Irish Hauliers threaten strike action over fuel prices

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) have said that they will be looking for clear and immediate action on escalating fuel prices in a meeting with Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien tomorrow morning at 10am in Dublin’s Leinster House…

According to IRHA President, Ger Hyland, the industry cannot afford to be fobbed off with empty promises,

“Unless we leave that meeting with concrete and immediate proposals to reduce the cost of fuel, hauliers will be left with no choice but to launch immediate protest actions. Our members are ready”

Hyland cautioned that without urgent intervention from Government to reduce the tax burden on fuel, many haulage operators will simply not be able to continue absorbing these rising costs.

“Hauliers are looking for decisive action — not warm words — and we will be making that position very clear when we meet the Minister tomorrow.”

The IRHA said the road haulage sector is the backbone of the Irish economy, moving the vast majority of goods nationwide, and warned that continued inaction on fuel costs risks supply chain disruption, higher supermarket prices and hauliers being forced out of business.

Speaking to Wexford Weekly, Hyland said that the Irish Government are asleep at the wheel and the consequences of striking would be catastrophic:

“When transport costs go up, groceries, clothes, building materials and everything in between goes up in price. Crippling fuel costs are just the latest escalating cost to follow higher tolls, new charges at Dublin Port and a host of other taxes and charges that this government has imposed on small businesses across rural Ireland.”

“Government are asleep at the wheel and not listening to people who put them in power. Hauliers are the people who deliver your milk, bread, fuel and clothes. If our industry stopped for just 72 hours, supermarket shelves would empty, hospitals would struggle to operate, petrol stations would run out of fuel and small businesses nationwide would be forced to close. If we fail – the consequences for the economy will be catastrophic.”