UK PM Cameron chairs crisis meeting as fuel strike looms

[News_Editor]

UK PM Cameron chairs crisis meeting as fuel strike looms

2012-03-29 02:28:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, COBRA, to prepare for a strike by fuel tank drivers which could effectively paralyze the country's transport system.

"The meeting re-iterated that this is an industrial dispute and that there is no justification for a strike," a Downing Street spokesman said following the COBRA meeting. "Unite [union] and employers need to work together to reach an agreement that will avert the irresponsible industrial action that threatens the nation with economic and social disruption."

About 2,000 fuel truckers have voted for a strike, although strike dates have not been set yet. Britain's biggest union, Unite, said the strike ballot is about safety standards and terms and conditions, and not about pay. The union has claimed the industry is too 'fragmented' and demands a 'national forum' which would hold the employers to account over conditions.

A strike by the fuel tank drivers would affect seven companies which supply approximately 90 percent of Britain's 8,706 petrol stations and the country's airports, according to Unite, which warned that petrol stocks could run out within 48 hours after a strike begins.

"No one wants a strike and no date has been set for one, however, the Government does have to prepare for the possibility that there will be a strike," the Downing Street spokesman said, adding that the government aims to minimize disruption to the public. "The Government has learnt lessons from the past and stands ready to act to manage the impact of any strike, in particular, to our emergency and essential services."

As a result of the looming fuel strike, the British government is considering to deploy military personnel to take the place of striking drivers behind the wheel of commercial tankers. Those service members would need an eight-day training course, and the BBC reported on Wednesday that more than 80 drivers from the Royal Air Force have already begun initial training.

"COBRA discussed the range of contingency plans that the Government has been preparing in the event of a strike, aimed at getting supplies through to emergency and essential services and to build a level of resilience in the system for businesses and motorists," the Downing Street spokesman said following the meeting. "It also looked to further measures to strengthen the resilience of the fuel supply including by increasing the potential number of military drivers and by maximizing the levels of fuel storage capacity outside of depots."

Panic buying was reported across the country on Wednesday, with some petrol stations already reporting shortages as a result of the sudden jump in sales. Panic buying escalated after the government suggested that people should stock up on fuel as a 'precaution', and comments by Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude drew criticism from firefighters after he told people to store extra fuel in their garage.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said Maude's advice would 'massively increase' fire and explosion risk and called on the official to withdraw his comments. "This is not sensible advice and people should be discouraged from doing so," said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack. "The general public does not properly understand the fire and explosion risk of storing fuel even if it was done sensibly."

Wrack said those without garages may be tempted to store fuel in their homes, which would be 'disastrous' in the event of a fire in the house or a neighboring property. "There is a real danger the public will start storing fuel in inappropriate ways if the Government is encouraging panic buying and storage," he said. "This advice is wrong and must be withdrawn."

Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, Unite welcomed the possibility of talks through ACAS in a bid to resolve the fuel tank drivers dispute. "We welcome the prospect of exploratory talks and await a formal invitation from Acas," Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said. "We trust that the employers, and the supply chain, including oil majors, will engage with us and that the government will do everything in their power to help us avoid industrial action."

In 2000, hauliers and farmers protesting against high fuel taxes brought much of the country's transport system to a standstill when they blockaded oil refineries and petrol distribution centers.

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