Tanker drivers strike rant

I ask what evidence do you have have to back up this claim ?

Mine is , I am close to a GP who has had to sell the sugery the 'partners' owned ( all made 100K+) as it was better for them to lease it from the NHS.

We are talking upwards of 200K per year now, in comparison to 150K in a Northern city.

yeah but GP's like all doctors have to keep learning/keep up with current medical procedures and treatments.
 
Basically, they don't stand a snowball in hells chance of getting a more cushy number and they think because the oil companies are so rich they will pay up with out much a fight (basically correct assumption)
 
I believe the issue is not necessarily the pay but they are now subcontractors for Shell. Previously they worked FOR Shell and thus received benefits such as pensions and healthcare. I believe this is no longer included in their terms of subcontraction. They allegedly have had no payrise since the 1990's which I fail to believe.

I can't understand how you could claim your job to be more worthwhile than the transportation of fuel... As that is pretty damn essential.
 
Pretty damn easy to find people to do it for less though...

Supply and demand.

If they are in a position where a strike will work it may not be quite as easy to get someone in for less otherwise they would have little leverage. Not that I know but I would assume that to be a tanker driver requires a bit more than a HGV licence.
 
If they are in a position where a strike will work it may not be quite as easy to get someone in for less otherwise they would have little leverage. Not that I know but I would assume that to be a tanker driver requires a bit more than a HGV licence.

no they have leverage cause it's illegal to fire them for striking/with no reason other than to hire someone cheaper.
 
I ask what evidence do you have have to back up this claim ?

Mine is , I am close to a GP who has had to sell the sugery the 'partners' owned ( all made 100K+) as it was better for them to lease it from the NHS.

We are talking upwards of 200K per year now, in comparison to 150K in a Northern city.

Err, the initial outlay of 5 years for a medical degree, the cost of buying a surgery (if you're looking to become a partner) and the cost of all the accountancy (yes, GPs do not have their accounts done by the NHS) are some of the initial costs.

Then the fact they have to work 9-5 as their job but they often work earlier hours and hours after to keep up with all the paperwork that GPs have to do (e.g. my dad works 8:30 - 6:30/7). They also have to keep on top of updating their own systems, managing all their staff, ensuring all the followups for their patients are done. Attending courses, conferences, paying for locums when doctors are on said events or ill, the joys of visits and other such things all mount up.

Do that for a few years and see how easy it really is :)
 
I don't agree with striking at all. If an office worker hadn't had a pay rise in several years, they would look for another job, not try to take the country to ransom, these drivers have the same option.

Direct Action is a valid and some times only method of getting an important message across, in this case the fact that the lorry drivers haven't had a pay rise since 1992 whilst the "Fat Cat" bosses of Shell (who the drivers contract for) have been using 1000 dollar bills to wipe their fat behinds. Direct Action also works against the Government when they refuse to listen and is valid for officer workers as well. If they are in a Union their voice can be heard, you can sack one person but not thousands. So I fully support the drivers (and a lot of other direct action causes) even if it inconveniences me.

I do feel sorry for Knip as I think she started this thread on the wrong foot. I agree with the job she does being "worth" more than the drivers but not in a monetary way more of a doing a service for society and helping out somebody who can not do so for themselves. For that she should be proud regardless of the pay.
 
That's another thing I don't understand, if they hate the pay and/or working conditions, why not just change job, or do they lack the brainpower to do that?
Instead of changing jobs like the rest of us, they pay another company (read: Union) who will organise other disgruntled unhappy workers.... :rolleyes:
 
Instead of changing jobs like the rest of us, they pay another company (read: Union) who will organise other disgruntled unhappy workers.... :rolleyes:

So it would be fair for somebody to come into the job (to replace those who left for another) to be paid the same as they would have been in 1992?

This strike is bigger than one man. Everybody new or old to this job gets screwed whilst Shell and the bosses of Hoyer get richer.
 
So it would be fair for somebody to come into the job (to replace those who left for another) to be paid the same as they would have been in 1992?

This strike is bigger than one man. Everybody new or old to this job gets screwed whilst Shell and the bosses of Hoyer get richer.
If the job advert said £x/annum and you were happy with that, then yes, why wouldn't other people work for that? If not, find something else!

It doesn't matter how much the company itself is making. You can earn more within your company by either a) doing overtime/odd hours b) promotion c) performance related pay etc.
 
So it would be fair for somebody to come into the job (to replace those who left for another) to be paid the same as they would have been in 1992?

This strike is bigger than one man. Everybody new or old to this job gets screwed whilst Shell and the bosses of Hoyer get richer.

Welcome to the real world, the directors would argue that shell or who ever make so much money at least partly because of them.

You can't say that for tanker drivers, how do they add value?
Anyway you wait and see if they 'win' next year there will be a leaner and fitter regime required:p
 
If the job advert said £x/annum and you were happy with that, then yes, why wouldn't other people work for that? If not, find something else!

It doesn't matter how much the company itself is making. You can earn more within your company by either a) doing overtime/odd hours b) promotion c) performance related pay etc.

Who's going to apply for a job that has circa 1992 wages? Also, life isn't as black and white as "Just get another job:, you know?

Sure you can earn more by doing overtime, but you should not need to do overtime just to bring you pay into line and how the hell can a lorry driver who delivers fuel get performance related pay? They are limited to the amount of hours they can drive each day.

I'll repeat they have not had a pay rise not even one in line with inflation since 1992

Welcome to the real world, the directors would argue that shell or who ever make so much money at least partly because of them.

You can't say that for tanker drivers, how do they add value?
Anyway you wait and see if they 'win' next year there will be a leaner and fitter regime required:p

Why do you think I am not in the real world? I understand that the Directors of Shell help make the companies vast profits. This isn't about their massive windfalls (although I do disagree with them) but it is about the fact that despite said increase in profits the drivers have had no pay increase for a long, long tiem.

Tanker drivers don't add value? How on earth do you think the fuel gets to the stations? You accuse me of not being in the real world! :p
I hope they win and I hope the strike lasts longer - just to get the message across, of course.
 
I'll repeat they have not had a pay rise not even one in line with inflation since 1992

Is that because they were massively overpayed before? £32k is a fair chunk of cash now, let alone in 1992...

Not everyone who ends up with a pay freeze is hard done by, it might just be that the gravy train has been derailed...
 
If you taker inflation into account and they haven't had a pay rise like they claim 40K start of the nineties is insanely good pay for the job.
 
They are protesting that their rise isnt inline with what the oil companies bosses have received in astronomical bonus's. And to be honest they have a point.

How on earth have they got a 'point'.

Who cares if the oil companies make bumper profits - its got nothing to do with them, nor does it entitle them to a slice. They aren't employed by the oil companies anyway. The fact is whether oil is $60 or $160 a barrel their job doesn't change - should they also get big pay cuts if oil companies became less profitable?

The fact they haven't had a pay rise in line with inflation is irrelevant - so long as the company can find a suitable number of drivers at the current rate then there isn't any need to pay any more. This isn't the 1920s - if you don't like a job then pull your thumb out and get a different one.
 
tbh i do consider all public sector jobs more worthwhile than private sector jobs... the latter is only concerned with its own greediness whilst the former has more greedy mouths to feed and is probably more accountable.
 
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