Petrol tanker drivers threaten strike action

Members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) union announced on 16 October 2008 that they will embark on a nationwide strike if the federal government does not address its demands within 14 days. The drivers are protesting poor working conditions -- including poor road infrastructure, which often causes fatal accidents -- and the rising cost of diesel, which is forcing employers to go out of business and is putting tanker drivers out of their jobs. The drivers have stated that if the government does not address their grievances they will completely shut down operations and discontinue transporting fuel from the depots to filling stations and other destinations; the deadline is midnight on 29 October. The drivers first voiced their grievances in September 2007 but, despite efforts on several separate occasions, the government has not taken any action to rectify the issues.