Sunday Business Post (Ireland): Shell strike could hit oil supply: “More than a quarter of Ireland's total oil supply could be affected by a planned strike at Irish Shell next week, The Sunday Business Post has learned.”: Sunday 13 November 2005 

By Laura Noonan

More than a quarter of Ireland's total oil supply could be affected by a planned strike at Irish Shell next week, The Sunday Business Post has learned.

Workers in Irish Shell's retail, commercial fuels, lubricants, and supply and distribution businesses have informed the company that they are to begin strike action next Friday.

If the strike goes ahead, it will prevent fuel from being transported from Shell's depots to garages and heating oil companies around the country. Shell refused to confirm how much of Ireland's oil supply it is directly responsible for, but it is understood that more than 25 per cent of Ireland total oil supply could be directly affected.

Siptu, which represents the Irish Shell workers, said that the strike was being called because management was “attempting to impose change without agreement which will result in the worsening of employment conditions'‘.

The union said that it wanted a commitment from Irish Shell management that all outstanding employment issues would be dealt with before the shares in Irish Shell are formally signed over to investors' consortium Topaz on November 30.

“Unfortunately management would give us no such agreement so we were left with no alternative but to issue notice of industrial action,’' a Siptu spokeswoman said.

Irish Shell said it was “disappointed'‘ by the move, because the parties had been due to meet in the Labour Court next week.

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