I have friends + family in the army and the emergency services, they risk their lives + care for others . They have trained for years to obtain qualifications in their chosen careers and professions.None of them are paid the disgusting wages these utterly greedy and self serving individuals are on.

D Dewar, Shotts, United Kingdom

I once watched a soldier climb onto a petrol tanker to defuse a bomb, bravest thing I ever saw. The tanker driver who was paid considerably more than that soldier, ran away.

Tanker drivers wouldn't know danger if they tripped over it.

Andrew, Stafford, England

It is a disgrace, that the tanker drivers are striking for more money. They get more than most people. I am a volunteer driver, taking people to and from Hospital appointments. I have not been able to fulfill all these journey's because i can't get diesel. They are selfish, shame on them.

Geoff, Dartmouth, UK

The problem is, if this pay rise were conceded, then other workers less fortunate would follow suit, and an inflationary spiral would commence.
Who do you think will pay for any wage increase - the company?
No, the price of a gallon of fuel will go up, yet again, to subsidise it - so, No,No,No.

Darius Midwinter, London,

Sack the strikers, thousands of HGV drivers will queue up for their jobs. Let the Army deliver the fuel for a month until the new recruits are on board. The Union Leaders sound as if they walked through a time warp and off the set of "I'm alright Jack" with Peter Sellers.

Tony Gee, London,

Firefighters get paid far less than the truckers for doing a far more dangerous and skilled job, if the truckers are underpaid then they would have problems employing enough of them.

David, Leeds, UK

Clearly this is secondary picketing; typically weak cowardly government afraid to take on the greedy union bully boys. Government complacently says it has powers to ensure the emergency services have fuel in a crisis, yeah that's fine for the emergency services- rest of the country grinds to a halt

Paul M, Wales,

If drivers earn so much, those earning less are free to retrain and apply. I doubt all do.
What annoys me is that people who by nature of their job can hold us all ransom. I don't see it as a dispute, I see it as them stealing from me if I can't get to work to earn my living. Police, action!

Stuart, Chester,

It's just greed. The drivers see the OilCo make huge profit and want a share of it. OK, so buy shares in the company, take the dividend and stop whinging. If you don't like the job, get another one.

Ron, Milton Keynes, UK

Andrew from Cambridge, I was working in Northampton when one of these tanker drivers drove a burning tanker away from a storage tank to prevent a major explosion and thousands of deaths, after static electricity ignited his truck, could you do that ? I think not.

James, Dundee, Scotland

Shell should immediately terminate the contracts on the grounds of non-performance and place new contracts elsewhere. Hoyer would then have to lay off their drivers who would learn that greed doesn't pay.

Tom Paul, Harrogate, England

Instead of the"fatcats"at the top or the tankers getting more money-lets take it of the fuel prices! Yeah! By the way their job isn't comparable with the dangers our boys face on a daily basis in the forces for less money & they cant strike no matter how much the "fatcats" at the top rake in!

sara, st.athan,

These striking overpaid tanker drivers are picketting the fuel depots. Do they not work for a contractor to the oil company? So, the picketting is secondary and is this not illegal?

So, in the next strike should not the police take action?

Antony Rigby, Farnham, England

I think they deserve the money the fatcats at the top are making massive profits so giving a bit more to the drivers is no big deal, its a hazardous job and why shouldnt they get as much as people who have been to university, no one wants the grotty jobs so they should get more.

kate, maidstone, kent

The drivers should get a reality check - I was horrified at their current salary let alone the increase they are demanding. Its no more dangerous than anyone else driving and lets face it, other than an HGV licence, anyone can do it... £32,000 over rated and over paid.

Andy, Wirral, UK

I was astounded by the sums of money on offer to these guys. Their wages are way above those on offer to equivalent drivers (in the chemical industry for instance).

If they're not happy with their lot, then they should test the free market and see if they can get more elsewhere!

Greg, Sheffield,

I wonder if tanker drivers still get cash tips from forecourts to dispense extra petrol. In the 70s and 80s drivers used to overfill their tankers and give the extra 250 gals or so for a 10-20 pound cash tip from the garage owner. Probably not possible now due to advances in measuring technology.

