Tanker drivers plan more strikes

The picketing drivers insisted they had worked hard to settle the dispute

A four-day strike by tanker drivers contracted to the oil giant Shell has entered its third day.

Pickets were set up at Grangemouth, Aberdeen and Inverness, as part of a UK-wide action by 600 drivers.

Pat Raffery, of the Unite union, said a further four-day strike was planned, beginning next Friday.

The public has been warned not to panic buy petrol but there have been reports of sporadic fuel shortages at forecourts across Scotland.

The drivers are employed by Hoyer and Suckling, who said they had "worked really hard" to settle the issue over the past several months.

We want to resume further talks and are therefore extremely disappointed that the union plans to strike again so quickly Bernie Holloway Hoyer

Mr Rafferty said he had sympathy for the contractors because they were "stuck between a rock and a hard place".

He said it was Shell who was the key to solving the dispute.

"Whether they like this or whether they don't like this, Shell is involved in this," he said.

"Shell indirectly employs these drivers and it is irresponsible of Shell to be sitting back and saying this is nothing to do with us.

"They employed the drivers into the late 90s when they took the decision to outsource this to contractors in order to drive down the cost of distribution."

Mr Raffery claimed that 12 years ago drivers were earning £28,000 and their salary had risen by less than £4,000 in the period since.

Rationing sales

Bernie Holloway, of Hoyer, said: "The offers we have made represent an excellent package that would achieve the union's claim of a 13% increase by the end of this year, taking average earnings to around £41,500.

"We want to resume further talks and are therefore extremely disappointed that the union plans to strike again so quickly."

Shell - which operates one in 10 forecourts in the UK - said that ongoing action would have a "significant impact" on supplies, but that so far only about 15% of its petrol stations had been disrupted.

Fuel from Grangemouth is distributed right across Scotland, although other distribution points such as Shell's oil terminal in Aberdeen and the Inverness depot have also been picketed.

After the strike began on Friday, many drivers from other distribution firms refused to cross the picket line to fill up on fuel.

Many petrol stations the BBC spoke to said they would have enough fuel if customers do not panic buy.

However, some in the Strathspey area along the A9 have reported running out of diesel.

Sites in Inverness also said they had no diesel and one site in Aviemore is rationing sales to customers.

Other retailers near Oban and in Perthshire said they had concerns about whether scheduled supplies would reach them.

A number of sites in Glasgow have reported a brisk trade - but so far shortages are limited.