Unite ballots fuel truckers for strike over pay

(Reuters) – About 30-plus truckers with fuel haulage contractor JW Suckling Transport engaged in a Phillips 66 contract to supply fuel to UK’s Jet garages are being balloted for a strike over a pay dispute, the Unite Union said on Tuesday.

The drivers are based at depots in Essex, West London and Grangemouth, Unite said in a release, and a strike would affect fuel supplies to Jet garages across Scotland and from Southampton to Norwich.

The ballot for industrial action opens on Feb. 9 and closes on March 9, the union said, adding that if the strike is voted for, it could begin before the end of next month.

(This story has been corrected to clarify Unite is balloting workers over pay dispute, and removes reference to ‘jet fuel’ shortages in headline and lede)

(Reporting by Seher Dareen and Arundhati Sarkar in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens)