LONDON—There is no justification for U.K. fuel-tanker drivers to carry out a strike which could cause a "large amount of damage", but drivers would be sensible to top up their tanks if the stoppage looks likely, Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday.
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British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Tanker drivers working for five of the U.K.'s seven major fuel distribution firms voted Monday for strike action over working conditions and health and safety practices, stoking fears of fuel shortages and higher prices at the pumps.
In a statement following a ministerial meeting on contingency plans chaired by Mr. Cameron, the U.K. government said: "The government has learnt lessons from the past and stands ready to act to manage the impact of any strike, in particular, to our emergency and essential services"
There was no shortage of fuel at present and forecourts were being replenished, the government added. However, it did have to prepare for the possibility of a strike and its main concern was to minimize disruption to the public, it said.
The ministers discussed a range of contingency plans and ways to strengthen fuel supply including using military drivers to secure deliveries should a strike go ahead and maximizing levels of fuel storage capacity outside depots.
Earlier, in an apparent bid to calm concerns of panic buying of fuel, Mr. Cameron said a strike wasn't imminent as unions were required to give seven days' notice of industrial action.
"So there is no need to queue to buy petrol, but of course people should take sensible precautions," Mr. Cameron said. "If there is an opportunity to top up your tank if a strike is potentially on the way, then it is a sensible thing to do if you are able to do that."
Earlier, Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said people may also want to store some petrol in a jerry can in their garage.
The prime minister said he didn't want to raise the temperature on the dispute and urged unions and employers to negotiate.
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"The government's response is to very calmly, very rationally, very reasonably, approach this subject and do everything it can to encourage the two parties to talk to each other, but yes, of course, to prepare for the eventuality that there may be a strike," he said.
Unite, the union representing the tanker drivers, said it was open to discussions to resolve the dispute.
"We trust that the employers, and the supply chain, including oil majors, will engage with us and that the government will do everything in their power to help us avoid industrial action," said Diana Holland, Unite's assistant general secretary.
The drivers who voted to strike work for major distribution firms delivering fuel for retailers, including Tesco PLC, J Sainsbury PLC, BP PLC, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Exxon Mobil Corp.'s Esso.
Arbitration body ACAS also invited oil firms and Unite to talk.
"We are establishing contact with all the parties involved in this dispute and will be looking to see whether we can enable an ACAS process to allow the possibility of some form of dialogue to start," it said in a statement.
Write to Nicholas Winning at nick.winning@dowjones.com
Prime Minister David Cameron, Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, strike action, fuel distribution, government, government, Cameron
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