Fuel Tanker drivers

Surf-Matt

They currently get £36k and have rejected a rise to £41k and now caused major disruption across the UK.

WHAT THE F**K?!!

Methinks their campaign has backfired now the public know what they get paid - a HELL of a lot for driving a lorry around.

stumpyjon

I agree with the payrise thing, that does seem rather well paid, and there isn't any difference between driving a tanker and any other freight lorry, if they were any more dangerous than a normal lorry they wouldn't be on the roads.

That said anything that keeps fuel at the top of the news agenda (in particularly cost and tax related) it's all good in my opinion until this thieving government starts to cut back on it's tax take.

Nick Dastardly

I spotted that earlier too. I can think of much worse jobs to do that get paid a hell of a lot less. If they're not happy with being paid that much then I bet I can find plenty of people that will.

SBezza

That is plenty to be honest, most HGV drivers I know around the SE don't get that much. 41K for just driving a lorry, I would snap that up to be honest.

I say let them strike, I doubt it will achieve anything anyhow, just make people upset and not visit a Shell filling station, though that will hurt the filling station propieiters more than Shell.

sicrow

Just taken me 50 minutes to so 3 miles due to a ******* fuel protest averaging 9 mpg instead of 49 mpg

I don't mind them protesting but leave the road free for people who want to use it
:x

Still at least my company has an account with Shell so no going to work on Monday

danhx

sicrow wrote:

Just taken me 50 minutes to so 3 miles due to a ******* fuel protest averaging 9 mpg instead of 49 mpg

I don't mind them protesting but leave the road free for people who want to use it
:x

Still at least my company has an account with Shell so no going to work on Monday

Should have used your bike!

Annoyingly I just got a card that gives me 3% cashback on Shell fuel... and seen as all my fuel is claimed back through the company I shall be using shell until they (Citi) pull this offer.

Anonymous

sicrow wrote:

Just taken me 50 minutes to so 3 miles due to a ******* fuel protest averaging 9 mpg instead of 49 mpg

I don't mind them protesting but leave the road free for people who want to use it
:x

Still at least my company has an account with Shell so no going to work on Monday

I thought the go-slow was a different matter - Truckers wanting the fuel duty slashed? I thought the tanker drivers were blockading, rather than doing a rolling stoppie

dirtbiker100

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/busi ... 806191032/
made me laugh

Anonymous

dirtbiker, that is a classic!

dav1

they are demaiding a substantial raise on above average pay at a time of economoc downturn.

Worse still is that oil is a major part of this economic situation and now the oil fuel price will now rise further to give this pay rise worsening the problem.

Fuzz Monkey Five

Tanker drivers are making themselves exceptionally unpopular, 36K for a pretty simple job and refusing a 14% pay rise. They have realised they can hold the country to ransom but it's in danger of backfiring on them.

Remember the last petrol strike in 2000 ? Blair said it won't happen again as he would train up teh army to drive the tankers if it happened again, but they are now fighting two wars.

Anonymous

The army guys also get paid a hell of a lot less than the tanker drivers, and actually DO risk death from REAL explosives every day.
Which drives home the point that the tanker drivers really don't deserve this rise.
Timebomb my arse, when was the last time you ever heard of a fuel tanker spontaneously exploding?

supersonic

Happened in Terminator. I think we have more to fear from Terminators than tankers exploding though.

Anonymous

Of course, Sonic. I hadn't considered terminators. They are, of course, a common threat for long-distance fuel hauliers, but for the rest of us, it's easy to forget how dangerous they are.

Now if terminators went on strike, that would be a good thing. It would bring a temporary respite to the killing and bad jokes.

supersonic

I think they are just unlucky. Happened with that liquid nitrogen tanker too.

On a serious note though, I never knew that the drivers got paid so much! Holding the country to ransom.

Where are my stabilisers?

Er, have any of you ever seen a tanker driver go up in flames?? I saw one on a video recently in work and it wasn't that pretty. Gasoline is highly explosive and dangerous and there are real risks the drivers take every day! 41K is a lot of money but it is a dangerous job and they work all hours.

The "go slow" was a different protest.

supersonic

I have seen one go up in flames. But when did it last happen in the UK? I'd be suprised if it has ever happened on a UK road! It's a risky cargo, but people get paid far less for more dangerous jobs.

Anonymous

Maybe the drivers are terminators, and this is their way of ending humankind?

fatlad

Tanker Drivers have a cheek to moan. They get paid more than most Coppers. Fundamentally wrong. :evil:

If you dont like it..... get another job.

Anonymous

i agree with fatlad, this country is pi$$ed if it thinks it is acceptable to strike over pay. id understand if they were about to be getting paid less, but they're not. they are getting paid the same if not more than the day they accepted the job, if they dont like their wages, they should fu£k of and get a different one, there will be plenty of drivers who would take the measly 36k.

the same goes for anyone who strikes over their pay, like it or lump it and certinly dont expect the armed forces to pick up the slack, we re plenty busy enough without worrying about supporting a nation of civvies who love to nail us to the wall at every oppportunity.

BlackSpur

If they can strike for getting paid that much I think I'll strike from my Saturday job in the bike shop! £3 an hour is a measly wage, and my job probably requires more knowledge then theirs!

