Now, I'm sure many people are going to disagree with my viewpoint
here, but hear me out, it is a measured opinion.
As most of Britain is aware, there is currently a fuel strike in operation. Lorry drivers working for one of Shell's contractors are picketing various refineries and will continue to do so until Tuesday. It is all part of a pay dispute, they claim not to have had a payrise in 6 years,l and are demanding a rise.
On the face of it, most people would agree with the action, myself included, Working conditions have apparantly declined since Shell stopped directly employing drivers.
My issue with the action has several levels, firstly a fuel strike affects the entire country, although fuel supplies do appear to be holding out reasonably well, I was unfortunate enough to find a garage that had run out just before I needed to start a 212 mile drive. Other people are likely to have been similarly affected, and by the sounds of it the South West is one of the worst affected areas.
Although annoying, the action is tolerable, until you take a look at the finer points of the dispute. The drivers are currently paid a basic rate of 32,000 Pounds a year. This is no small amount, our nations soldiers our out fighting for much less a year, and irrespective of comments of the job being like driving a bomb around, a soldiers job is much more fraught with risk.
These people decided to go into the industry, and have been offered a 6.5% Payrise that would have pushed their wages up to nearly £40,000 a year. However what they are demanding is a 13% rise, so the pay offer was rejected.
One of the justifications being aired on the news is that Shell are making Billions a month, and that the pay rise would cost them millions a year, it is paltry money to them. However, the point being missed here, is that Shell do not employ the drivers, they simply contract a company to move their fuel around. It is not their dispute to get involved in, and the drivers are not their employees. Shell's profits have absolutely no bearing on the pay dispute, and comments to the contrary are clearly efforts to engender public support. Support that will quickly wane when more Fuel Stations start running dry, especially with further strikes planned.
The simple fact is that whilst driving a tanker of petrol around is clearly not the safest job in Britain, the wages already reflect this. Many, many people are paid far far less, and I believe it is time the drivers got some perspective on the issue. Had their annual earnings been in the region of £18000 or their demands for a rise slightly more realistic, I would have been far more sympathetic. But the reality is that they are well paid, even with the rising cost of living, and potentially disrupting the entire country for the benefit of a few is irresponsible and selfish.
At least this time round, there does not seem to be too much panic buying going on.
As most of Britain is aware, there is currently a fuel strike in operation. Lorry drivers working for one of Shell's contractors are picketing various refineries and will continue to do so until Tuesday. It is all part of a pay dispute, they claim not to have had a payrise in 6 years,l and are demanding a rise.
On the face of it, most people would agree with the action, myself included, Working conditions have apparantly declined since Shell stopped directly employing drivers.
My issue with the action has several levels, firstly a fuel strike affects the entire country, although fuel supplies do appear to be holding out reasonably well, I was unfortunate enough to find a garage that had run out just before I needed to start a 212 mile drive. Other people are likely to have been similarly affected, and by the sounds of it the South West is one of the worst affected areas.
Although annoying, the action is tolerable, until you take a look at the finer points of the dispute. The drivers are currently paid a basic rate of 32,000 Pounds a year. This is no small amount, our nations soldiers our out fighting for much less a year, and irrespective of comments of the job being like driving a bomb around, a soldiers job is much more fraught with risk.
These people decided to go into the industry, and have been offered a 6.5% Payrise that would have pushed their wages up to nearly £40,000 a year. However what they are demanding is a 13% rise, so the pay offer was rejected.
One of the justifications being aired on the news is that Shell are making Billions a month, and that the pay rise would cost them millions a year, it is paltry money to them. However, the point being missed here, is that Shell do not employ the drivers, they simply contract a company to move their fuel around. It is not their dispute to get involved in, and the drivers are not their employees. Shell's profits have absolutely no bearing on the pay dispute, and comments to the contrary are clearly efforts to engender public support. Support that will quickly wane when more Fuel Stations start running dry, especially with further strikes planned.
The simple fact is that whilst driving a tanker of petrol around is clearly not the safest job in Britain, the wages already reflect this. Many, many people are paid far far less, and I believe it is time the drivers got some perspective on the issue. Had their annual earnings been in the region of £18000 or their demands for a rise slightly more realistic, I would have been far more sympathetic. But the reality is that they are well paid, even with the rising cost of living, and potentially disrupting the entire country for the benefit of a few is irresponsible and selfish.
At least this time round, there does not seem to be too much panic buying going on.
