So where's the fuel protests this time then?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

Thanks for the quick reply Coffee, no way to screw the system up their then. The only bloke you’d be screwing is yourself. There’s got to be a way to make ourselfs heard forcefully without actually getting on the road and stopping everything. Follow all routes and if we have to do that, then we can say we’ve done this this and this and been forced into this for these reasons to make our voice heard because it’s being ignored everywhere else.

I think your right Critic - especially about the media bit, but at the end of the day if we do manage to win a small battle for the fuel, then we can flex our muscles over wages next time. As you say we need the bosses and the publics support for this one - after all it’s taking money out of all our pockets. We don’t want to look like money grabbing drivers.

I’ll say it now as well (and it’s not aimed at anyone) the bickering between ourselvs has to stop NOW[/b[/size]]. If we can’t learn to work togeather then we’ll never look like getting anything. But maybe, just maybe, we can make someone sit up and take notice somewhere.

22

Yeah you are right Critic but recall last time, we had the public with us (I recall slowing the A14 past Huntingdon with a lady driver & the general public was on the bridges waving / cheering, some bull [zb] spin about us holding up ambulances etc & the previously supportive press turned round & helped the government to defeat us…what about the ‘SUPOSSED’ threats to tanker drivers, I say that is complete bull, I do not believe any were ever threatened)
The press/ media at the time came out with all the " you dont want to mess with the drivers, they are all big blokes that dont take [zb] from anyone"
We are not thugs/ social misfits/ criminals (soon to be welcomed into our ranks) but that is the way we are painted.
The press (wether local or tabloid) is incredibly fickle & will turn just as quickly off a cause if it means more sales for them, its all good copy you know!
If anything was to happen again it would have to be VERY carefully managed to play the best bull[zb] ers at their own game & still get the message across without being discredited like we were last time.

23

It makes me sad to see read your comments.

I’ve been and tried some of the things you guys are talking about.
In 1998. I took my truck to support demos in Birmingham, London, Gloucester,
Shrewsbury and around the midlands, through Leicester & Nottingam &
Coventry too. It cost me a small fortune.

I wrote to my local MP’s. One of these managed to raise a debate about the price of fuel tax in the House of Commons ( Owen Patterson MP N.Shropshire )

I’ve written to the papers,the truck magazines,been to meetings& truck shows,I’ve been to rallies in Westminster & even into the House of Commons.
I still occasionally write to the treasury - All in the name of unjust fuel taxes.
When all else seemed to fail, I supported the fuel protests at Stanlow & at fuel depots in Birmingham, because I believed someone had to make a stand.
Not only for the benefit of British truckers,but for the sake of the economy too.

It cost me thousands of pounds in time & effort. I am glad to say I was not alone. I had many friends who did the same and more!

The questions you people are asking " WHAT IF ?" have already been asked.

I was asking fellow hauliers to get off their butts and make their feelings known. Most were too stupid,idle or arrogant to lift a finger to help themselves back then.

Some of you who are complaining now, what were you doing in 1998,1999 & 2000?

The reality of the situation is, that because so few people supported the fuel protests in a practical way. The Government has since been able to develop contingency plans to avoid the same situation happening again, your ideas may be scuppered before they start.

As far as I’m concerned after the effort & cost I put in last time, this time I’ll fight my own battles on my own behalf, solidarity in this country is stone dead!!!

24

There has never been solidarity in this industry & to believe there ever was is pure folly.
Haulier A refuses to take a load because the rate offered (with no chance of upping the rate) would leave said haulier out of pocket.
Haulier B comes along & will either

  1. run at a loss in the misguided hope of getting paying work off this customer
  2. run bent / pressure his drivers into running bent on his behalf (cant do enough for a good boss you know !).
  3. take anything going because the repayments need to be made & cannot see past the end of his own nose to realise he is working for nothing.

Doesnt matter how you look at it or who you blame, there are a lot of hauliers all trying to scratch a living & the majority would run a picket line (by proxy [via employed drivers] if necessary), its all about the £££ at the end of it so no point complaining.
I for one know exactly where I was/ what I did in 2000, as do many other drivers on this forum so we wont be paying homage to you just yet :unamused:

25

Mike Lewis:
It makes me sad to see read your comments.

As far as I’m concerned after the effort & cost I put in last time, this time I’ll fight my own battles on my own behalf, solidarity in this country is stone dead!!!

Where will you get with it?

26

There was a piece about the cost of fuel in today’s Daily Mail (Saturday). Its approximately £3.64 (as “Primo” said) but there’s a garage in Chelsea selling unleaded for 96p per litre (according to the Daily Mail) !!!

Whilst mentioning “Primo”, I had a Renault Premium the night before last; “Y” Reg 420dCi pulling a fridge full of spuds and swedes, coming down from Forton/Lancaster MSA. I haven’t driven one for ages and I was surprised how comfortable it was. Weren’t a bad motor, quick on the hills too.

