2012 United Kingdom fuel crisis
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In March 2012
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trades union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
warned it was considering a strike over health and safety standards. Unite represents around 2,000 tanker drivers, who deliver fuel to 90% of Britain's forecourts. Although no strike took place, Government action precipitated panic-buying and a woman was very seriously injured after following a minister's advice to store extra petrol.


Background

Towards the end of 2007, fuel prices exceeded £1 per litre with a two-pence rise in fuel tax in October, resulting in the highest diesel prices and the fourth highest for petrol in Europe. New protests were planned by two unconnected groups, one called Transaction 2007 and the
Road Haulage Association The Road Haulage Association Ltd (RHA) is a private company limited by guarantee dedicated to the interests of the road haulage industry. It is the only trade association in the United Kingdom dedicated solely to road haulage. As a trade associ ...
(RHA). The RHA is currently headed by Chief Executive Mr Geoff Dunning. Protesters claimed that forecourts and oil firms were profiteering. Tanker drivers also claimed felt that they were being neglected and over worked. They were also concerned about the outsourcing in the haulage industry has triggered relentless pressure on cutting costs, with firms likes of
Asda Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
,
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and Esso all contracting out their deliveries to low quality rivals. Union representatives and tanker drivers revealed that some vehicles can weigh 44 tonnes and can carry around 36,000 to 40,000 litres of fuel. Some drivers can start at two in the morning and work until two in the afternoon, with one weekend off every 14 weeks. News of the planned industrial action days after George Osborne had outlined the imposition of 20 per cent
VAT A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the en ...
on hot pies, more
public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, inf ...
cuts, council workers' pension cuts and the planned
NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
reforms in mid-March. The Panic buying at forecourts across the UK in March 2012 began after Unite members threatened to vote to strike. According to their critics (including the AA), both statements from UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude, and poor media coverage, encouraged tens of thousands of motorists to panic buy, leading to a number of forecourts running out of fuel. Unite members must legally give seven days' prior notification of a strike; no such notification had been given as of 30 March. Panic buying and long queues at garages were reported in
Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
,
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
and Crawley. The Unite
trades union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
threatened a strike over health and safety standards earlier in March 2012. Unite represents around 2,000 tanker drivers, who deliver fuel to 90% of Britain's forecourts.


The event


25 March

The Cabinet Office Minister,
Francis Maude Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude, Baron Maude of Horsham, (born 4 July 1953) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer who served as Minister of State for Trade and Investment from 2015 to 2016, having previously served as Minis ...
, called upon both the Unite union, who was balloting for a drivers' strike at seven fuel distribution firms, to seek an agreement with distribution companies via
ACAS The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a Crown non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong ...
. The
Unite Union Unite Union (Unite) is a trade union in New Zealand. It represents a number of workers across various industries, and was the sponsor of thSupersizemypay.comcampaign directed towards improving working conditions for fast food workers in the cou ...
's rep's argued that the outsourcing in the haulage industry has triggered relentless pressure on cutting costs, with firms likes of
Asda Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
,
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...
and Esso all contracting out their deliveries to low quality rivals. The Government said preparations were underway, the army tanker fleet was put on standby as petrol tanker drivers at 5 of the 7 firms voted on strike action. The Petrol Retailers Association, whose membership represents more than 5,500 petrol stations, said that it knew nothing about any form of planned government contingency plans and was advising members to keep fuel levels high. The group's chairman, Brian Madderson told the BBC: "We have had no word from the Department of Energy and Climate Change whatsoever."


