27 April 2012

Unions Urge Tanker Drivers To Reject Latest Offer

In the continuing dispute tanker drivers have been urged to reject the latest offer after the Unite union said the new proposals were unsatisfactory.

Shop stewards voted "overwhelmingly" to reject the potential settlement in a meeting today and they will recommend that 2,000 drivers turn down the peace document in a consultative ballot.

It is the second time Unite has rejected an offer in just over a week. The latest set of proposals, thrashed out after two extra days of talks at the Acas conciliation service, fleshes out an earlier accord and includes an appendix detailing how the deal will be implemented.

Diana Holland, assistant general secretary of Unite, said the proposals still did not meet the union's demands for minimum standards across the industry. "The proposals represent progress on some of the key areas such as health and safety. But it is clear that they do not give enough guarantees that the instability and insecurity gripping the industry will come to an end."

The latest rejection raises the odds of industrial action next month, with one of the largest fuel distributors, Wincanton, already indicating this week that the industry is unable to make further concessions.

(H)