Post by DD on Jun 30, 2011 15:44:51 GMT -5
John encourages truckers to raise their voices
Diesel prices have increased by over 25% in the past year.
Published on 30 June 2011
The spiralling cost of fuel is beyond a joke at this stage, jeopardising the very livelihoods of truckers – and many other business people - the length and breadth of the country. In Donegal – led by John McLaughlin of JML Transport – the trucking fraternity decided to take their case to Leinster House, letting their irate voices be heard through a series of protests. The only real surprise is that this hasn’t happened sooner.
Not prepared to turn the other cheek any longer, a number of Inishowen haulage company operators staged a protest drive from Letterkenny to the Dáil on Wednesday February 23rd, 2011, in protest at the unsustainably-high price of fuel. Hauliers from Donegal had decided it was time the issue of ridiculously-rising diesel (and petrol) costs received a national platform. With the General Election looming, the time was right. Quite why nobody else had been doing this is beyond me…
The new Donegal-based truckers lobby group – known as JML Diesel Protest - is calling on the incoming government to scrap the carbon tax element in the cost of fuel for tax-compliant licensed hauliers. It also wants a further minimum 10% rebate on diesel used by tax-compliant licensed hauliers.
Over 100 trucks, coaches, tractors and vans participated in a noisy protest in Letterkenny on the Saturday (attracting protestors from as far away as Kilkenny and Limerick) as the first stage of a peaceful protest campaign spearheaded by Convoy, Lifford based haulier John McLaughlin of JML Transport began. Four days later, the flotilla of trucks arrived in the capital, via the west – a protest designed to highlight the problems faced by businesses due to the massive ongoing hikes in fuel prices.
Diesel prices have increased by over 25% in the past year and this is placing a major strain on haulage firms, with a consequential knock-on for many other businesses. “Last year, 20,000 litres of diesel cost me €18,000; now it is costing €4,100 Euro more,” McLaughlin told the media. He goes on to explain that there are over 5,000 haulage firms in Ireland, people who are no longer prepared to take the abuse lying down: “People are just fed up. There are a lot of families out there affected by this.”
John hand-delivered a letter of protest to Taoiseach-elect Enda Kenny, who claims there is nothing he can do about this false tax. However, though the rising fuel cost is a global phenomenon, addressing the issue remains very much in the Government’s hands due to the inordinate amount of VAT paid by all Irish motorists on their fuel. This is the main bone of contention – why won’t the Government decrease this crippling, Draconian tax?
Remember, the exchequer’s tax take goes up with each fuel increase, so the Government seems quite willing to do nothing about the situation. This is unacceptable. All motorists want some sort of concession at this stage. If we can pump hundreds of billions into the bottomless pits that are the banks (without any sort of consultation with the public ever having taken place), then why can’t a few cent be knocked off the price of fuel?
Despite causing considerable traffic congestion, the truckers’ protests attracted plenty of public sympathy and – with fuel prices at an all-time high – the MD of JML Transport and JML Recycling (which has depots in Donegal, Mullingar, Dublin and Portarlington) is adamant that the Government will have to act.
It seems the initial protests fell on deaf ears. Nothing but silence from the corridors of power and the price at the pump continues to soar. As the next step in his ongoing protestations, McLaughlin has warned that he will block the ports and bring the country to a standstill if the Government refuses to listen to truckers’ demands.
This is no idle threat. The Donegal man has spoken to dozens of truckers and they originally pledged to block ports and major roads unless the FG/Labour coalition takes action by the end of the month (March) – but this deadline has been reviewed and the France-style protest action has been postponed until after the IRHA AGM on April 9th.
Having already outlined the hauliers’ plight to the Taoiseach, McLaughlin promised: “It will take us a day or two to organise it, but I can guarantee people that we will block roads and block ports unless we are listened to. This is not a selfish act on behalf of hauliers. This action is being taken on behalf of the entire population. We cannot just sit back and allow fuel prices to go through the roof. Everyone is suffering and people are now spending more on their cars than they are feeding their children. It just can’t go on. We will block every road and every port unless the new Government meets with us and takes us seriously.”
With the cost of crude oil out of control and a further 10c per litre increase likely over the coming months, AA director Conor Faughnan is in agreement with John McLaughlin’s sentiments, calling on the Government to reduce fuel prices through tax reductions as a matter of priority. Faughnan has urged the new Government to immediately remove the excise increase of 4c a litre on fuel which was introduced in the last budget, before the economy is damaged even further. As Ireland is one of the most oil-dependent countries in the world, the severe carbon taxes are driving the nation to its knees, McLaughlin insists.