27 March

Ministers consider plans to train up
military personnel Military personnel are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, air force, space force, and coast guard), rank (officer, non-commissioned officer, or ...
to ensure that fuel supplies are maintained at a cabinet meeting. Confused statements from UK
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
David Cameron, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude, and later poor quality/alarmist media coverage lead to tens of thousands of motorists panic buying in
Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
,
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
and Crawley. By midday,
Francis Maude Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude, Baron Maude of Horsham, (born 4 July 1953) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer who served as Minister of State for Trade and Investment from 2015 to 2016, having previously served as Minis ...
had told drivers that they should make sure they have enough fuel in their vehicles and "maybe a little bit in their garage as well in a jerry can". However, both the AA and fire-fighters have now called on him to withdraw the advice, because of the risk of explosions in garages. The shadow transport secretary,
Maria Eagle Maria Eagle (born 17 February 1961) is a British politician who served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. She later served in the Shadow Cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Memb ...
, warned of a danger of panic fuel buying, as did the AA after the government urged motorists to be ready for a strike-induced shortage. The AA also warned of the danger of panic-buying.
Andrew Howard Andrew Howard (born June 12, 1969, in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh theatre, television and film actor. Training Howard trained at Cygnet Training Theatre in Exeter in the late 1980s, touring in productions of ''A Christmas Carol'', ''Twelfth Night ...
, its spokesman, said: "If people begin panic-buying we could well have shortages in fuel even before the strike.". As the day progressed there were scenes of long queues at petrol pumps in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, Preston and
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, while pumps ran dry in
Wilmslow Wilmslow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England, south of Manchester city centre. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 Census. History Toponymy Wilmslow derives its name from Old ...
in Cheshire and
Llandudno Junction Llandudno Junction ( cy, Cyffordd Llandudno), once known as Tremarl, is a village in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. It is part of the ancient parish of Llangystennin, and it is located south of Llandudno. It adjoins Deganwy and is to the ...
in North Wales. Some garages capped individual sales to stretch reserves, by using methods such as a 25-litre or £20 maximum spend on any one purchase. Other forecourts had introduced 'minimum spend' rules of £35, to try and prevent motorists who have a half-full tank from filling up again, as well as to turn an extra profit in a time of crisis.


28 March

That morning David Cameron told a press conference that the fuel tanker drivers' strike has no justification and was part of a supposed Labour party plot to undermine his government. Later on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's World at One, Maude denied that he had earlier told people to fill jerry cans. Petrol ran low in some Dorset, Hertfordshire and Herefordshire forecourts.


29 March

Petrol Retailers Association said petrol sales increased by more than 170% and sales of diesel were up by almost 80%. Babu Jha, manager of MPK Filling Station in Leicester's Dysart Way, said on the 29th: "We have been really busy, probably three times as much as usual. People seem to be panicking." as demand rose heavily in Leicester. The
Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England. I ...
forecourt attendant Farhaan Mohammed, 21, said expected petrol to have run out by the end of trading and that there was no guarantee from Esso of more fuel. Worried motorists in Crawley and
Horley Horley is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England, south of the towns of Reigate and Redhill. The county border with West Sussex is to the south with Crawley and Gatwick Airport close to the town. It has its own eco ...
queued for petrol. The
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...
garage in
Telscombe Cliffs Telscombe is a civil parish and electoral ward (called East Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs) with the status of a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It consists of three distinct settlements, separated from each other by an open ...
ran out of fuel and customers began rowing outside the petrol station at
Asda Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
in
Hollingbury Hollingbury is an area of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area sits high on a hillside across the north of the city, east of Patcham which lies in a valley to the west, Coldean in a valley to the east, and the A27 bypass forming ...
after accusations of queue jumping, as the stretched from the forecourt in to Carden Avenue. Taxi drivers reported long petrol queues in Clarence Place, Corporation Road and parts of Maindee in Newport. ABC Taxis told drivers to top up amid fears stations would sell out. A van driver in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
said he had to wait for 30 minutes to get fuel, while a forecourt on the outskirts
Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...
had run out of fuel by 11.30am. Retail store Halfords reported "high" sales of fuel cans. Sales of all cans have soared by 225% compared with this time last year, with motorists buying in "the thousands", while sales of jerry cans are up by more than 500%. The Energy Secretary,
Ed Davey Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 ...
urged motorists to "Keep tanks two-thirds full, but don't panic.". The London Fire Brigade urged businesses to place legal warnings on websites and petrol cans. Chief Inspector Nick Maton of
Dorset Police Dorset Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Dorset in the south-west of England, which includes the largely rural area covered by Dorset Council, and the urban conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch ...
warned motorists not to panic.


