AustralianTruck drivers threaten to blockade refineries

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

Truck drivers threaten to blockade refineries

By STEPHEN CAUCHI Saturday 16 September 2000

Truck drivers had raised the possibility of an Australia-wide blockade of oil refineries next week, Transport Workers Union national president Hughie Williams said yesterday.

Mr Williams said there would be a national telephone hook-up next Tuesday after the Industrial Relations Commission handed down a decision on pay rates for long-distance truck drivers.

"People would like to get a blockade going against the oil companies in Australia like they have overseas," said Mr Williams, referring to the blockades that caused chaos in Britain this week.

"We'll have a lot of long-distance drivers that we'll be talking to on telephone hook-ups and it wouldn't surprise me that there'll be some call from these people to do likewise by blockading one or more of the oil companies. There is a strong possibility we'll start taking some action on Tuesday or Wednesday."

Mr Williams said the blockades might be held around refineries or diesel refuelling depots, and would be related solely to petrol prices, not the commission's pay decision.

"Truck drivers are going broke because they can't afford to drive their trucks," he said. "Produce people, farmers, manufacturers will not increase their rates and that's why truck drivers are carrying their freight for almost the price of the fuel only."

Mr Williams called on the Federal Government to cut fuel excise to ease prices.

Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday he did not support petrol boycotts or blockades.

"I think they're stupid and they hurt vulnerable people," he told radio 3AW.

Mr Howard maintained his refusal to consider freezing the indexation of petrol excise and said the pump price of unleaded petrol in Australia was less than half the price that it was in Britain.

http://theage.com.au/news/20000916/A2269-2000Sep15.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 15, 2000


Moderation questions? read the FAQ