In relation to his brief meeting with Enda Kenny, John told Irish Trucker: “He gave me three-and-a-half minutes and he listened to what I had to say. He opened my letter and he read it but he said he can do nothing about the carbon tax. But he’ll have to do something about it because it’s a false tax and we’re not going to take it any more. I told him I’d give him three weeks or the lights would go out.”
John is backing on the IRHA for back-up as he is reluctant to see his own business go to the wall if he ploughs a lone furrow: “I’m worried about injunctions or claims being taken against JML. I’ve spent 22 years building this business up and – even though there’s not much of it left – I don’t want to lose it over this fight. The IRHA are having their AGM on the 9th of the month and they’ll discuss this protest and whether or not to back me. I’m very hopeful of getting their full backing.
“I’m going to hold off and get the Haulage Association behind me and then we will have real power and it won’t be easy to silence us. At the minute I have about 460 trucks behind me, but there will be thousands if the IRHA comes in behind me. We’ll have real strength in numbers.
“Diesel is only the tip of the iceberg. The RSA has to be put in its place as well because they are getting out of hand. Today, in Ireland, a truck is only allowed to do 80kmph but a bus is allowed to do 100kmph – which is the most dangerous? I’m hoping the new boys coming in at the top in the IRHA will be prepared to stand against things like this. If not, I will be a real thorn in their side.
“This whole fuel protest started when I was listening to a show on Highland Radio and a woman explained how she had only five Euro a week left after driving her kids around and she asked what can one person do. Well, I think one person can make a big difference. I have hauliers, farmers, electricians, plumbers, housewives and househusbands behind me now and they’re all willing to stand up and be counted because something has to be done.
“If I have to, I will stop this country to get them to listen to the voice of the people. I’m no politician and I’m not politically-minded but what I have learned over the past seven weeks about politicians would turn your hair grey. They have to be brought to account.
“73 cent out of every Euro spent at the pump goes to the Government. Between €12.10 and €14.30 out of every €20 goes to the Government. It’s ridiculous. We have to put our foot down. Enough is enough.”
Diesel prices have increased by over 25% in the past year.
Published on 30 June 2011
The spiralling cost of fuel is beyond a joke at this stage, jeopardising the very livelihoods of truckers – and many other business people - the length and breadth of the country. In Donegal – led by John McLaughlin of JML Transport – the trucking fraternity decided to take their case to Leinster House, letting their irate voices be heard through a series of protests. The only real surprise is that this hasn’t happened sooner.
Not prepared to turn the other cheek any longer, a number of Inishowen haulage company operators staged a protest drive from Letterkenny to the Dáil on Wednesday February 23rd, 2011, in protest at the unsustainably-high price of fuel. Hauliers from Donegal had decided it was time the issue of ridiculously-rising diesel (and petrol) costs received a national platform. With the General Election looming, the time was right. Quite why nobody else had been doing this is beyond me…
The new Donegal-based truckers lobby group – known as JML Diesel Protest - is calling on the incoming government to scrap the carbon tax element in the cost of fuel for tax-compliant licensed hauliers. It also wants a further minimum 10% rebate on diesel used by tax-compliant licensed hauliers.
Over 100 trucks, coaches, tractors and vans participated in a noisy protest in Letterkenny on the Saturday (attracting protestors from as far away as Kilkenny and Limerick) as the first stage of a peaceful protest campaign spearheaded by Convoy, Lifford based haulier John McLaughlin of JML Transport began. Four days later, the flotilla of trucks arrived in the capital, via the west – a protest designed to highlight the problems faced by businesses due to the massive ongoing hikes in fuel prices.
Diesel prices have increased by over 25% in the past year and this is placing a major strain on haulage firms, with a consequential knock-on for many other businesses. “Last year, 20,000 litres of diesel cost me €18,000; now it is costing €4,100 Euro more,” McLaughlin told the media. He goes on to explain that there are over 5,000 haulage firms in Ireland, people who are no longer prepared to take the abuse lying down: “People are just fed up. There are a lot of families out there affected by this.”
