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Fuel strike: Advice to drivers changed after panic buying Fuel strike: Advice to drivers changed after panic buying
(about 2 hours later)
The government has changed its advice to motorists after two days of panic buying at petrol stations. The government has changed its advice to motorists to top up petrol tanks after two days of panic buying.
Ministers now say there is no urgent need to top up petrol tanks, after the Unite union ruled out a strike by tanker drivers over Easter. It says this is no longer urgent after the Unite union ruled out a strike by its tanker drivers over Easter.
Some Labour MPs have called for Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude to resign for earlier suggesting that people should store petrol in jerry cans. Meanwhile, several Labour MPs have called for Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude to resign for earlier advising storing petrol in jerrycans.
A woman in York suffered severe burns while decanting petrol in her kitchen. A York woman, who suffered severe burns while decanting petrol at home, remains critically ill in hospital.
'No urgency' On Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron told motorists to "top up" their tanks in case of a strike, leading to long queues at petrol stations across the country.
Earlier this week Prime Minister David Cameron said it would be sensible for drivers to top up with petrol because of potential strike action. Up to a third of garages were reportedly forced to turn people away after stocks ran out.
Others in government suggested that motorists should keep their tanks two-thirds full. However, demand for petrol seems to be waning - down from a 172% rise on Thursday to a 58% rise on Friday, according to independent retailers' group RMI Petrol.
The government is now advising motorists not to queue at filling station forecourts. Motoring experts now warn of a two to three day backlog as hauliers attempt to refuel petrol stations.
href="http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/uniteballot/uniteballot.aspx" >The Department for Energy and Climate Change said: "There is no urgency to top up your tank, a strike will not happen over Easter." In the meantime, Unite would need to give seven days' notice if they plan to strike after Easter.
A political row has broken out in response to Mr Maude's comments earlier in the week.
Senior Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin said he thought the government may have been trying to divert peoples' attention away from a difficult week for the Tory party and the coalition.Senior Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin said he thought the government may have been trying to divert peoples' attention away from a difficult week for the Tory party and the coalition.
"Really there should not have been any move to encourage people to buy more than they normally buy without consulting the industry first, and I think that was the mistake," he said."Really there should not have been any move to encourage people to buy more than they normally buy without consulting the industry first, and I think that was the mistake," he said.
John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, Karl Turner, MP for Hull East, and Labour Lord Toby Harris are among those who have called for Mr Maude to resign if it turns out his comments contributed to the burns accident suffered by 46-year-old Diane Hill.John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, Karl Turner, MP for Hull East, and Labour Lord Toby Harris are among those who have called for Mr Maude to resign if it turns out his comments contributed to the burns accident suffered by 46-year-old Diane Hill.
She was seriously injured after petrol ignited as she poured it from one container into another in her kitchen. She was seriously injured after petrol ignited as she poured it from a green jerrycan into another in her kitchen. The cooker was on and the petrol fumes ignited. She was treated for 40% burns at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
The cooker was on and the petrol fumes ignited. She has been treated for 40% burns at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
Mr Mann said Mr Maude "should now be considering the consequences of his actions and do the decent thing and resign".Mr Mann said Mr Maude "should now be considering the consequences of his actions and do the decent thing and resign".
Mr Mann said: "This is precisely what the fire brigade warned against and the current panic is a direct result of Francis Maude's rash and foolish reaction to negative press on pasties and Number 10 dinners. Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi responded angrily to the calls for Mr Maude to stand down and accused Labour of attempting to score "political points" out of a "personal tragedy".
"We are now in a position where a woman's life has been placed in danger." Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the government had mishandled the row between the tanker drivers and their employers and there should have been more attempt for talks between the parties involved.
Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi responded angrily to the suggestion that Mr Maude should stand down.
She told BBC Two's Newsnight programme: "I think what's deeply irresponsible and, frankly, sickening, is that the Labour Party want to make political points out of this personal tragedy for this lady."
Difficult week
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the government had mishandled the row between the tanker drivers and their employers.
"It's been a spectacular failure. The beginning of this week there was no date for a strike, seven days notice was needed. The prime minister should have been saying to both sides to talk," he said.
"Starting to say instead fill up your tank, causing panic, getting out the jerry cans, has led to the queues, to the shortages, to the running out of petrol.""Starting to say instead fill up your tank, causing panic, getting out the jerry cans, has led to the queues, to the shortages, to the running out of petrol."
Firefighters confirmed that the container Ms Hill was decanting from was a green jerry can. Adair Lewis from the Fire Protection Association told the BBC Ms Hill's accident was a "wake-up call to us all", adding: "Petrol should only ever be bought in proper containers made for that purpose. There is no place for petrol inside your home."
Adair Lewis from the Fire Protection Association told the BBC Ms Hill's accident was a "wake-up call to us all". href="http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/uniteballot/uniteballot.aspx" >The Department for Energy and Climate Change said: "There is no urgency to top up your tank, a strike will not happen over Easter."
He said: "Petrol should only ever be bought in proper containers made for that purpose. There is no place for petrol inside your home."
Allan Davison, from petrol firm Hoyer, called on motorists to stop panic buying.
He said: "The strike has not been called and in fact the union have said quite clearly that there won't be a strike over the Easter break and that's really, really encouraging.
"We are in the middle of replenishing stocks, we've got 15 to 20 extra vehicles and drivers out on the road every day."
Brian Madderson, of the Retail Motor Industry, blamed the government for creating a "fuel crisis".
Drivers' hoursDrivers' hours
Unite and the seven distribution companies involved in the dispute are in contact with conciliation service Acas but no firm talks will be held until next week. Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said although no industrial action was planned over Easter as it focused on next week's talks with distribution companies through the reconciliation service Acas, this did not mean the union had backed down.
Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: "We will not be calling Easter strike action as we focus on substantive talks through Acas. "We do still retain the right to call strike action for after Easter, should those talks break down," she said.
"We do still retain the right to call strike action for after Easter, should those talks break down."
The rules on fuel tanker drivers' hours have been temporarily relaxed to help the transport of supplies to filling stations.The rules on fuel tanker drivers' hours have been temporarily relaxed to help the transport of supplies to filling stations.
Under EU rules, drivers are limited to nine hours on the road each day, but this has now been raised to 11 hours.Under EU rules, drivers are limited to nine hours on the road each day, but this has now been raised to 11 hours.
The new rules will apply until Thursday and have been introduced after requests from the fuel supply industry.The new rules will apply until Thursday and have been introduced after requests from the fuel supply industry.
Unite's drivers, who deliver fuel to Shell and Esso garages and supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's, have called for minimum working conditions covering pay, hours, holiday and redundancy.Unite's drivers, who deliver fuel to Shell and Esso garages and supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's, have called for minimum working conditions covering pay, hours, holiday and redundancy.
Some 90% of UK forecourts are supplied by Unite's approximately 2,000 members involved in the dispute.Some 90% of UK forecourts are supplied by Unite's approximately 2,000 members involved in the dispute.
Demand for petrol rose 172% on Thursday and diesel by 77% according to independent retailers' group RMI Petrol. Have you been affected by this story? What is the situation like where you are? Is the price of petrol in your area more expensive? Have your driving habits changed as a result? If you are willing to be interviewed by the BBC please send us your experiences, pictures and video using the form below.
Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a meeting of the government's civil contingencies committee, Cobra, on Friday afternoon.
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