- Title: Portugal's striking fuel-tanker drivers ready to talk to employers
- Date: 14th August 2019
- Summary: AVEIRAS, PORTUGAL (AUGUST 14, 2019) (REUTERS) POLICE LEADING TANKER CONVOY ARRIVING AND FUEL TANKERS DRIVEN BY MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY GOING THROUGH SECURITY CONTROL BOOTH AT DEPOT SECURITY GUARD HANDING MILITARY DRIVER HIS DOCUMENT TANKER DRIVEN BY MEMBER OF THE MILITARY GOING THROUGH VARIOUS OF TANKER DRIVING ALONG CONVOY OF TANKERS DRIVING ALONG (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) VICE PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL HAZARDS MATERIALS DRIVERS UNION, PEDRO PARDAL HENRIQUES, SAYING: "To end this strike, to end this situation once and for all, with this chaos which is being created and will increase. It will increase because gas stations will start to run dry. This chaos will increase and the revolt of these people (drivers) will increase. I wanted to launch a challenge here, publicly, since everyone is filming, to Dr. Andre Almeida, to ANTRAM, so that tomorrow at 15:00 he can be at the DGERT (Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations) to talk to us." PICKETERS YELLING AT FUEL TANKER DRIVING PAST LISBON, PORTUGAL (AUGUST 14, 2019) (REUTERS) TANKER DRIVING TOWARDS AIRPORT BEING ESCORTED BY POLICE ON MOTORCYCLE PETROL STATION PRICES ON PETROL STATION SIGN MARKING 0.00 VARIOUS OF EMPTY PUMPS MAN FILLING HIS CAR'S TANK CARS AT PETROL STATION
- Embargoed: 28th August 2019 18:51
- Keywords: Portugal fuel tankers drivers strike ANTRAM union fuel tanker drivers
- Location: AVEIRAS & LISBON, PORTUGAL
- City: AVEIRAS & LISBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AS6Y53B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Portugal's striking fuel-tanker drivers said on Wednesday (August 14) they were ready to sit down with employers, in what appeared to be the first conciliatory gesture in an industrial stoppage that has led to petrol rationing in the busy tourist season.
Drivers began an indefinite strike on Monday (August 12), the second of the year after similar damaging industrial action in April, demanding better salaries and working conditions.
About a third of filling stations remained either completely out of fuel or were partially dry on Wednesday, the same as a day earlier. The government ordered drivers back to work late on Monday after supplies ran down at some locations including Lisbon airport.
Soldiers and police are making up for the lack of drivers and petrol has been limited to 15 litres per user at a network of special filling stations around the country.
The drivers want higher pay and better working conditions, demands which have not been met since they launched their first strike this year in April. The strike went ahead this week after last-ditch talks failed on Saturday (August 10).
There has so far been no widespread mass queuing at stations like in April.
(Production: Miguel Pereira) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
