claig, you are right. I only know one family who buy the mail though, on a saturday for the tv mag in fact, its my PILs, and I laugh with them at it, we play DM bingo.

Claig, you are right. I only know one family who buy the mail though, on a saturday for the tv mag in fact, its my PILs, and I laugh with them at it, we play DM bingo.

oh and whilst I have no idea of an acerage salary of a driver I for one am more than happy for people doing dangerous and tiring jobs to earn a decent salary. perhaps the op would like them to be on the minimum wage as they drive a cylinder full of highly flammable liquid on the same roads we are on with our children. Only highly important management consultants should have that much money not working classes

Well said, yehudiwho.

'Where are these austere folk when it comes to quantitative easing (giving banks money), bank bailouts (giving banks money) and the billions given away to the super-rich through tax evasion and avoidance each year?'

Please read the Daily Mail. They are against all that.

said it on another thread and I'll say it again- dont read the headline and make assumptions- Unite members are striking about terms and conditions and safety not pay.

The oil companies make billions but have subcontracted the delivery on short term contracts to other companies. The contracts are for a couple of years and then re tendered- any driver gets moved from one contract to another losing terms and conditions each time, and safety gets compromised as they cut costs by making the terms worse for workers and cutting timings for deliveries so safety gets compromised - do you want a driver under pressure to cut corners and cause an explosion like the had in essex a few years ago- that kind of thing can kill people!

Unite have been talking for a year but getting nowhere and its a last ditch attempt by desparate workers to get some movement from wealthy companies who care little for their workers or safety in the communities

'everyone I know who buys those papers do so for the sport, or the gossip. Not highbrow political news.

Oracle you are right about the Sun, but the Mail is a different animal. Mail readers do not read thinkers and heavyweights like Melanie Phillips, Peter Hitchens and Richard Littlejohn for the sport and gossip. They read them for their incisive, insightful illumination of current affairs. I just feel that needs to be said.

As soon as ordinary people like tanker drivers start demanding more money, right-wingers are calling for the strike-breakers to intervene.

Where are these austere folk when it comes to quantitative easing (giving banks money), bank bailouts (giving banks money) and the billions given away to the super-rich through tax evasion and avoidance each year?