30 March

That morning, Crawley's MP, Henry Smith said to the local newspaper's reporters that he supported the Government was right to warn people to prepare for a potential fuel strike, backed up France's Maude's advice (despite criticism that it caused panicked queues of spooked drivers and shortages at several petrol pumps). He also condemned the Labour Party's funding by the
Trades Union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
s and accused the tanker drivers of being "lazy fat cats". Later, the Government and national media went on to claim that the panic buying had led to an incident in which a woman from Moorgate, in Acomb, near
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
was badly burned at home, when petrol ignited as she transferred it between containers in her kitchen on 30 March. The
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the seven districts of administrative county of North Yorkshire: Craven, Harrogate, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Selby; as well ...
issued a warning online and on Radio 5 over the storage of petrol. Diesel ran out in Banbury and
Adderbury Adderbury is a winding linear village and rural civil parish about south of Banbury in northern Oxfordshire, England. The settlement has five sections: the new Milton Road housing Development & West Adderbury towards the southwest; East Adder ...
. Petrol and diesel both ran out in Hammersmith Bridge in South Shields and
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
. Long queues occurred in several places such as
Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshir ...
, Crawley and Gateshead in N.E. England. Police in southwest
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
asked many petrol stations to close temporarily amid violent and desperate panic buying by hysterical and fear-crazed motorists (A phenomenon called 'fuel rage' by police and forecourt staff). Later that evening the
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
filling station at Inshes, Inverness, finally ran out of fuel. Motorists in Crawley and Horley queued for petrol. By mid-day the Unite's leadership ruled out
Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
fuel strikes and negotiations were started at
ACAS The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a Crown non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong ...
. and talks were planned for the next week.
Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headqu ...
in Freemen's Common, Leicester, and
Asda Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
at Fosse Park, used supermarket staff to act as marshals in an attempt manage motorists panicked motorists pumps. The
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...
garage on the A6, near
Leicester Racecourse Leicester Racecourse is a horse racing course in Oadby, Leicestershire, about three miles south of the city centre. History of horse racing in Leicester The earliest evidence suggests that racing took place at Abbey Meadow, Leicester on 23 Mar ...
, by midday and
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
filling station in
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, near Leicester, was out of both petrol and diesel by the evening, with later reports of several other stations exhausting their supplies. Queuing also occurred at the Shell Trocadero in Uppingham Road, Leicester. 300 Army personnel were eventually trained to drive fuel tankers and were placed on standby to help maintain essential supplies. During the middle of the day
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
's Mayor,
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called for the creation of a National Emergency Plan. Labour peer Lord Harris called for Francis Maude to resign in the wake of Diane Hill burning herself. The UK Petroleum Industry Association described fuel crisis as "self-inflicted insanity and condemned the Department of Energy's poor handling of the crisis. Several business leaders also said in a press release late that evening, warning that a strike would destroy the economy, cause a recession, and close small businesses.


31 March

The government told people via the
Department for Energy and Climate Change The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom created on 3 October 2008, by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over some of the functions related to energy of the Department for Busin ...
web page to stop panic buying after the Unite union ruled out a strike over Easter. There was still little sign of the situation easing as drivers formed queues of up to half a mile at those filling stations still holding supplies. Many forecourts were rationing drivers to as little as £10 each, while others imposed a minimum spend of £25. A Cornish garage even refused to serve anyone who was "not local" after the owner decided to turn away holidaymakers in favour of regular customers and account holders as supplies in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
began to dry up. Trade at Banbury's
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...
and Adderbury's Esso had slackened, but were still out of diesel. Some afternoon queues and shortages at the
petrol station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gaso ...
s in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
,
Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated populat ...
in Kent,
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,
Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, c ...
in south-east
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Finchampstead Finchampstead is a village and civil parish in the Wokingham Borough in the shire of Berkshire, England. Its northern extremity is south of Wokingham, west of Bracknell, south-east of Reading, and west of Central London. It is an affluent a ...
in Berkshire and St Albans. PCSOs manned the pumps at Esso
Tesco Express Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
petrol station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gaso ...
on Soundwell Road,
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. Evening demand for fuel appeared to be dropping, with unleaded
petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...
sales down from 172% above normal on Thursday to 57% above normal on 30th, according to independent retailers' group RMI Petrol.
Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
sales were down from 77% above normal on 29th to 29% above normal on the 30th. The AA estimated that one in five stations ran out of fuel that day. A BP spokesperson stated that there had been a reduction in demand on the forecourts but some were still low or had completely run out of stock and were awaiting deliveries. Motoring organisations also warned of a 2-3-day backlog as tanker crews attempt to refuel petrol stations. Several Labour MPs have also called for the resignation of the Cabinet Office Minister
Francis Maude Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude, Baron Maude of Horsham, (born 4 July 1953) is a British Conservative Party politician and life peer who served as Minister of State for Trade and Investment from 2015 to 2016, having previously served as Minis ...
over comments he made advising storing petrol in jerrycans.


