Fuel shortages across Lancashire and North West as tanker drivers strike

Tanker drivers supplying forecourts and aviation fuel across the North West and Scottish borders will be striking over pay from Thursday to Saturday (June 6 to 8).

They will be staging further strike action next week, again between Thursday and Saturday (June 13 to 15)

It means 50 drivers at Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire will not make scheduled deliveries to forecourts in the region over the six-day strike period.

The fleet of tanker drivers deliver fuel to Shell, BP and Esso forecourts across Lancashire and the North West, as well as the Scottish borders, in addition to airlines, including Jet2 at Liverpool airport.

The drivers work for Hoyer - which recently rebranded as Oxalis - and are angry that their pay offer is significantly lower than that of colleagues in other parts of the country.

For example, Oxalis drivers at refineries in Thurrock, Essex and Birmingham were reportedly offered £2 an hour more than the Stanlow drivers in Cheshire.

The workers will go on strike this Thursday until Saturday (June 6 to 8) and next week from Thursday to Saturday (June 13 to 15).

The industrial action is expected to cause significant disruption to fuel supplies across the North West and Scottish borders.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Oxalis is treating its Stanlow-based drivers as second-class workers.

“There is absolutely no reason why this profitable company should not be paying these workers the same rates as pay as their colleagues based elsewhere.

“They will receive Unite’s total support as they strike for equal pay.”

Further strikes will be called if the dispute is not resolved, said the union.

Regional Unite officer Paul Lomax added: “Oxalis’ clients will not be happy that their customers face fuel shortages because the company is trying to pay its Stanlow-based drivers less than their colleagues doing the same job elsewhere.

“Oxalis needs to put forward an equal offer or this dispute will escalate.”