General Discussion
PETROL STRIKE
Who thinks that £32,000 is a poor wage as a lorry driver? I don't. If they get another £4,000 a year then food will go up etc. Is this a repeat of the Labour Government in the 1970's all over again!!!
Fuel shortage seems to be affecting the West first.
£32000??? why should they get that much all they do is drive arund petrol ok theres some risk but theres risk with everything these days. the south west is hit bad, dawlish has no petrol, exeter is running low and torquay has a little otherwise its further a feild or people us epublic transport
i think you will find that their wages are £39,000 a year and these tanker drivers are skilled people. They have a lot of responsibility to deliver huge amounts of fuel safely to the countries forecourts. Could you imagine if one of these things were to ever explode, these drivers are highly trained and worth every penny.
And i don't think its fair blameing these guys for the cost of living going up its the money grabbing government to blame.
Sorry but £39,000 looks like a lot of money from where I stand and it's really not that skilled. No sympathy from this neck of the woods! (Particularly after having had to cancel an important appointment today as had been gullible enough to believe Government's 'no reason to panic' line).
There basic wage now is £36,000. The average wage in the UK is £32,000 per annum this figure is so high because there are a lot of high earners in I.T.,banking etc.
I do not see why they are striking for an extra £2,000 a year when they are on a good salary. Is it dangerous I have never heard of one going up in flames. Firemen/women get about the same after training and working their way up, THAT is a dangerous job.Nurses get nowhere near it and they save peoples lives.
It is not the government who is greedy it is the employers, especially in Devon and Cornwall.
i agree why should they get as much as that, nurses, doctors and fire people need that as they are risking there lifes every day for the sake of ours.
There is not a lot of substance to some peoples arguments. Asking why, why, why, all of the time is not addressing the problem.
The problem is greed, and that problem has to be addressed.
Does anyone think it is right that billionares should be allowed to go on making more billion's?
Does anyone think it right that MP's can put in a claim for expences without having to justify what the expence was for?
Does anyone think it is right that estate agent's (who I might add, are the only one's in the loop of property dealing without qualifications) are allowed to adjudge what a property is worth?
Ask your self why when a job is advertised there is a salary or wage attached to the job.
These are just a few examples of why there is greed and why it is promoted.
And I will also add, if the petrol tanker drivers get what they want, ask yourself why they got it.
Myself i think they get a decent wage already.Is it a skilled job? The answer is Yes.
If it wasnt then they wouldnt be on the wages that they are on.They're not just any old lorry drivers.They are the most trained and tested drivers in the countery.It also costs them thousands to put themselves through these tests.
Safety wise, you dont hear many of them crashing, this is because of the training and testing they are put through, if you had any old driver doing the job then their would be many more crashes.
They also know that if they crash they would almost certainly be killed.
Are they worth the amount they get? No
Are they worth more than your average driver?Definately Yes
They were getting £32,000 per year 15 years ago! That was a bloody good wage then.
They say they haven't had an increase in all that time.
The average salary now is only £23,000 per year.
I'm sorry but Greed is the only word for it.
So the price of fuel will go up if they get what they demand and so will food.
If they get what they want then how about sack some of the most recently employed, cut some corners...I thought Mts T stopped all this strike stuff.
Is Gordon going to be there for 5 more years?
Oh joy!
Yet again you've all found something to moan at, just because some drivers want more pay you are all prepared to stick the knives in. It's now their fault that the cost of living has gone up food, petrol, etc so you say. Well a least the drivers have the backbone to stand up for what they believe in and provide a better life for themselves.
When things like Fuel/Council Tax/Road Tax/Parking fees etc go up because councils & goverment say it needs to the typical british attitude is ok whatever you say. No backbone anymore to stand up and say enough is enough.
Anyway i think i solved the problem, if we build a supermarket in Dawlish we will not have to worry so much about fuel costs as we could all leave our cars at home and shop locally and we wouldn't have to pay 50p to park down town for 30 minutes mind you most of them have blue badges on them now. We could use the shopper bus and taxis just think of the money you'd save and you would help towards saving the enviroment.
Calling the pot black...
Anon you say 'stick your knives' well you just had a go at people who are disabled with blue badges, are you envyous of them?
People won't be going to the new supermarket will they if its half the size of Newton.
Is for holiday people. If Dawlish does use it .. will make history.
Anyways I've not got a car..have saved a fortune.
The roads are ever so quiet tonight. Yippee! I'm out on me bike. Pedal power not petrol power.
PS Re supermarkets: if no fuel, no transport. Therefore no supplies. What then your supermarkets?
Well done Cycling Cecilia, there are muppets on here that could not think of doing that, in fact some of the comments we get, they cannot think, full stop.
Foxhayes garage, Exeter, are charging £1.99p per ltr. I wonder if the non thinkers on here think it is not worth that amount?
You said muppetts dont exist to another poster!
Those in Holcombe who have run out of petrol could shop at the local store/post office.lets just hope in doesnt happen again in the future otherwise you'll all starve to death.
Don't forget DIG FOR VICTORY!
Let's get some WWII spirit going.
As for supermarkets - like Private Jones says in Dad's Army - stick it up 'em.
In the 40's Dawlish was surrounded by allotments, the short sitedness of councillors of the day (nothing has change there) destroyed them and allowed development. Now what have we got--a small plot at Brown's Brook which is rented from the Luscombe estate, (and the rent per plot is exhorbitant) when they have enough money to buy land for the purpose.
You will need to apply pressure on your beloved councillors to do that. You won't need to dig for victory, you will be digging to survive.