perhapes what all tanker drivers in the uk should do is start their own union up may be we could call it N.T.U the National Tanker Driver's Union, we could recruit every driver in every sector of the industry as long as the driver's stuck together every time an employer behaves the way gb oils behaves. "Everyone's out the door". Then wouldnt the big oil companies soon get pissed off with paddy o fuels. Unite dosn't care and its no good people coming on here saying its not the union's fault its the drivers not sticking together the common worker needs leadership not vast amounts of money lifted out of their pockets by a union that stands back and allows all of these companies to act the way they are acting, in fact lets stop coming on here winging lets start a campaign to set our own union up,, Ive spoken to a lot of main fleet drivers who feel the same way, and they would be interested in a union that deals with our problems and not every-body else's. Are you with me? or will someone come on here issuing me a load abuse trying to justify the fact "unite are shite". We need leadership and we need it going in to this winter before more damage is done to your jobs, and now with Total Butler coming in to the company they will be getting rid of more and more drivers and guess what no one will be able to get hold of that lazy "B" Matt Drapper. Can we start a new link on here?, to debate the fact that the union does sod all for us and we now want to start our own at the vary least it will frighten the shit out of unite and our employers. Also Ive looked into the logistics of starting a union and its alot easier they you might think I've approached some top employment barristers and they will provide a lot better legal service then unite will. The money taking in for this new union would be for admin and the driver's welfare not great big salary's for people like Drapper who can't even be arssed to answer his phone. Thank you for taking your time to read this. "Its time to give dignity back to the driver".
disgruntled ex shop steward
Hear Hear well said
ReplyDeleteand the fact that i have just had a letter from the union saying my union fees are to be increased!!!!! for what i ask
ReplyDeleterumour is they have offered take it or leave it deal of 2%
ReplyDeleteI for one would join as long as it took on all of the tanker drivers ,not just the artic drivers.i had said a few months ago on here about if it was possible to set up on our own.one other matter,it has been said in meetings that the total butler intergration will not result in any driver redundencies because they (total) have gone through the same as us.if any total drivers read this and its not a nice subject to be asking but have you?
DeleteYes mate. And this lot are making all the same mistakes total did only worse. Future isn't bright.
Deletegreat idea but the working man still would nt stick together ! 2% is not a rumour that is what has been offered
ReplyDeleteIs 2% not acceptable? on the back of a 2yr 7% deal in the current climate.I know gb are a crap company,but while jobs are scarce lets take what we can.It would be great if we had a solid union base but the fact is we don"t and never will have it"s impossible to co- ordinate so many depots with so few members spread all over great britain, as proven by the strike or lack of a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteI agree with comment at 8:40. Instead we should be fighting for equal pay and terms and conditions for all drivers of all brands. We all do the same job some paid a lot more than others some on time n half everyday some get sick pay some get laundry allowance and some are paying for driver cpc. come on gb oils sort it out. No surprise you have a bad name.
ReplyDeleteHuy Guys that might happen sooner rather than later, i heard their is only two drivers left on the NNC and the union are not helping them at all and the company just want to shaft us, so what can we do?
ReplyDeletei agree with 6.03 am but sadly it will never happen as i,ve heard drivers in our depot on different contracts say if the lower contracted drivers get 5% (5% is just a figure for instance) to bring them in line with the higher contracted driver then the higher contracted driver wants 5% aswell or he will have not have had the same rise. g.b. oils know this aswell. i,ve seen our manager pick between drivers to do a petrol drop as one drivers contract says if he does petrol he gets paid his dinner time so the manager gave it to the driver who doesn,t get paid for his dinner to save the company money. i do think everyone should be on the same contract as we all work for the same company doing the same job, but g.b. oils are clever and keeping us on different contracts keeps us fighting against each other and thus they know they will never have a united workforce, theres to many drivers here that are only prepared to look after themselves and can,t see the bigger picture that we only have strength in numbers
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with both comments at 8:40pm and 6:03am but the trouble with the latter is the people on the best terms& cond will not accept a reduction, who can blame them.The company will not put us all on the best rate,another way round this could be to offer a one of payment to all those above the GB Oils rate of pay to come down to this rate.This however reqiures a forward thinking company which GB Oils is not.and some willingness from the drivers.(I am one of the better paid drivers who is working alongside the lower end Its not right!!!!!)
ReplyDeletewhy not put everyone on the same hourly rate whether you do 37 hours or 45 in your contract. at least that would level the playingfield a bit.
DeleteAll you drivers do is winge winge winge, and when any of the stewards say action you all just fill your pants an panic, if you want something doing say it do it and stick to it or stop wining, people are bored with all talk i am drivers...
