Petrol prices: Howard Cox calls for cuts to fuel duty

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The workers are prepared to strike unless their three employers, which are contracting for ExxonMobil, come up with a pay rise offer that will reflect the inflation rates. A potential strike could impact supply and therefore lead to a further increase in prices. Due to the rise in the cost of living, the workers, through Unite the Union, have been in negotiations with the three employers: Trant Engineering Limited, Veolia Services and Altrad Services.

The negotiations resulted in an offer of 2.5 percent pay rise, which the union says is “insulting”.

The union said they are expecting a much higher offer since “the real cost of living is running at 7.8 percent and expected to climb higher.”

As a result, a ballot went underway yesterday, with strike action poised to begin in April, should the workers vote for it.

According to the union, strike action could lead to shutdowns across the Fawley plant.

However, ExxonMobil said they do not anticipate any impact on operations or on supply to customers.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the company pointed to the contractors and said:

“We hope that all parties can work together to reach a swift and amicable resolution.”

Meanwhile, the Alliance of British Drivers expresses resentment on the potential strike.

Ryan Gregory, Policy Director of ABD told Express.co.uk that “all a (potential) strike can do is force a plot of fuel prices, which are already at record levels.”

He added: “It is likely to spark a significant amount of resentment because drivers already feel the pain well over the odds.

“Over 60 percent of the cost of the fuel is tax anyway, and the government is never in any rush to control profiteering by the oil companies because they benefit greatly from increases in fuel prices.”

Gregory also highlighted the need for better regulation. He said: “We really need a watchdog to control or moderate fuel prices.

They never come down as quickly as the wholesale price of oil does.

And likewise, when on the downslide, they don’t reduce their prices in line with the reductions in wholesale oil prices.”

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Howard Cox, for the campaigning organisation FairFuelUK said that the offer for the workers’ pay rise is unfair.

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“With oil prices rising, the shares of the Shell boss have gone up 7 million pounds.

“I think it’s downright disgusting that they asked workers to get half of what inflation is.

“Those workers should be should be given exactly the inflation rise.

“It’s ridiculous considering these oil refineries are owned by the oil companies and are making a sh** of money with the oil prices so high.

“So I’m disgusted by the fact that they are going to be forced into going on strike.”

Cox noted that he doesn’t support the strike, as “(he doesn’t) think it’s the right thing”.

However, he said that “the oil companies should be paying a fair wage considering how much money they’re making out of the high price of oil.”

Cox added that FairFuelUK is working “very closely” with backbench MPs calling for control of the rocketing fuel prices.

He said that the organisation is receiving support from MPs, including Robert Halfon and Craig Mackinlay, towards tighter controls of pump pricing.

He added: “The prices are only up because of the speculation around what’s happening in the Ukrainian area.

“Most of our oil comes from the Middle East – very little comes from Russia, So it shouldn’t be affecting petrol and diesel prices.

“The only reason prices are going up is simply because of speculators profiteering out of this geopolitical problem and the potential war in Ukraine.”

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