1 April

The planned strike was abandoned in the face of continuing talks at ACAS. The government introduces new taxes to make up for 'lost' tax revenue.


2 April

Conciliation talks were planned between UNITE and Bosses at ACAS on 4 April according to an ACAS spokesperson. The RMI chairman, Brian Madderson, warning of a repeat of the previous week's fuel panic if talks failed.


4 April

Talks continue at ACAS.


18 April

Talks began to break down between the Unite Union and bosses at the Acas summit. A conference of 60 oil tanker drivers Unite's London headquarters rejected the proposals made by fuel distributors. The tanker drivers asked for the Health and Safety Executive and to create a tanker driver accreditation licence or "passport".


8 May

A Unite spokesman said that 57.5% of members on a turnout of 79.5% voted for action short of strike in the union's re-ballot on the issue.


11 May

Unite members voted by 51% in favour of the boss's proposals, which included the introduction of an industrywide accreditation covering health safety and training, a Unite said in a statement issued at its website.


12 May

Unite chairwoman Diana Holland said the narrow vote would lead to no strike action taking place.


Public Safety issues

An AA statement said: "A lady about 75 was seen filling up 20 empty one-gallon paint tins with plastic lids and also a tray of jam jars in her boot with petrol". The incident was in Macclesfield, Cheshire. One motorist tried to fill a pair of 1 gallon glass flagons with petrol in South Wales. The nozzle of the pump was, in fact, bigger than the neck of the flagon, and the fuel was spilt over the surrounding ground. A motorist in
Ilkley Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, in Northern England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the ...
, Yorkshire, was ejected from a garage forecourt after he had snatched the pump out of the hand of another driver. Firefighters were called to deal with a fuel spillage after a car was overfilled with petrol in Deerswood Road, Crawley, West Sussex. Firefighters were called to deal with a fuel spillage after a motorist was ejected from a garage because he had snatched the pump out of the hand of an elderly driver.


Aftermath

It was estimated that the panic buying would bring in £32 million in fuel excise duty. The government announced new taxes on 1 April to compensate for 'lost' strike related tax revenue. The APD tax for short-haul flights went up from £12 to £13, while the tax on a long-haul rose to between £62 (to the United States) to £92 (to Australia). An increase in NHS
prescription charges Charges for prescriptions for medicines and some medical appliances are payable by adults in England under the age of 60. However, people may be exempt from charges in various exemption categories. Charges were abolished by NHS Wales in 2007, Hea ...
in England of 25p to £7.65. A new
Northern Irish Assembly sco-ulster, Norlin Airlan Assemblie , legislature = Seventh Assembly , coa_pic = File:NI_Assembly.svg , coa_res = 250px , house_type = Unicameral , house1 = , leader1_type = S ...
business levy on large stores comes into force in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
on 2 April. It revalued rates on commercial premises that have a rateable value of more than £500,000. The proceeds will be used to reduce rates for smaller businesses, affecting 76 and is thought it will cost big shops an average of £66,000 a year. Ikea claimed that
Finance Minister A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
Sammy Wilson could be putting jobs at risk.


