Monday 21 April 2008

Fuel Shortage

What is the last thing you should say if you want people to avoid panic buying? “Don’t Panic Buy.”

As soon as those words are uttered, people are racing off to the nearest petrol forecourt faster than you can say “Oil Refinery.”

Remember those big long queues back in 2000, the year of the fuel protests, well expect to see similar queues in the coming days as the prospect of a strike at Grangemouth looms ever closer.

The proposed strike is about the changing of the company pension. And it seems that both sides have really dug their heels in and are playing out a war of words in the media. 97% of the Union members voted for strike action, which gives an indication of the feeling. Therefore I wouldn’t expect either side to back down any time soon.

But the people who shout, “Don’t panic buy,” really p!ss me off. We have got enough fuel until Friday they claim. Aye, very good. What happens when Friday comes though? It is perfectly understandable why people go and fill their cars up.

It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few days and if Scotland does run out of fuel, what the political fall out of this will be.

Anyway, better go. I’ve got a car that needs filling up!!