Preparations for tanker strike

Contingency plans have been finalised to cope with a planned four-day strike by oil tanker drivers.

Hundreds of members of the Unite Union employed by two firms working on Shell contracts are due to walk out from 6am on Friday in a pay dispute.

The action could hit one in ten filling stations across the UK.

Talks are due to be held at the conciliation service Acas over the next few days in a bid to avert the industrial action.

A spokesman for the Business Department said that formal collaboration with the fuel industry had been under way since the end of last week.

A spokesman said: "The Government is working with the wider fuel industry on what could be done to reduce any disruption to the public and business."

They continued: "We have already sanctioned the fuel industry to prepare for a jointly-managed approach to resolving distribution and logistical challenges during the strike.

"It is difficult to gauge what the impact of the strike would be if it went ahead.

"Shell accounts for about one in ten filling stations and it is inevitable there would be some stock outs.

"If the strike were to affect other retailers it would have a more significant impact."

Business secretary John Hutton said he did not believe a strike was justified and has urged both sides to try to reach a negotiated solution.

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