27

There doesn’t seem to be the ground swell of discontent there was last time and it will only be the owner drivers and small hauliers the protest. The big boys will keep working.

Anybody who is thinking of using the same tactics as last time, be warned the government will not be such a push over. I think they will arrest drivers who run rolling road blocks or blockade oil depots. They may also take ‘O’ Licences away. Although with the forces deployed all over the place if the tanker drivers don’t move then I doubt they will be able to move the oil.

28

Cav203k:
There has never been solidarity in this industry & to believe there ever was is pure folly.

Sadly, apart from a few pockets of solidarity (of self interested parties) here and there over the years, thats the plain truth.

The govt robs us all on fuel tax because it can, and the only real way to reverse this is for ALL motorists or a very goodly percentage of those that buy fuel to send a letter to their MP. In sufficient numbers, anything works, because the politicians are just theiving liars and care only about votes, and winning elections.

Millions of motorists are just millions of voters to those reptiles, and they do love to placate the voters. Sadly I dont think it’ll happen though in numbers sufficient to make the robbers backtrack on the criminal tax they levy on fuel.

Mal.

29

The Problem is today that if the Tanker drivers went on strike the Armed forces would move the Fuel to essential services ie hospitals and such , this lessens the impact of any strike, The government are ready this time for such action, i myself was one of those shiffting the fuel on the last strike to such places, no i wasnt a Scab as the Firemen called us i and many others were just ordered to do the job, During the last strike military artic tankers were used and the forces drivers were trained up on the civilian tankers in case these needed to be used, so that is what will happen again, you can guarantee that they are getting ready just incase someone kicks it off.

30

The point is that last time the emergency services were NEVER hampered in any way, fuel was available to them at all times.
Being the weapon that it is, the media was used to make it look like we were all causing women/children & oap’s to burn in their beds / not get an ambulance / anarchy would surely set in because the police couldnt patrol due to no petrol.
When faced with a message like that poor old joe public started to believe it (no truth in it whatsoever but it sold newspapers).
Until we take a lesson from the French & learn to stand by each other whatever the outcome to acheive something for the people (which includes all of us ) nothing will ever change.
Its time Bliar & his cronies were strung up from the nearest lamp post .
Pressure in writing / by peaceful demo demanding this government step down would be a start but there is no sense of community anymore so 'I’m alright Jack ’ !
Its not difficult to keep a man in line if he knows he will go to prison for standing up to be counted, families have to be fed, bills have to be paid so we get as far as airing some discontent on here.
That pretty much sums it up so bend over & pucker up everyone, Bliar will ■■■■ us all for as long as he sees fit…Just glad I didnt vote the ■■■■■■■ in !
Anyone else want this soapbox? :laughing:

31

So let’s include some of the motoring organisations like the RAC,AA and IAM knock them a template letter out and ask them to send it to all their members via E-Mail/in their next contact with them. Never hurt to ask did it?

32

Mal:
The govt robs us all on fuel tax because it can, and the only real way to reverse this is for ALL motorists or a very goodly percentage of those that buy fuel to send a letter to their MP. In sufficient numbers, anything works, because the politicians are just theiving liars and care only about votes, and winning elections.

There was a conversation on the radio the other day about MPs and their changes in behaviour once voted into Parliament. It said that the majority of MPs treat their constituents (and the general public) with absolute contempt. It went on to say that it 99.99% of the voting population were to vote “NO” in a referendum, thus disagreeing with the Government, then this would be viewed as “mob rule”. What happened to democracy !

33

brummie:

Mal:
The govt robs us all on fuel tax because it can, and the only real way to reverse this is for ALL motorists or a very goodly percentage of those that buy fuel to send a letter to their MP. In sufficient numbers, anything works, because the politicians are just theiving liars and care only about votes, and winning elections.

There was a conversation on the radio the other day about MPs and their changes in behaviour once voted into Parliament. It said that the majority of MPs treat their constituents (and the general public) with absolute contempt. It went on to say that it 99.99% of the voting population were to vote “NO” in a referendum, thus disagreeing with the Government, then this would be viewed as “mob rule”. What happened to democracy !

I aint a bit surprised Brummie, its the way it looks and sounds, so I believe thats the case. I really think they are all crooks, BUT, they do love the voters, so Im going to try a letter to my (unvoted for by me) snivelling local non-productive sponger.

Democracy? like it ever existed? Or would that be whats basically the chance for the sheep to choose who shears them every 4 years or so? No ta, I dont vote since '79, they all slag each other in opposition, and do identical things when in power.

Mal.

34

Mal:
so Im going to try a letter to my (unvoted for by me) snivelling local non-productive sponger.

Mal.

So very well put!!! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

And you know somthing… its as daft as that!!! :smiley: :smiley:

35

Cheers Critic, and is is as daft as that aint it! LOL!

Mal