Panic buying petrol - PLONKERS

I can be more abusive about the irrational muppets, if required.
It appears that Sandys has already collected her badge and membership card.

BBC NEWS | Business | Deal struck in petrol tanker row

Good news

Originally Posted by Gibbo

BBC NEWS | Business | Deal struck in petrol tanker row

Good news

Is it?

There's no substance in that story at all. The union representatives and the employers have agreed on something that is not specified and upon which the drivers will be balloted.

So to summarise, a couple of guys who didn't agree now agree on something that no-one knows about and the people that were on strike may or may not agree with whatever it is.

Its a shame really because maybe a few strikes down the line people might have realised that there was no need to panic buy in the first place.
Some irrationality can be removed with gentle education.
Only gentle mind!

So when the Shell drivers get their pay rise, how long will it be till all the other disgruntled tanker drivers say ' If they're getting 39k then i want 39k'. Probably happening already

Originally Posted by strat24v

. Probably happening already

Yup...... perhaps we should call them 'panic' strikes by all tanker drivers.

Still it's good to know that we'll all be paying a bit extra for our fuel to fund it.

Originally Posted by strat24v

So when the Shell drivers get their pay rise, how long will it be till all the other disgruntled tanker drivers say ' If they're getting 39k then i want 39k'. Probably happening already

I overheard a conversation yesterday where a tanker driver was saying that the Shell drivers were lagging behind other tanker drivers in pay, and this rise would only level up the playing field.

Like I said, if they can get it, then best of luck to them.

About the only thing working in my local shell stations are the cash machines (thankfully).

Fortunately I have about 4 BP garages within a couple of miles of my house

I spoke to a filling station owner who said he was getting in touch with other filling station owners, to blockade the depots so the supermarkets run out of fuel ,then they will get to sell some fuel for a change
39k seems small change compared to 100k for a GP , lets not forget the drivers who drive for the smaller companies , who don't get anywhere near this

mon the drivers, and if you don't like it get a licence , sit medical, get the experience and knock of Shell's door

Originally Posted by simonp

39k seems small change compared to 100k for a GP

GP average is 84k I believe. They study for 7 years, then have to do some years experience before they go into general practice I think.

What worries me more than the actual salary is the massive over inflation rise. How do the Police, teachers, nurses etc feel with their around inflation increases for a job that none of us can do without?

The 39K seems now to be 41K, a very good rate of pay and a massive % increase.

I really do not think that the skills required justify this but it is obvious that they can, and have, held the country to ransom and got what they wanted. There are many, many more skilled and technical jobs around that struggle to get half of this despite years of full time education and training.

This is not a " knock an HGV driver " rant but I do find it hard to swallow that this particular section of the industry can command such a high salary.

If there are any truckers reading this I would like to know what they get for a standard salary, my feeling is that it will be a fair way below the 41K.

Should we be working towards everyone having higher salaries or the tanker drivers earning less ???

I'd just like to see everyone get a salary commensurate with the actual job that they do. Now how and who decides what the rate is for a job.......

The Armed Forces Pay was decided by an independent panel who compared our jobs in the military with the nearest equivalent civvie one and then 10% was added to compensate for the extra hassle/danger/ duties etc that we faced. Seemed to work pretty well.

Of course every pay rise was grabbed back to some degree by the government in increased accommodation charges etc so it wasn't all sweetness and light. I do remember one year in the late 70's where the rise actually made me worse off !

Originally Posted by Gibbo

Should we be working towards everyone having higher salaries or the tanker drivers earning less ???

The only way everybody can have more money is by increasing the money supply and then watching Weimar style inflation.

Over the longer term the markets will always determine the value of an economic specialisation. However, the markets when they suffer a correction can be very vicious.

The market is starting such a correction and certain credible City analysts are suggesting that this will make the 30's depression look like a warm up act.

Could be interesting times ahead.

Originally Posted by Gibbo

Should we be working towards everyone having higher salaries or the tanker drivers earning less ???

What a simple question.... what a complicated answer.

We should all strive for a decent living wage where there are fair shares for all. The state should provide for our welfare (hospitals, police, etc.)

It's like the diagrams I used to draw at school.... the farmer provided the wheat to the baker, who baked the bread, and sold it to me. I paid him a reasonable charge for the bread and he passed on a percentage to the farmer. The taxman took a reasonable amount to pay for the welfare bit so that if any of us were ill we could be treated in hospital etc. etc.

And when I was at school it looked so simple and it should have worked.

But there was one simple bit missing that they never told me about.....

Greed and Envy (Very human traits)


Once we want to make more money than anyone else, be we employers or employed, the whole thing falls apart.

And being human we all want as much, or just a bit more, than the next guy.

So whether I'm a tanker driver, a union man or an employer I want as much as I can get.......

So I grew up from my schooldays

Welcome to the real world

Another simple truth is that higher salaries have to be paid for through higher prices for the consumer.

Generally we all have to consume things.

Its a vicious circle that will hike up inflation and cause the Govt/Bank to push interest rates back up.

It will get a whole lot worse before it gets even slightly better, in my opinion.

How do you go about your HGV license, I'm up for it.

Who's with me

Not me I'm afraid. I decided yesterday to look at emigrating.

I have sent requests for information to a number of agencies and I'm going to get my affairs in order and head off somewhere else.

Shouldn't be too hard to find a space.

Originally Posted by Nige005

If there are any truckers reading this I would like to know what they get for a standard salary, my feeling is that it will be a fair way below the 41K.

I think it is about 26k. I posted a link to an average salary list in another thread on this topic.

Interesting that 36k will be the BASE salary. So there will will overtime etc on top.

Nice pay for not much effort.

Funny how everyone seems to think that driving a tanker is a nice easy way to earn ££££££'s.

I wonder how many of you would say that after a few years of actually doing the job? Jeez our roads are stressful enough for a couple of hours in a car for oneself, let alone 48 hours a week for someone else.

The grass is always greener on that other side of the fence, aint it?

Walked past a local petrol station yesterday, and noticed a couple of diesel Transit vans parked by the pumps (despite the fact that the station was out of diesel).
Lo and behold, there were a couple of Chav/Pikey types filling up a line of half a dozen large jerry cans with unleaded.
Don't you just love 'em!!!