Forums Forums National News Soldiers On Standby To Get Fuel To Pumps

This dispute is nowt to do with pay. It's about Health and Safety and Training. The rush downwards by the oil companies and retailers has made the industry unsafe. Asda only uses unmanned sites, there is a lack of effort to do repairs and maintenance. Guys are delivering fuel after one days training, ridiculous. I was asked to trai soldiers in Sutton Coldfield. I refused, the training I do is one to one and takes around two weeks, sometimes more. I was training a guy for two days and he just went. I thought he'd been put on another job. When I asked, he was out delivering fuel. Madness

I'd do it for the wages they must be on, man people need to make their minds up, they moan if there's no work then they moan about the work they have, jeese shut up or ship out.

For the sake of discussion I suppose everyone has different levels on what makes them happy as far as pay goes. Its a fact of life some workers can hold a company or even a country to ransom, it works both ways, a company or a country can also hold its workers to ransom, and yet very little is said when company or country hold its workers down. As this discussion is mainly about tanker drivers and the industry they work in, its probably an industry that has one of the biggest financial turnovers ever, rich pickings for management up and shareholders and yet when it comes down to the shop floor workers they are frowned upon for trying to not only uphold their level of pay but for also trying keep their terms and working conditions intact. If you want to live in a capitalist society, don't start moaning when the workers want to join you.

IMHO it's a political strike, no more, no less. Len is the new Scargill, simples.

If one of these tankers had an accident in a busy town centre and blew up or engulfed loads of nearby folk in flames, then there would be a huge outcry about Health and Safety.
As bert says when comparing wages it'soften rounded down to the lowest wage, never lifted up to the higher.
eg The Gov says public sector workers wages should be lowered to similar jobs and wages in the private sector.

The new God is Profit and more profit.

Your pay isn't irrelevant as you implied that tanker drivers are overpaid for what is a difficult and sometimes dangerous job. If were going down that road, why not tell us how much you earn so we can compare your worth to that of the military?
Soldiers may very well be underpaid. Indeed, they earn less than me and my job is far, far easier. But don't use that as a stick to bash the tanker drivers with. Have a go at MP, bankers, professional footballers, company CEOs etc if you really want to have a go at someone overpaid.
Also, this strike is about safety and working conditions. No wonder this country is in such a mess. Ordinary people having a go at each other and not seeing the real problems. The parasites at the top skimming of the rest of us.

I don't wish to come across as offensive to you, Doctor. I usually find your posts eloquent, but I think your offering up a straw man arguement on this occassion.

But don't you think that we should be able to work safely. If we applied that ethic, we'd still be sending kids up chimneys

The guys with little training are working for less money which is driving down the wages for the properly trained drivers. That is what its all about when you look past the health and safety issue. With out that there would be no talk of strikes. It always boils down to wages at the end of the day. I do however support the tanker drivers because big companys are also trying to de skill the industry i work in and its already taking effect. The working man is getting screwed at the moment.

I would support any person "fighting" for what they want but why should the public suffer? They get about £45K PA, and yes I would do the training, and do the job for £35K.

If any strike was about the issues it is purported to be then I could go along with it, but they are not. They are always about the Union leader being a militant and wanting to bring down the Govt. or give the boss a blackeye. People may believe they are about H&S, or wages etc. but they are mainly all about the Union leaders' egos. When McClusky has had his go at it then Serwotka will take his turn, then........ and so it goes on. When I was a civvy I never ever had a strike where the ordinary Union member came out of it with anything, it was always about the hierarchy.

Yes, I agree to having safety bit comeon, most of the safety requirements are pure nonsense.

People have brains, they can work out safe practice, if not then I'm sorry but they don't belong in that line of work.

Your pay isn't irrelevant as you implied that tanker drivers are overpaid for what is a difficult and sometimes dangerous job. If were going down that road, why not tell us how much you earn so we can compare your worth to that of the military?
Soldiers may very well be underpaid. Indeed, they earn less than me and my job is far, far easier. But don't use that as a stick to bash the tanker drivers with. Have a go at MP, bankers, professional footballers, company CEOs etc if you really want to have a go at someone overpaid.
Also, this strike is about safety and working conditions. No wonder this country is in such a mess. Ordinary people having a go at each other and not seeing the real problems. The parasites at the top skimming of the rest of us.

I don't wish to come across as offensive to you, Doctor. I usually find your posts eloquent, but I think your offering up a straw man arguement on this occassion. [/quote]

the Dr's wage has got nothing to do with this statement, he was referencing a quote from someone who well may have to drive if this strike goes ahead. i dont think this comment relates to pay either, if someone has a gripe earning a minimum of 17K a year, (without going into pay issues of being on tour) then put there chit in, go outside and do a tanker job, its about conditions and the fact that the people driving will have to conduct such in worse conditions than those striking, because remember, armed forces can and mostly are exempt from drivers hours, definatly in this case, proberly 14hrs a day which is more than any driver , but they cant strike, only thing they can do is have a moan and get on with it.

you say parasites at the top skimming off the rest, thats just an excuse to do nothing, you say that this country is in a mess. ordinary people having ago at each other and not seeing the real problem is exactly what you have just done.

at the end of the day, he is speaking 2nd hand from someone who could potentially be in this situation, a perfectly valid comment

sorry, that didnt come out right :-(



the Dr's wage has got nothing to do with this statement, he was referencing a quote from someone who well may have to drive if this strike goes ahead. i dont think this comment relates to pay either, if someone has a gripe earning a minimum of 17K a year, (without going into pay issues of being on tour) then put there chit in, go outside and do a tanker job, its about conditions and the fact that the people driving will have to conduct such in worse conditions than those striking, because remember, armed forces can and mostly are exempt from drivers hours, definatly in this case, proberly 14hrs a day which is more than any driver , but they cant strike, only thing they can do is have a moan and get on with it.

you say parasites at the top skimming off the rest, thats just an excuse to do nothing, you say that this country is in a mess. ordinary people having ago at each other and not seeing the real problem is exactly what you have just done.

at the end of the day, he is speaking 2nd hand from someone who could potentially be in this situation, a perfectly valid comment

I'm sure that the Bromborough one has two pay windows, as does Queensferry.

Queensferry deffo does, I had to go there a couple of weeks back as the one next to the motor auction has now closed down which is a pain.