Sunday 22nd June National Fuel Protest

[Blugg]

ON SUNDAY THE 22nd OF JUNE 2008, AT MIDDAY, AT MAJOR CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WE ARE PLANNING A PEACEFUL DRIVING PROTEST.

The aim to get as many vehicles of whatever age and type, cars, lorries motorbikes and taxis to central locations in the cities to paralyse the road network, hopefully since it's a Sunday more people can turn up, and show that it's not just the truckers that are angry at the situation. We need to show we are serious and want the government to do something, if they do not then we do it again and again and again until the message sticks, let us shake their ivory tower and show that we are reaching our breaking point.

More here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20777874045

and where it all started here:

London - 11am Heston Services M4 - Then cruise into London at 12noon
Manchester
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Glasgow
Edinburgh - 11am - Corstorphine road and then down towards castle at 12noon
Sheffield - 11am - Meadowhell - Then cruise to centre at 12noon
Plymouth
Brighton - Kingsway for 12noon
Leeds
Cardiff



More locations being added throughout the day. Sky news, BBC News, Tabloid newspapers, The Independant and The Guardian as well as local radio stations and national radio stations keeping updated.



Posted on over a thousand Club forums. Please come and join this Peaceful protest against fuel rises, it's about time we all did something.

[Jono]

Would someone explain to me why the "truckers are angry" ? Seems to me all they do is pass the increase straight on to their customers……. Who then pass it on to their customers…you and me…where they can.
So why are the truckers angry? Who are they angry with? The oil producers? The refiners? The suppliers? The commodity brokers? The Government? George “W” for kicking off in Iraq? The Chinese for sucking up everything they can?

[codprawn]

Smaller firms can NOT pass it onto the customers - they have to compete with foreign firms who's running costs are FAR lower.

Many Irish firms operate over here and you have the continental companies running on cheaper fuel and with far lower tax levels.

Why do you think so many haulage firms are going out of business?

[codprawn]

I am fully in favour of the fuel protest - why a Sunday though? A weekday would be much better and most people love any excuse to take a day off work............

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I am fully in favour of the fuel protest - why a Sunday though? A weekday would be much better and most people love any excuse to take a day off work............

Because we're British.....We wouldn't want to create any fuss you know!

[ian parkes]

My nieghbour is a free lance lorry driver , he sugested that instead of protests lorry drivers across the country should just all take a day or two off then we would see what happens .

The french stick together and bring things to a standstill and get what they want but that sort of solidarity has been lost here .

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Jono

Would someone explain to me why the "truckers are angry" ? Seems to me all they do is pass the increase straight on to their customers……. Who then pass it on to their customers…you and me…where they can.
So why are the truckers angry? Who are they angry with? The oil producers? The refiners? The suppliers? The commodity brokers? The Government? George “W” for kicking off in Iraq? The Chinese for sucking up everything they can?

The logistics companies are on contract for x amount per pallet/load/mile.

They can't increase quotes without the contract expiring-and if they go under, we're all f*cked. Try living for a week without something that's been on a truck.

Oh, and we're pretty pissed off that even though we're being royally a***f*cked by the government and the oil companies already, we're going to get hit by yet another tax rise...

[the bandit]

Originally Posted by Jono

Would someone explain to me why the "truckers are angry" ? Seems to me all they do is pass the increase straight on to their customers……. Who then pass it on to their customers…you and me…where they can.
So why are the truckers angry? Who are they angry with? The oil producers? The refiners? The suppliers? The commodity brokers? The Government? George “W” for kicking off in Iraq? The Chinese for sucking up everything they can?

Let me explain.

I run a minibus shuttle service for a company 7 days a week recently we met to discuss our annual increase, in the past i can normally negotiate around 4% to take into consideration the rate of inflation. I explained the fuel has increased from 92 p a litre this time last year to 125p this year an increase of 34%, as fuel is 18% of cost that equates to 6% just to cover the increase in fuel they however only want to increase the contract by 5%.
If i don't except they will go to tender and someone out there will always go in cheap just to get the contract

[ian parkes]

i have similar problems . a recent job i quoted for in january just came in and the timber price alone has risen from £15 to 23 a cube . If I put the price up i risk losing the job and work is not that plentiful at present .

[Jono]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Smaller firms can NOT pass it onto the customers - they have to compete with foreign firms who's running costs are FAR lower.

Many Irish firms operate over here and you have the continental companies running on cheaper fuel and with far lower tax levels.

Why do you think so many haulage firms are going out of business?

Well, seeing as I run a business that is heavily reliant on transport, local, continental and World-wide both for receipt of raw materials and sending out finished products, I feel I am qualified to comment.
Haulage firms are going out of business for several reasons, as I understand it
1) The manufacturing base of the UK has all but disappeared, ergo there are fewer goods to be transported.. less work and similar levels of service providers leads to Basic Economics 101.. supply and demand.
2) Greed. Everyone wants to pay less for more. Hence the huge quantities of goods that come from areas of significantly lower cost. Local goods requiring local services, such as transport, are being made elsewhere, because we are always trying to buy cheaper. Vicious circle, but it’s still down to Basic Economics 101 …
3) I’m in exactly the position you stated as your opening argument, so you’re really agreeing with my position, but why should the Truckers be angrier than I should? I’m willing to bet that if you have a good look around the goods in the average truckers home “Made in China” Etc will appear a lot more times than “Made in the UK”. Hypocrisy at work….

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

The logistics companies are on contract for x amount per pallet/load/mile.

They can't increase quotes without the contract expiring-and if they go under,

Welcome to the world of competitive tendering…fun ain’t it?

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

we're all f*cked. Try living for a week without something that's been on a truck.

That would be a bloody good idea. Let’s rethink our transport strategy and see if we can cut down our reliance on trucks. It would be painful at first, but with the help of sensible, well thought out planning at national and inter-national level, we could work it out. Trouble is, we’re governed by Politicians, who by definition, haven’t got anyone but their own best interests at heart.

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Oh, and we're pretty pissed off that even though we're being royally a***f*cked by the government and the oil companies already, we're going to get hit by yet another tax rise...

Firstly, yes, you’re right we’re being financially penalised by the Government of the day to fund their own agendas and ambitions. Secondly, you’ve missed out huge groups of people who are responsible for the price of oil going up.

Originally Posted by the bandit

Let me explain.
If i don't except they will go to tender and someone out there will always go in cheap just to get the contract

Competitive tendering, like it or loathe it, there’s always someone willing to do it cheaper. Welcome to the Global economy.

Originally Posted by ian parkes

i have similar problems . a recent job i quoted for in january just came in and the timber price alone has risen from £15 to 23 a cube . If I put the price up i risk losing the job and work is not that plentiful at present .

Ditto…