U.K. Fuel Truck Drivers Strike at Conoco Site, Union Says
January 25, 2012, 1:37 AM ESTBy Lananh Nguyen
(Updates with comment from Conoco in fourth paragraph.)
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. fuel truck drivers began a seven-day strike and protest outside the ConocoPhillips-owned Humber oil refinery in northern England, according to Unite, the nation’s largest union.
The strike over pay and pensions, which began today, may cause a local fuel shortage, the union said.
“No fuel is going to get through to the Jet garages and obviously that’s going to have a knock on effect on the other drivers as they seek to refill their cars,” Matt Draper, a national official at Unite, said by phone from a protest at the 221,000 barrel-a-day plant.
“The refinery is operating as normal,” Nina Stobart, a ConocoPhillips spokeswoman based at the refinery said in an e- mailed response to questions. “The dispute is between Wincanton and their drivers. ConocoPhillips have no direct involvement.”
The drivers oppose changes to their pay and working conditions by logistics company Wincanton Plc, which carries fuel to Conoco’s Jet-brand stations, Draper said. Wincanton transports about 20 percent of the fuel that leaves Conoco’s terminal, Stobart said.
“This strike, which we believe to be wholly unnecessary, could create significant disruption for road-users and fuel retailers,” Wincanton said in a statement posted on its website yesterday. The company is the biggest U.K.-owned transport and logistics provider, it said.
--Editors: Raj Rajendran, Rachel Graham.
To contact the reporter on this story: Lananh Nguyen in London at lnguyen35@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephen Voss in London at sev@bloomberg.net
