News

As MT went to press, a planned strike by workers at Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland, which could cripple supplies for a month, hung in the balance. Up to 1,200 workers are planning to walk out on 27 and 28 April over pension changes. The site's owner, Ineos, says the industrial action would mean no fuel supplies in Scotland and northern England for at least a month, as it would have to shut the refinery for safety reasons.

A spokeswoman for Unite reveals that the trade union and Ineos  were about to enter conciliation with ACAS. A representative from Ineos adds: "Discussions with the union have been progressing well and we are now in talks with ACAS with regard to getting a swift resolution to this situation." Asked how bad the situation would be for the industry if the strike went ahead, Phil Flanders, the RHA's regional director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, says: "If the site was closed for a month, we'd be in the shit. It could be really serious, not just for hauliers, but for businesses that need their goods delivered."

Anne Preston, chairman of Prestons of Potto, says she is concerned that the strike would be "yet another excuse for the price of fuel to go up", while Cameron Young, managing director of Cameron Young Transport in Dumfries, says the strike would send a lot of small Scottish hauliers under. "However, I can't honestly see the government allowing it to get that far," he adds.