Responses

*The Petrol Retailers Association's chairman, Brian Madderson told the BBC: "We have had no word from the Department of Energy and Climate Change whatsoever." on 25 March. *Unite's assistant general secretary, Diana Holland, said in a letter to Davey: "We have been tireless in seeking talks to avoid industrial action, but we have been frustrated at every turn." on 28 March. *The AA also warned of the danger of panic-buying. Andrew Howard, its spokesman, said: "If people begin panic-buying we could well have shortages in fuel even before the strike." on the 28th. *Babu Jha, manager of MPK Filling Station, in Leicester's Dysart Way, said on the 29th: "We have been really busy, probably three times as much as usual. People seem to be panicking." *Michelle Watson of the
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...
garage in
Telscombe Cliffs Telscombe is a civil parish and electoral ward (called East Saltdean and Telscombe Cliffs) with the status of a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It consists of three distinct settlements, separated from each other by an open ...
, Sussex said: "We closed at about 12.30pm after selling three days' worth of fuel in a day." on 29 March. * The Energy Secretary,
Ed Davey Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 ...
urged motorists to "keep tanks two-thirds full, but don't panic." on 29 March. *Chief Inspector Nick Maton of
Dorset Police Dorset Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Dorset in the south-west of England, which includes the largely rural area covered by Dorset Council, and the urban conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch ...
warned motorists not to panic and said in the 29th in a local press conference "There is no disruption to the fuel supply in the UK and members of the public should not panic buy. The actions of some motorists in queuing irresponsibly at petrol stations is causing danger to other road users. Police are taking action, requesting petrol stations to close temporarily in order to keep traffic flowing. Once the queues have dispersed, the petrol stations may re-open for short periods." *The AA president Edmund King said on 29 March: "We plead with drivers who really don't need to fill up to stay away from the pumps. The AA also stresses that drivers do not and should not hoard extra supplies of fuel in jerry cans or other containers. Hoarding fuel is dangerous and is not required." *The Petrol Retailers Association said it was waiting for "practical and well-considered" leadership from the Government and said that "300 Army drivers cannot possibly replace 2,000 striking civilian drivers" on 30 March. *The Department for Transport repealed the EU hours and working-time rules for drivers of fuel tankers from 30 March to 5 April. * RAC and AA spokesmen said the panic buying was unnecessary and condemned the government for stoking the crisis up. The AA blamed the 'unnecessary and self-inflicted' shortages are due to the poor government advice to drivers on 30 March. *
Shadow Chancellor The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The title is given at the gift of the Leader of the Opposition a ...
Ed Balls Edward Michael Balls (born 25 February 1967) is a British broadcaster, writer, economist, professor and former politician who served as Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from 2007 to 2010, and as Shadow Chancellor of the Ex ...
told BBC Radio Leeds that David Cameron of playing "schoolboy political games" in stoking up panic over fuel to try to distract attention from his troubles with Budget tax rises and the scandal over donations to the Tories on 30 March. * Crawley's Member of Parliament, Henry Smith said to the local newspaper's reporter: "A fuel tanker driver strike is unjustified, most earn over £45,000 and UK safety conditions are the best in the world. All parties should condemn the threat of industrial action which would cause massive disruption and threaten lives and livelihoods.", "Local and national Labour Party leaders should soul-search as to why they allow themselves to be to heavily funded and supported by the Unite Union which is threatening to seriously disrupt the lives of people in Crawley and across the country." and "The Government are right to make contingency plans and warn people so the lessons of the fuel stoppages a decade ago aren’t ignored." on 30 March. *An
ACAS The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a Crown non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong ...
spokesman said: "We are pleased that Unite have confirmed they are ready to start substantive talks as soon as possible. We are meeting all of the employers involved in the dispute on Monday to complete our exploratory talks with them. We hope that more formal talks involving both Unite and the employers will start as soon as possible after Monday, on March 30th." * Energy Secretary
Ed Davey Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 ...
chaired a meeting in
Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...
with the haulage firms involved in the dispute as well as the defence and transport secretaries. An Energy Department spokesman said: "It was a productive meeting... Discussions focused on contingency planning, covering training more military drivers in the event that a strike is called. There is no strike at the moment, and we are calling for a swift resolution to this industrial dispute on March 30th." * Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the
RAC Foundation The RAC Foundation (The Royal Automobile Club Foundation for Motoring) is a registered charity. It is a transport policy and research organisation that explores the economic, mobility, safety and environmental issues relating to roads and their ...
, said Unite's decision to hold off on strike action "should give everyone breathing space and ease the pressure at the pumps." on 31 March. *The RAC motoring group also said it was "business as usual" on the 31st. *The AA described "a rapidly improving picture at fuel stations" 31st. *The AA president Edmund King said on 1 April: "We hope that the weekend will bring back some sanity in this silly situation. It is almost as if the last five days have been one big April Fool come early"., "AA patrols estimate that about one fifth of garages ran out of fuel on Friday. We have also noted that more cars are cruising at 56mph on motorways in order to conserve fuel." *The RMI chairman, Brian Madderson, warned: "The government needs to understand that the panic buying witnessed last week will be instantly repeated should the supply-side logistics come under renewed threat. This is merely the consumer's self-preservation instinct as our society is completely structured around road transport, especially in rural areas.", on 2 April.


See also

*
Fuel protests in the United Kingdom The fuel protests in the United Kingdom were a series of campaigns held in response to the rising petrol and diesel fuel prices for road vehicle use. There have been three notable campaigns amongst many other protests in the 21st century. The ...
* 2011 UK public sector strikes * 2021 United Kingdom fuel supply crisis


References

{{Reflist, 30em Labour disputes in the United Kingdom Fuel crisis Petroleum in the United Kingdom