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Pickets were out in force at the refinery on Saturday morning angry at the their employers, Shell and the media for distorting the truth behind the dispute. “Every time I watch the news yesterday I heard my pay had gone up,” one strike told Respect. “The highest it reached was £46,000. If I earned that do you really think I’d be on strike?” The reality is that Shell drivers get £31,800 for a 45-hour week of shift work. “I mean, who still does a basic 45 hour week?” asked one driver. “The media say we’re being greedy but they should try filling up here in the freezing cold, at three in the morning on New Year’s Eve.” The dispute is set against a background, recognisable to many, of declining pay and working conditions since Shell contracted out its tanker deliveries to Hoyer UK and Suckling Transport. “Things have just got worse and worse here since Hoyer took over,” reported a striker. “Not only have we not had a decent pay rise but our conditions have got worse. They closed the canteen where we used to be able to get a decent meal. We now have to put our holiday requests in a year in advance. If the management don’t like your face – because you refuse to do overtime or have been off sick – then they just turn down your holiday requests.” “I’ll tell you what Hoyer stands for,” added another striker, “Hand Over Your Employment Rights.” Strikers were already planning for their next strike the following weekend, confident that their action is already beginning to bite. Not a single drop of fuel has left the Stanlow refinery by road since the strike started. BP drivers who work alongside their Shell colleague have refused to cross the picket lines. “We deliver between 20 million and 25 million litres of fuel a day,” pointed out one driver.” That's over 40million litres that should be in forecourt tanks but is still in the refinery. And that’s just this refinery. They say only a few stations are affected but it they won’t be able to hide the truth when the empty signs go up.” Another striker reported that flights in and out of Liverpool, whose fuel comes from Stanlow, were being told to refuel at other European airports. Strikers are convinced they can win this dispute. Some were unhappy that they may inconvenience the public but as one pointed out, “We don’t want to be on strike and we’ll go back tomorrow with a decent deal. And that’s much less than the company are claiming we already earn.” George Galloway and Respect have issued a statement giving 100% support to the strikers. Respect MP George Galloway has today (13/06/2008)offered full support to the Shell tanker drivers, members of the Unite union, who have begun a four day strike. "No one takes the decision to strike lightly," he said. "Anyone who's ever lost a day's pay by taking industrial action will know what the tanker drivers have gone through to reach this point. "Their strike deserves the support of working people across Britain, whose pay is being held down below the true rate of inflation. Instead of macho posturing, as he's doing over our civil liberties, Gordon Brown would be better off ensuring fair pay for the tanker drivers, who after all work in an industry that is making record profits from the price of oil." Galloway has written to the Unite union and to tanker drivers offering support from Respect. Message of support: The billionaire-owned press and politicians from all the establishment parties seem to think that workers who transport fuel don't have to pay for it at the pump or through soaring prices for food and domestic heating. Of course you do. And like the rest of us you are fleeced by the robber barons of the oil industry, only for you it's twice over. I and Respect know you have not decided to strike lightly. You are fully justified in taking action to achieve long overdue pay increases - which are needed now to keep pace with inflation. The Bank of England has acknowledged that it is not the pay of working people that is driving inflation. Rather it is the greed of companies such as Shell who are profiteering from the price of oil. In any sane society you would have decent pay, pensioners would not be frightened to turn the heating on in winter for fear of the bills, and our scarce natural resources would be husbanded carefully to meet the needs of everyone on the planet and future generations. Instead, we've got obscene profits alongside rising prices, repossessions, job insecurity and stress. It's not only the whole trade union movement who should back you. It is everyone who is hit by the rising cost of a loaf of bread or a packet of rice; the majority of people in Britain who spend most of their income on food and fuel. The lorry owners have something to fall back on. Those who work for a living have nothing except their ability to stand together for the common good. In pursuing this entirely justified action for decent pay you are not only helping yourselves and your families; you are providing an example for everyone else. If you win, the teachers in your children's schools might feel emboldened to take further action for decent pay and proper funding for education; others might fight for the pay & resources that will stop vital staff from leaving our public services. The zealots of failed free market economics say that this will lead to a wage-price spiral. Well it won't do if the government stepped in to control prices, to prevent profiteering, just as we did in previous national emergencies, just as we did during the Second World War. This government says we should lock people up for 42 days on the grounds of national security. If they were sincere about that, they'd be banging up the saboteurs who run the oil and gas companies. But all the establishment parties are happy for us to be held hostage by the corporations. Respect doesn't agree. And we support you 100 percent. In solidarity, George
Galloway MP
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14/06/2008