Petrol supplies in Chch drying up

Press, 10 July 1979, Page 1

Petrol supplies in Chch drying up

Christchurch could virtually be out of petrol by late this week. Supplies of super grade petrol-will be exhausted at most service stations by tomorrow, and standard — which usually sells slowly — will quickly follow suit as drivers try to fill up before stocks are completely gone. The executive of the Canterbury Drivers’ Union will decide at 16.30 today whether petrol drivers will be exempt from the strike. “The Press” got in touch with 15 service stations yesterday. All reported low stocks, but some had received what one proprietor described as a “token” delivery early yesterday morning.

The small resupply, mainly to stations which had run out of petrol last week, will last only until tomorrow, according to the service-station proprietors. One service station in Lincoln Road closed at 3.30 p.m. The spokesman said that he had been out of super petrol since last Wednesday, and was supposed to receive a delivery this morning. He had a small stock of regular left, but was closing early “to trj’ to eke it out.” Another station in Bumside had also been out cf super’petrol since Wednesday last week, and had exhausted its stocks of regular on Thursday. A small delivery was made yesterday morning but the

spokesman said that it would almost certainly be gone by this morning. Stocks of super had been topped up at the Fendalton Service Station yesterday morning, but the proprietor said that he was closing his garage early last evening. He estimated that his supply would last only until lunchtime today. Petrol-hungry motorists had “followed the tanker into the pumps” when the Barrington Service station received a small delivery yesterday, said the owner, Mr Brian Cations. Service stations in central Christchurch all reported queues of motorists, dwindling supplies, and exhaustion of both petrol and, in two cases, staff, by tomorrow. Some said that they would probably be out of petrol by lunchtime today, but asked that their names not be mentioned for fear of causing panic buying. A meeting in Christchurch yesterday between representatives of the Canterbury Drivers’ Union and the Oil Industries Union of Employers failed to agree about conditions of delivery to be observed during the stoppage. The executive officer of the Oil Industries Union (Mr S. Marshall) said last evening that drivers wanted to exercise control in running the companies, which was unacceptable. One key area of contention concerned starting times, he said.

“The drivers are holding out for a t-iaranteed 6 a.m. start, instead of our normal 7.15 a.m. start. This means, in effect, virtual overtime payments, and we would have to pay for traveling time as well,” said Mr Marshall. Another breakdown centred on the oil drivers who serviced essential businesses and manufacturers. Mr Marshall said that the drivers were prepared to deliver to essential services, and were also prepared to deliver oil and oil products to other businesses experiencing hardship. However, the oil companies did not agree with the principle that drivers service areas of short-term hardship, he said. Industries which were suffering and which faced long-term problems because of the strike would be serviced as far as the oil companies were concernedsaid Mr Marshall. The selective-delivery policy proposed by the drivers’ union was, however, unacceptable. Lane, Walker, Rudkin, Ltd is still considering legal action against an oil company for refusing to allow fuel deliveries. The operations manager of the big textile and clothing manufacturer (Mr M. A. Stevens) said last evening that Atlantic Union Oil would not allow its drivers to make an exception during their strike last week and deliver badly needed fuel to Lane, Walker, Rudkin.