Queues at petrol stations over tanker drivers' strike threat (updated)
Motorists have been queueing at petrol stations today after fuel tanker drivers threatened to strike in a row over terms and conditions and safety standards.
Workers in five of seven companies involved in the row have voted in favour of action, but a strike has yet to be announced.
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Vehicles queueing for petrol at BP, Stoneferry, this morning.
Petrol sales have shot up by 81 per cent and diesel by 43 per cent, according to the Petrol Retailers Association, leaving some garages low on stocks.
Hull-based Sewell Retail said this afternoon its Cottingham garage had run out of fuel and its Willerby site, where a tanker was expected this evening, was out of diesel. But it had good stocks at many of its other sites around the county.
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The conciliation service Acas, which has been in contact with the Unite union and the contractors involved in the dispute, said talks would not be held before Monday.
An Acas spokesman said: "We are in the process of receiving more detailed briefings from the parties on the various issues underpinning the dispute.
"This will enable us to determine more clearly the form substantive talks should take to provide the best opportunity for a negotiated settlement.
"We should conclude that process by Monday and would then hope substantive discussions would follow shortly afterwards."
Unite has not set any strike dates and has been stressing its willingness to negotiate. It will have to give seven days' notice of any walkouts and will have to make an announcement by tomorrow if it wants to hit the start of the Easter holidays.
Users of the Mail's Facebook page have been discussing the proposed strike.
Queues were described at supermarket garages including Hall Road Tesco and Holderness Road Morrisons, both in Hull.
Matt Duffill posted: "It's not like its the end of the world. Drivers should not start panic buying, it will only make things worse."
Kazzy Coyle wrote: "I have started walking where I can - you don't realise how much you rely on your car ... good luck to the strikers fighting for what they believe in."
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service is strongly urging people not to store petrol because of the risks.
Spokesman Pete Baron said: "Public safety is our main concern and the storing of petrol can be extremely dangerous. I would ask residents not to store fuel at all. However, I accept that some people will, so would ask that anyone considering this to stick to the following guidelines."
* Never store petrol in a domestic environment.
* Petrol must be stored in a building that is completely separate to a living place.
* Petrol must be stored in an approved plastic or metal container - the type you would typically buy from filling stations
* A maximum 30 litres can be stored in two 10 litre metal containers and two five-litre plastic containers
Never over-fill containers beyond the capacity marked on the container
* Containers should be marked 'petroleum spirit' and 'highly flammable'
* Petrol is a dangerous substance that can dramatically increase the risk of fire. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service recommends that members of the public keep any storage to a minimum.
Meanwhile, the AA has calculated panic buying across the country will bring in £32m in extra fuel excise duty.
AA president Edmund King said: “There is no fuel tanker strike and therefore if drivers followed normal fuel-buying patterns there would be no fuel shortage whatsoever.”
Comments
by scooter234
Friday, March 30 2012, 7:37AM
“There is another side to this, if like me a full tank will last you about six to eight weeks and we have all filled our tanks this week. There is a chance that the fuel stations will lose out because no one will be filling up for nearly two months and it just might bring a few pence of litre.”
by peterw6889
Thursday, March 29 2012, 11:54PM
“I agree with froggy39 in many ways.Let the over protected pampered kids and their parents walk to school,this is a no cost activity.Everyone would benefit, the NHS wouldn't be swamped with fatties and the kids would be fitter.I know of one mum who goes to her kids school 30 mins early so she can park close by (she sits and reads) so they don't have to walk to far if it's cold or wet!”
by PURPLESPIDER
Thursday, March 29 2012, 10:51PM
“Its a Government scam for more money out of us to start the new financial year in April. The strikers have set no date and have to give seven days notice before hand and by the time they do all who have filled up will have ran out and will have to do it all again, so what was the point? Not all companies are effected and most petrol stations will run as normal so why are British people acting like morons as usual?”
by froggy39
Thursday, March 29 2012, 10:20PM
“I fully agree that this stupid government have not helped the situation with all their statements about fuel shortages. Have they not asked themselves what happened in Dad's Army when the cry of "Don't panis" went up? However, the biggest morons in this whole affair are the bloody stupid motorists who just raced lemming-like to the petrol stations and sat there fuming and worrying that they would not be able to take the kids to school or out to do the big shop at the weekend, etc. etc. The more I see of the great British public the more convinced I become that something in the water is softening what little brain they possess. THER IS NO CRISIS, FOR GOD'S SAKE. Wake up and just get back to being a bit slow instead of stupid, you idiots!”
by peterw6889
Thursday, March 29 2012, 9:55PM
“See John Prescotts opening his huge mouth again.How quickly he forgets that he and his mates are the government that brought us to our knees.Shut it Prescott your yesterdays man!”
by loubylou116
Thursday, March 29 2012, 9:50PM
“We run our older diesel cars on veg oil. Only just over a £1/litre from cash n carry :-)”
by SollyAtwell
Thursday, March 29 2012, 8:20PM
“Filling up their cars? Wow! You mean there are still people who can afford to fill up their cars at these prices? I must be in the wrong job.
My wife asked me to take her out to somewhere expensive, so I took her to the local Shell filling station.”
by audemars
Thursday, March 29 2012, 7:32PM
“Don't panic Mr Mainwaring! Just keep your car topped off! remember 2000?, that was when Humberside Police said they couldn't guarantee John Prescotts safety at Mr Chus'! due to protestors, the country felt like it was on the verge of revolution then.
Does anyone realise petrol at 140p a litre is £6.37 a gallon (imperial) (4.55 litres to gallon at 140p/litre)”
by Maz666
Thursday, March 29 2012, 6:30PM
“Morev,
I thought exactly the same. When it looks like someone 'at the top' is going to be discovered doing something wrong, then they create a 'newsy' story of their own making to distract us gullible little souls. There was no need for such haste over the petrol situation - onlythe need to cover up other potentially harmful news!! Think they might have shot themselves in the foot with this one though.”
by David_Nivea
Thursday, March 29 2012, 6:30PM
“The responsibility for the queueing at the petrol stations lies squarely with those selfish oafs doing the queueing. Not the union, though they must have been fully aware that announcing a possible strike would cause the mindless lemmings to panic: not the government, though they in turn have proved to be not too media-savvy: not even the media with sensationalised images of closed garages and empty pumps and newsreaders with faces like doom reading out the news. Demonstrates how easily the masses can be influenced though. Quite scary.
Frankly, I'm amazed that anyone can afford to buy so much extra fuel after the price increase-related moaning from drivers of all kinds, post-Budget. They must all have been telling fibs.”