interestrateripoff Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119917/Soldiers-stand-drive-petrol-tankers-contingency-plans-stop-strike-plunging-Britain-chaos.html Will Labour back a crippling strike by union Unite, its biggest donor? Emergency plans aimed at preventing a repeat of the turmoil caused by protesting lorry drivers when Tony Blair was Prime Minister in 2000 Results of a strike ballot of 2,000 tanker drivers will be announced tomorrow Emergency plans for soldiers to drive petrol tankers to stop a threatened strike plunging Britain into chaos have been drawn up by the Government. The price of fuel is only going to go up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englebert Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I will support any strike action. I didn't during the last fuel strike but this time, the strikers get my full support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfs1959 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I will support any strike action. I didn't during the last fuel strike but this time, the strikers get my full support. They're not voting to strike over the price of fuel, but over the conditions under which they deliver it. If their wages go up will fuel follow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englebert Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 They're not voting to strike over the price of fuel, but over the conditions under which they deliver it. If their wages go up will fuel follow? Yes, I understand that. I still support them. It seems fuel is already going up regardless of any possible wage increase. My hope is that this will kickstart other fuel price strikes this summer. I will support those too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Good. Seems this government is doing something right, despite the disgraceful position the then-tory-leader took back in 2000 (when the party went on to its worst and best-deserved electoral defeat, that would have been deeply satisfying if only it hadn't been The Liar in power). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ungeared Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 What with legislation for CS Gas and water cannons use being rushed through, surely petrol rising like Hovis is another nail in the coffin for any protester with ideas of lobbing a Molotov cocktail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffneck Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 get the soldiers to drive trains as well , the train drivers are holding the UK to ransom right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfs1959 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Yes, I understand that. I still support them. It seems fuel is already going up regardless of any possible wage increase. My hope is that this will kickstart other fuel price strikes this summer. I will support those too. And where would you raise taxes to replace the money lost if fuel duties fall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englebert Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 And where would you raise taxes to replace the money lost if fuel duties fall? If fuel keeps going up, a lot of businesses will simply fold. At that point, the Government receives ZERO taxes and will also have to fork out more money in unemployment benefits. Better to have people in jobs paying taxes methinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfs1959 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 If fuel keeps going up, a lot of businesses will simply fold. At that point, the Government receives ZERO taxes and will also have to fork out more money in unemployment benefits. Better to have people in jobs paying taxes methinks. If fuel stops flowing a lot of businesses fold too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Ap Word Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 If fuel keeps going up, a lot of businesses will simply fold. At that point, the Government receives ZERO taxes and will also have to fork out more money in unemployment benefits. Better to have people in jobs paying taxes methinks. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowestoftBoy Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 get the soldiers to drive trains as well , the train drivers are holding the UK to ransom right now From my experience, squaddies are not very good at driving four tonners, never mind trains. I'd rather walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MongerOfDoom Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Good. Seems this government is doing something right, despite the disgraceful position the then-tory-leader took back in 2000 (when the party went on to its worst and best-deserved electoral defeat, that would have been deeply satisfying if only it hadn't been The Liar in power). +1 I am surprised at the comments in favor of bringing the country to a standstill. Then again, strikes worked just fine in Greece, didn't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 If fuel keeps going up, a lot of businesses will simply fold. At that point, the Government receives ZERO taxes and will also have to fork out more money in unemployment benefits. Better to have people in jobs paying taxes methinks. The govt is gambling that this point hasn't been reached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJJ Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Why is it always soldiers? They are pretty ******ing busy at the moment and they've got better things to do. Why do we not see plans for local councillors to be driving these trucks, or MP's retinues (aside from the fact that they're not easy to drive, but then, it's not as if squaddie initial training consists of personal admin, rifle cleaning and driving a huge truck) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MongerOfDoom Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Why is it always soldiers? They are pretty ******ing busy at the moment and they've got better things to do. Why do we not see plans for local councillors to be driving these trucks, or MP's retinues (aside from the fact that they're not easy to drive, but then, it's not as if squaddie initial training consists of personal admin, rifle cleaning and driving a huge truck) ? They can be ordered to do things, won't care about a picket line, and don't have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. It is also a good way of demonstrating that the strikers' jobs can be done very cheaply and don't require any magic skills that people who are only just literate could not acquire quickly. And it's probably a lot better than being shot at, so nearly everyone wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJJ Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 They ... don't have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement. I see you've never played JPA bingo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 And when there is no petrol left? 50% of all car journeys done in the Uk are under 2 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Gordon Pugh Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I would be happy if petrol doubled in price to be honest. Would just speed up the inevitable crash we need to clear out all the dead wood (mostly politicians and bankers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englebert Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I would be happy if petrol doubled in price to be honest. Would just speed up the inevitable crash we need to clear out all the dead wood (mostly politicians and bankers). You'd best get ready for anarchy then. Make sure you have plenty of guns. Find yourself a cave to defend in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eight Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Why is it always soldiers? They are pretty ******ing busy at the moment and they've got better things to do. Why do we not see plans for local councillors to be driving these trucks, or MP's retinues (aside from the fact that they're not easy to drive, but then, it's not as if squaddie initial training consists of personal admin, rifle cleaning and driving a huge truck) ? Anecdotal. We live in Darlington, which is close to Catterick. Round here you can barely move for squaddies learning to drive trucks. I just asked my other half the other day if the army needed so many truck drivers - looks like my question has been answered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
long time lurking Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=176468&st=0&p=3286765&hl=+fuel%20+shortage&fromsearch=1entry3286765 Makes sense now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottbeard Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Why is it always soldiers? They are pretty ******ing busy at the moment and they've got better things to do. Why do we not see plans for local councillors to be driving these trucks Local councillors generally have day jobs, and do council work just a few days a week for a small amount of money. Soldiers on the other hand have to be employed in their thousands just in case there's a war, so finding something useful for them to do is ideal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy D Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 And then you get Wincanton... "which employs 16,000 staff, pays its 450 drivers £45,000 a year before overtime, putting their wage rate in the top 25pc of haulage companies." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/9166214/Oil-tanker-boss-holds-firm-amid-risk-of-strike-by-drivers.html Sounds like the unions are just being greedy shit stirring bastards (again)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deflation Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 There's a lot of bluster about Health and Safety from the unions when it's fundamentally about long-term highly paid driver contracts. I know a tanker driver who works for a smallish firm and he's on over £10 an hour, plus overtime. He deserves it, it's hard and responsible work, especially delivering in the really bad weather, with what is basically a very big bomb behind him. However, some drivers at firms have had long established ironclad wage increase contracts that are not reasonable any more. I hear Wincanton tanker drivers are on £16 per hour! If they don't change their terms and conditions, the companies will be undercut by other firms and job losses will follow instead. At the last fuel blockades in 2000, Tony Blair basically s**t himself when he discovered (him and Brown didn't know) that the fuel companies contracted out their deliveries years ago and didn't employ many drivers themselves any more. So they couldn't just sack 'em and get some more because they didn't basically use their own drivers for forecourt deliveries. Edited: Whilst I was typing this, someone beat me to it about Wincanton. Good link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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