Strike action may hit heating oil deliveries in North

Deliveries of home heating oil could be disrupted before Christmas because of strike action by drivers at the North’s largest supplier.

Members of the TGWU at Maxol Direct Northern Ireland are to ballot next week over industrial action – up to and including an all-out strike – in a dispute over pay.

The ballot by drivers is being mounted after they rejected a ‘final’ pay offer from the company.

Sean Smyth from the TGWU said negotiations had been on going for three months. The men had been seeking a rise of 3.7% to meet the rise in the cost of living.

“The management said there would be a pay freeze or redundancies, then they came back and said there would be no redundancies.

“They are just threatening and threatening all the time.”

He said the offer as rejected was for a 3% pay rise but coupled with the stopping of overtime and the introduction of seasonal working which would see delivery drivers work an extra three days during winter and getting time off in lieu during the summer.

“That means the men would lose their overtime and around £120 for doing three extra days and not being paid for it,” he said.

Mr Smyth added: “At talks last night we offered to go to the Labour Relations Agency, but the company refused.”