The country stands on the brink of its first oil dispute for 12 years. In overwhelming numbers, tanker drivers have voted to strike. It doesn't have to be this way. For well over a year, Unite's driver members have been patiently pressing the industry. They have been saying "stop this contract culture insanity, make this industry stable".
They have choked when profits – of a level that would make even a Tory party donor blush – never come to them, reminding them that their hard work is enjoyed by shareholders while they are told to work harder, faster, to do more and for less. They have diligently put proposals to Shell and BP, and contractors such as Hoyer and Turners, to stop the chop-and-change system that has seen some of my members end up with six different pensions in 10 years, as they are passed from employer to employer. All they want are sensible, responsible minimum standards on terms and conditions, and health and safety. But you would have thought drivers were asking companies to sign over the rights to their oil fields, such was the dodge and weave of big business.
Meanwhile, there is the steady snip, snip, snip away at working conditions. One firm moved to cut the wages of its drivers by £9,000 a year. The "turn and burn" culture pressurises drivers responsible for 38,000 tonnes of volatile fuel to deliver ever faster. Drivers' fears for public safety deepen when corners are cut on essential health and safety measures. It used to be the case that the oil companies directly employed the drivers, but in the dash for pure profits they pulled out. Workers, it seemed, were a cost and responsibility they could do without, so they jettisoned them to contractors. And as the supply chain was stretched, so were standards, including safety practices.
This cost-cutting has consequences for us all. In 2005, a fire at the Buncefield refinery caused explosions that could be heard 200 miles away. The report that followed concluded that safety practices were at risk of compromise with so many contractors in the industry. Mercifully, nobody was injured – yet still the contract culture wants more from workers, for less. Little wonder drivers' patience has now snapped.
Drivers have voted for action with a force that must be heard and heeded all the way up the supply chain, from the forecourts of Shell to the boardroom of Tesco. They are the big businesses behind the squeeze. Just as in the food industry, where the top of the tree can deny light to those at the bottom, so it goes in oil. The retailers and "big oil" call the shots. It is a race to the bottom taking place on our roads.
What is the role of government in this? Absurdly, the supply of this essential national commodity is controlled entirely by the free market. But the government can chose to act as an honest broker in this dispute, pulling all sides together, as we have asked for years, to shake some sense into the supply chain. Instead, Francis Maude promised to don a cape and ride to the rescue of our 999 services. But he and his cabinet colleagues know full well that tanker drivers are responsible professionals. Unite has written to the minister asking for a full breakdown of the emergency supply centres so that we can secure these. At the same time, we asked him to remind the industry not to be tempted to sell these supplies, as they have done before.
On a shameful Sunday for the Tory party, the message they sent to tanker drivers is that they are not a serious player when it comes to securing the stability of this industry for the nation. Doubtless, the attack machines will now set about tarnishing the reputation of my members. Despite my years in this movement, I am always shocked by the vitriol directed at working people when they stand up for themselves.
The turnout and the yes votes are on a scale most MPs and ministers can only dream of – but it won't stop them blaming the drivers for what is a categorical failure of business to behave responsibly. But the drivers are prepared for this, confident that they have conducted themselves with patience and integrity throughout this dispute. There is a term for industries that make billions but squeeze workers and consumers alike: predatory capitalism.
