Jet strike rolls on

The heated dispute saw 123 Wincanton oil tanker drivers working on the ConocoPhillips contract walk out at 5am on Tuesday in a planned week-long stirke aimed at stopping the lorry firm enforcing 20 per cent pay cuts and changes to their pensions.

Now the walkout is set to be extended another week to 14 consecutive days after Unite gave notice of a further seven days of strike action to begin on Thursday February 2.

Unless the multinational Texas-based oil giant gets back round the negotiating table the Jet fuel trucks that have already lain idle for four days will continue to stay put, Unite warned.

The public-sector union says that the strike has hit three of Britain's major oil terminals and deliveries to Jet's 381 petrol forecourts.

On Wednesday ConocoPhillips reported a colossal 70 per cent surge in profits to the end of last year which reached £2.2 billion.

The union argues that ConocoPhillips could well afford to pay Wincanton a fair rate for the job, adding that it holds the key to settling the dispute.

Unite national officer Matt Draper said: "Despite the union's repeated attempts in the last few days to resolve the dispute, the employer, Wincanton, has so far failed to honour its promise to return with a form of words that we can move forward on.

"We have no other option but to extend this strike for another seven days in a further attempt to get the employer to see sense.

"The company is dragging its feet and it is fairly clear that ConocoPhillips is calling the shots. It is absolutely mindboggling that a company as profitable as ConocoPhillips could turn its back on the drivers who deliver its fuel safely and on time.

"ConocoPhillips could easily afford to pay the drivers' employer, Wincanton, a fair rate for the contract. Instead it would rather shrug off the duty it has to these drivers."

He added that the strike is "solid" and it will not be long before the action hits fuel supplies at Jet forecourts unless a resolution can be reached.

willstone@peoples-press.com