John hand-delivered a letter of protest to Taoiseach-elect Enda Kenny, who claims there is nothing he can do about this false tax. However, though the rising fuel cost is a global phenomenon, addressing the issue remains very much in the Government’s hands due to the inordinate amount of VAT paid by all Irish motorists on their fuel. This is the main bone of contention – why won’t the Government decrease this crippling, Draconian tax?
Remember, the exchequer’s tax take goes up with each fuel increase, so the Government seems quite willing to do nothing about the situation. This is unacceptable. All motorists want some sort of concession at this stage. If we can pump hundreds of billions into the bottomless pits that are the banks (without any sort of consultation with the public ever having taken place), then why can’t a few cent be knocked off the price of fuel?
Despite causing considerable traffic congestion, the truckers’ protests attracted plenty of public sympathy and – with fuel prices at an all-time high – the MD of JML Transport and JML Recycling (which has depots in Donegal, Mullingar, Dublin and Portarlington) is adamant that the Government will have to act.
It seems the initial protests fell on deaf ears. Nothing but silence from the corridors of power and the price at the pump continues to soar. As the next step in his ongoing protestations, McLaughlin has warned that he will block the ports and bring the country to a standstill if the Government refuses to listen to truckers’ demands.
This is no idle threat. The Donegal man has spoken to dozens of truckers and they originally pledged to block ports and major roads unless the FG/Labour coalition takes action by the end of the month (March) – but this deadline has been reviewed and the France-style protest action has been postponed until after the IRHA AGM on April 9th.
Having already outlined the hauliers’ plight to the Taoiseach, McLaughlin promised: “It will take us a day or two to organise it, but I can guarantee people that we will block roads and block ports unless we are listened to. This is not a selfish act on behalf of hauliers. This action is being taken on behalf of the entire population. We cannot just sit back and allow fuel prices to go through the roof. Everyone is suffering and people are now spending more on their cars than they are feeding their children. It just can’t go on. We will block every road and every port unless the new Government meets with us and takes us seriously.”
With the cost of crude oil out of control and a further 10c per litre increase likely over the coming months, AA director Conor Faughnan is in agreement with John McLaughlin’s sentiments, calling on the Government to reduce fuel prices through tax reductions as a matter of priority. Faughnan has urged the new Government to immediately remove the excise increase of 4c a litre on fuel which was introduced in the last budget, before the economy is damaged even further. As Ireland is one of the most oil-dependent countries in the world, the severe carbon taxes are driving the nation to its knees, McLaughlin insists.
In relation to his brief meeting with Enda Kenny, John told Irish Trucker: “He gave me three-and-a-half minutes and he listened to what I had to say. He opened my letter and he read it but he said he can do nothing about the carbon tax. But he’ll have to do something about it because it’s a false tax and we’re not going to take it any more. I told him I’d give him three weeks or the lights would go out.”
John is backing on the IRHA for back-up as he is reluctant to see his own business go to the wall if he ploughs a lone furrow: “I’m worried about injunctions or claims being taken against JML. I’ve spent 22 years building this business up and – even though there’s not much of it left – I don’t want to lose it over this fight. The IRHA are having their AGM on the 9th of the month and they’ll discuss this protest and whether or not to back me. I’m very hopeful of getting their full backing.
“I’m going to hold off and get the Haulage Association behind me and then we will have real power and it won’t be easy to silence us. At the minute I have about 460 trucks behind me, but there will be thousands if the IRHA comes in behind me. We’ll have real strength in numbers.
“Diesel is only the tip of the iceberg. The RSA has to be put in its place as well because they are getting out of hand. Today, in Ireland, a truck is only allowed to do 80kmph but a bus is allowed to do 100kmph – which is the most dangerous? I’m hoping the new boys coming in at the top in the IRHA will be prepared to stand against things like this. If not, I will be a real thorn in their side.
“This whole fuel protest started when I was listening to a show on Highland Radio and a woman explained how she had only five Euro a week left after driving her kids around and she asked what can one person do. Well, I think one person can make a big difference. I have hauliers, farmers, electricians, plumbers, housewives and househusbands behind me now and they’re all willing to stand up and be counted because something has to be done.
“If I have to, I will stop this country to get them to listen to the voice of the people. I’m no politician and I’m not politically-minded but what I have learned over the past seven weeks about politicians would turn your hair grey. They have to be brought to account.
“73 cent out of every Euro spent at the pump goes to the Government. Between €12.10 and €14.30 out of every €20 goes to the Government. It’s ridiculous. We have to put our foot down. Enough is enough.”