Fuel protests in London to coincide with Grangemouth

24rd April 2008

(Aldershot, UK) One of the groups behind the fuel protests in 2000 has announced that it is organising a fuel protest in London to coincide with the strikes at the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland.

The strike has the support of Unite, the same union supporting the workers threatening to strike at the Ineos refinery in Grangemouth.

Transaction 2007 say that rising fuel prices are pushing hauliers out of business ? 6 independent hauliers have gone out of business in the last week.

Diesel prices have risen 16.2p per litre since the beginning of the year, with the national average currently standing at a record 119.0p.

Unleaded has risen 6.9p since the beginning of the year. The national average is currently at a record high of 109.1p.

The group plan to drive a coffin from Park Lane in Spalding, Lincolnshire to Park Lane in London (the site of the 2000 fuel protests) on Tuesday 29th April, to represent the death of the UK road haulage industry as a result of increased fuel prices.

They will meet additional protesters at Park Lane, and from there they will be escorted by officers from the Metropolitan Police to the House of Commons to present a letter signed by independent hauliers to Right Hon Mr Derek Wyatt MP.

Transaction 2007 organised protests around the country in December 2007, but were unsuccessful because of a lack of support. They now have the support of the Transport and General Workers Union and 250-strong United Truckers campaign group. They also feel that there is a better appetite for action this time and hope the public will join in.

Mike Presneill, spokesperson for Transaction 2007 told PetrolPrices.com today: ?Fuel prices are crippling the haulage industry, so this protest should make the government and the treasury aware that we are still here, against all odds, and we won’t give up until they take some action. We want an ‘essential user rebate’ to keep UK hauliers competitive against foreign truckers working over here?