Ravi Dube, Brighton,

perhaps they should give way to people who would do it for half the money,no wonder the eastern europeans are doing well over here they are nowhere as near as greedy as our drivers

phil gascoigne, uxbridge,

My son thinks he should study hard to get into secondary school, then to Cambridge, become a quantum physicist, or at least win a Nobel Prize for something (he is only eight). Shall I say to him, "Don't bother. Become a petrol tanker driver instead."?

SP Lee, Harrow,

Perhaps they should compare similar roles for other companies when considering salary demands - £18,000 basic for a 40 hour week according to this: http://www.edp24.co.uk/Content/jobs/SoYouWant/2004/asp/Tanker.asp
Will they take a pay cut if Shell's profits drop?

Tim, Bedford, United Kingdom

The Union's PR guy should be sacked for allowing the Union rep to blurt that one out! The backlash was inevitable.

Driving a petrol tanker my well be a responsible job but it's no more dangerous than many other jobs.

Alan Henness, Glasgow,

If we were all paid salaries in accordance to the level of danger in our work then squaddies would be paid more than the Home Secretary who has polics protection all day and wears a flack jacket when she goes out doors

kevin atkinson, London,

If we apply the strict 'dog eat dog' rules of the free market to this problem then a seller of an overpriced product must expect that provision of a less that first class service ( forecourt shortages ) will lead to a steep downturn in demand - customers will move allegience to other brands.

Harry Willis, North Yorks,

The dangers of driving a tanker full of petrol? When did one last explode?

Andrew, Cambridge,

Let's see, in some places diesel is running out. This means that truckers and delivery drivers wont be able to fuel up and earn a living. They can't get to their depots 'cause they can't drive their cars, 'cause they can't get petrol. Should be interesting if we have trucker against trucker.

Frank, Liverpool,

Comparing salaries across industries in unrealistic.
What are the risks - long and short term - on being a tanker driver? What is the employer making in way of profits that should be filtering down to reward staff, not just shareholders.

Keith Lawson, Poole, UK

If we agree our emergency services and armed forces should be better paid - then vote for the party that will raise taxes to afford them. We are their employer, let's do it properly then.

Keith Lawson, Poole, UK

I, like many others, are flabbergasted at the amount they currently get paid and they want more! They have no support from me.

Give them a tour of duty in Afghanistan for the basic salary one of our guys/gals out there gets and then see if they complain. £32000 basic for driving a lorry!

Andrew, Pontypridd,

If petrol tanker drivers feel so special what about "usual" lorry drivers with normal salary and normal trucks who move packed chemicals from A to B, even more dangerous job and they don't complain even if they get much less money.

Karl, Tallinn, Estonia

I have sympathy for them, a 7% payrise should be a big deal, but if their still £2 per hour behind the rest after it then they're not being paid enough now.

Susan, Barry, S Wales

People have the right to strike for a better deal... having said that I'm starting as a doctor this year after 5 really hard years of study - £22k. Not bad pay, but the job entails a hell of a lot of responsibility in an increasingly litigious society.

A Doctor, Nottingham, England

Strike to protest about our ridiculously high levels of fuel tax in the UK (over 50p on a litre). Don't strike over an unrealistic payrise at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch and you are already well paid (in comparison).
You chose to take this job. If you don't like it - find another one.

Nick, London, UK

Surely the drivers are doing us all a favor, maybe in the light of fuel shortages and rising fuel costs, we will all take a much harder look at the need for a journey. They are in effect increasing the speed in which they will be out of a job.

Bernie Giblin, Bristol, England

they CHOSE the career, probably BEFORE the huge rises they have had in previous years. I have yet to hear a convincing argument FOR the wage demands.

selfish and greedy.

matthew booth, monkey mia, WA, australia

Interesting article. I was impressed by the soldier who lost his leg patrolling Basra for 17K. In America, our soldiers are payed much less. Truckers, here, on the other hand, can make upwards of $100,000 (50K in pounds) depending on what they do and who they work for.

Jim P, Sacramento, United States

You only have to listen to the union representative to realise the country has a problem. These people have brought destruction onto many an industry in the past and they continue to do so.
The company that employs these drivers agree to supply drivers and other staff on a contract basis to Shell and are paid a sum of monies to do so. Shell have every right to find drivers from elsewhere and I hope they do

FMD, Chipping Norton, England

The drivers are not employees of Shell. It has nothing to do with the Oil company. No one knows the amount paid by Shell to the contracting company and them to the drivers. Completely different contracting bodies. Why lay the blame on Shell?

d, london,