ReplyDeletecomment at 4.35 its ass holes like yourself that cause all the aggro within this company. union is a waste of money and we don't need it. everybody should work exactly to the drivers hand book we would all be safe and on plenty of money cos it would take that long to do the job.
ReplyDeleteHey if we all decide to leave unite where could we go? a lot of drivers have had enough from the company and not enough from the union, and in a ideal world we would hope gb oils is a good employer but this is a company that over charges pensioners why would u think they care about you and your family.
ReplyDeleteThe company couldnt give 2 hoops about the drivers or the staff just as long as you just keep making them money the only thing the managers care about is who they can stab in the back each week, and make no bones you and everyone else are just scapegoats for them. The union are govened by the goverment on making sure people get there fuel in winter. so you are all flogging a dead horse, if u think you can just start your own union you will all be in breach of contract and up the road so the only option is to stick together or get on with it, calling people assholes which incidently is one word not 2 is very mature, and if that is your answer why pay union fees in the first place.
ReplyDeleteDon't understand how we could be in breach of contract .And there is always one smart ass who thinks they have bore everyone and correct spelling .
ReplyDeleteHere is where you stand, over 2 years on this site you have all just slagged each other off all over the country saying how bad the company are treating everyone like mud everyone saying we need to hit the gate, but when someone get sacked eg the steward everyone backs off. Winter come and goes no action the stewards can an will act on your words along with the union as long as its legal.
ReplyDeleteIf you all think you should leave the union and start your own try it but make sure you find a legal team big strong and recognized by goverment transport department incidently no team would touch it with a barge pole and it would take at least 2 years to get things together, and when you do you still wont all be united to stand against the company, by which time the company wont take anything serious,
Just stand by your stewards, the company are laughing there head off at everyone and reading all this forum rubbing there hands.
yer man will be even harder to get on the phone as he's now off the job !
ReplyDeleteHave a keek at this man
ReplyDeletehttp://maciverblog.co.uk/category/fuel-rip-off/page/2/
I have had the same thoughts as the headline "Is it time for a new union?".
ReplyDeleteI am a up to date Unite member, like all readers of this I also drive a Dangerous Goods vehicle (1203), In the last seven years I have seen 1 (one) shop steward for thirty minutes.
I have had not one vote for any industrial action, tankers or other.
I have been sent electoral papers for people I've never heard of and more importantly the salary's these people demand.
Unless I see significant changes shortly I will be cancelling my membership and taking my chances.
Really? Approval by who????????????
ReplyDeletewell nice to hear that unite have start to listen with mr draper now no longer being in charge of transport maybe they can get the next person a phone so they can answer it?????????
ReplyDeletep.s utu all the way
if you want a new union could you not enter your name so as we know who to contact and send our dues to? there is a new national secretary so lets give him a chance.by the way you do have an nnc but from what i hear it is dying a death because of lack of support. any union is only as strong as its support so get organised again and get some stewards elected and fight for your rights. no commication means no action.craig rea.
ReplyDeletein the s.s.e. region there not much work.some drivers not going out at all in some depots.weall know this time of year is slack,so with this company being so hot on saving money ,makes you laugh when the select few come in on saturday & do overtime yet there not enough work in the week.we all know come spring the grim reaper will appear with the unfair matrix system.
ReplyDeletecouldn't agree more (9.35PM).I too can sniff more redundancies.Will it be the same(Lick lick) depots who dont get included we wonder.We at our depot also wonder why is it the same driver who day after day is kept in to do so called non existant "Yard work" or is it more "arse work".
ReplyDeleteno work all week annd yet "the chosen ones" told work saturday where they send two lorries out with 5 drops each and yet on the monday again some having to do yard duties.Whats going on we wonder
ReplyDeleteIf we didn't have such high profit margins on kero there would be enough work for every driver and more.
ReplyDeletehere we go again. the matrix is on the way .4th feb we will be told whom or what is being restructured.but dont worry (those in the s.s.e. region at least)as we where told at the last round of redundencies, our region was taking into acount the total butler coming on board & them having there own redundencies at the same time.so there wouldnt be anymore.would anybody like to take any bets that there wont be any ??????what will the union do?
ReplyDeleteThe Union will do nothing to help. Oh they might have a ballot to see if we should have a ballot so maybe in 6 months or 12 or whenever we may get a vote oh no it will all be forgotten by then again
ReplyDeletejust had a unite guy come to our depot to get names and addresses of drivers who are in the union. They don't have a clue who is who and where they are. That is why there is no ballots on pay because of the union's incompetence yet they still take the money to pay their fat cats.
ReplyDeleteDrivers need to act and stick together too many just think bout themselves and not willing to take industrial action to make oil companies take notice they hav had ther own way too long all employees have to take action or nothing will happen ex.redunant driver /rep...
ReplyDelete