Comment: Unite Petrol Drivers’ Vote

29 March 2012
Comment: Unite Petrol Drivers’ Vote

Commenting on the vote for industrial action by petrol tanker drivers represented by its member union Unite, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) general secretary, David Cockroft, said: “The scale of the turnout and the size of the vote for action proves how seriously these drivers take this issue. They have made it clear that this is not about money; it is about standards being allowed to slip to dangerous levels. A rich, vital and safety critical industry is at risk of allowing cost cutting and contracting out to undermine what it has been tasked with upholding. Unite and its members are right to demand that it gets together and sets basic and necessary standards.”

He continued: “Even as the vote was taking place, one major carrier, Norbert Dentressangle, made six experienced drivers redundant, just months after putting itself under the spotlight of international trade unions through its involvement in a serious dispute over issues like this in Poland.”

ENDS

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