Anonymous

Where are my stabilisers? wrote:

Er, have any of you ever seen a tanker driver go up in flames?? I saw one on a video recently in work and it wasn't that pretty. Gasoline is highly explosive and dangerous and there are real risks the drivers take every day! 41K is a lot of money but it is a dangerous job and they work all hours.

The "go slow" was a different protest.

It's not really a dangerous job in relation to such things as Soldiers, Firefighters, miners etc though is it. :roll:

Trucks bursting into flames is not a common risk. I've never heard of a truck exploding.
Petrol isn't explosive by itself, it's just flammable. you need to get the right fuel/air mixture for it to explode.

Where are my stabilisers?

no, but then they are vocational jobs. Don't forget the vapour which can build up and explode. I saw this vid in work where the tanker driver was preparing to unload and the next thing he was on fire just by opening the valve! you can't underestimate the dangers.

But I completly agree - Soldiers etc do deserve a lot more for what they do and for tanker drivers to whine about what they already get is a bit out of order. I think they are prob peed off coz they prob get paid less than other Shell workers and think they deserve as much as them. Thats probably the truth of it!

I'd drive a tanker for 36k....perhaps i'll write to shell

Anonymous

for what its worth, money is actually pretty good in the army especially if you couple that with the fact that we have a cheaper standard of living in certain respects (my house costs me 200 quid a month including council tax) and we get 6 weeks off a year and free private health care and medicines.

it is often considered that on civvie street we would need to earn about 6 grand more than our current wage to cover the increased cost of living due to mortgages and a daily commute and such stuff.

so, a job with shell would be the perfect wage!!

BlackSpur

I don't think I could stand a life on motorways at 60mph slowly eating myself to death with pork pies and other service station delights...

Anonymous

Where are my stabilisers? wrote:

... I think they are prob peed off coz they prob get paid less than other Shell workers and think they deserve as much as them. Thats probably the truth of it! ...

you're probably right. Most "pay issues" I've known some details about are due to unfair increases, or inequality, and not actually about the total amount.

but you know what? I'd happily drive a fuel tanker for 20K even, 'cause it's still more than I get now (unless overtime comes good) and a lot less stress.

pyro_maniac

less stress driving a truck? ok
try driving one for a week then comment, its harder then people realise, honestly
i am not condoning the tankers actions at all, i think it is all a farce anyway

willy b

Sorry...But the person who said a tanker is no more danger than a normal HGV is just wrong in every way. Yes they don't spontaneously explode (well they can, but not often) But transporting that amount of flammable liquid....
If it catches fire on the motorway, because of an accident think of the carnage it would cause.
If a tractor unit is on fire, the fire brigade can't remove the drivers...too dangerous.

Level of pay is all down to responsibilities. Tanker drivers have a big responsibility!

However i do agree that £36k is a good wage. I'm not saying their correct to strike, but i can see where there coming from. Imagine if your business that you work in suddenly makes millions and millions more profit each month, you originally got paid (lets say) £20,000 now your seeing that your business where you working is making far more profit than original...Only fair that you should get a pay rise isn't it?

Anonymous

willy b wrote:

However i do agree that £36k is a good wage. I'm not saying their correct to strike, but i can see where there coming from. Imagine if your business that you work in suddenly makes millions and millions more profit each month, you originally got paid (lets say) £20,000 now your seeing that your business where you working is making far more profit than original...Only fair that you should get a pay rise isn't it?

That's not how it ever works though is it? :roll:
I used to work for a company that was bought by a multinational. The accuisition of our company increased their profits by several billion dollars per annum. they openly stated that our division alone was responsible for over 25% of their global profits.

How were we rewarded? By redundancies. No pay rises, no bonuses.

willy b

yeehaamcgee wrote:

willy b wrote:

However i do agree that £36k is a good wage. I'm not saying their correct to strike, but i can see where there coming from. Imagine if your business that you work in suddenly makes millions and millions more profit each month, you originally got paid (lets say) £20,000 now your seeing that your business where you working is making far more profit than original...Only fair that you should get a pay rise isn't it?

That's not how it ever works though is it? :roll:
I used to work for a company that was bought by a multinational. The accuisition of our company increased their profits by several billion dollars per annum. they openly stated that our division alone was responsible for over 25% of their global profits.

How were we rewarded? By redundancies. No pay rises, no bonuses.

Sounds a nice company! :roll: Although i still think the huge profits and the fact that the oil tanker drivers can see that oil is becoming scarce...supply and demand will dictate the price, so they know that they can push for a higher wage (which they now have got)
I'm sure you wouldn't be complaining if you were the drivers...

stumpyjon

I'm sorry but there are plenty of other drivers out there who don't earn anywhere near as much as Tanker drivers and they've got the same basic driving skills. As for tanker drivers having a more dangerous job, what about other types of tanker with chemicals etc or powders for that matter, they can be pretty explosive.

As for the profit thing, what people often seem to forget is that businesses are there to make money for their shareholders. Anything else they do is all focused towards this goal. Companies don't treat their workforce well because it's the moral thing to do, they do it because a motivated employee works harder and the business makes more money. Giving people more money doesn't often motivate them anyway, low pay demotivates, pay increases quickly become the norm.

I'm not saying I don't want a payrise or anything and to be honest I'm jealous of the pay the drivers are getting for the work they do, fair play to them for being clever enough to get it, just don't try and justify it against the work they're doing because they are being paid well over the norm.