Fuel blockade starts By transport reporter GENEVIEVE LALLY 06oct00

SOARING fuel prices and low wages have sparked a huge blockade by truck drivers, threatening to paralyse the state's construction industry.

About 300 tip-truck owner-drivers converged on the Docklands yesterday, blocking the West Gate Bridge and forcing traffic to queue for kilometres  and twice as many plan to do it all again today. They have pledged not to return to work until the Federal Government addresses their concerns.

They are seeking a 20per cent pay rise to deal with the rising costs of fuel and declining cartage rates.

The state's construction industry could be brought to its knees within days.

Major building sites, roadworks and private housing developments could be shut down with the supply of materials for concrete expected to run out in about two days.

Transport Workers Union Victorian branch secretary Bill Noonan said the drivers were refusing to deliver sand and stone to concrete plants throughout the state.

Mr Noonan said any project that required concrete would draw to a standstill until the drivers returned to work.

"These people are very determined to improve their lot in life and are prepared to take strong action to make sure they are adequately recompensed for the work they perform," he said.

Tonnes of contaminated soil will remain idle at construction sites while the strike continues.

Mr Noonan said drivers were angry that while fuel rates and inflation had gone up, their cartage rate had dropped.

The action comes just one week after Victorian owner-drivers took part in a blockade of fuel depots over the rising cost of transporting petrol.

That blockade was only called off after Premier Steve Bracks promised to raise truckies' concerns at the next Council of Australian Governments meeting in November.

Yesterday's strike began when tip-truck operators at Mountain View Quarries left work after being told their cartage rate was to be cut, Mr Noonan said.

He said the walk-off sparked a spontaneous response with truckies from a number of other sites joining in.

The action is expected to increase today as the truckies again descend on the Docklands for a meeting about 7am.

Peak-hour traffic along Geelong Rd could be seriously disrupted as up to 300 trucks cross the West Gate Bridge.

VicRoads said a snap decision by truck drivers to stop for about 10 minutes on top of the bridge yesterday caused a back-log of traffic kilometres long towards Geelong.

Mr Noonan said cartage rates varied depending on the sort of job, with some truckies paid by the kilometre and others by tonnage. But there was universal concern that rates were declining, he said.

The Victorian Road Transport Association represents larger trucking companies.

President Phil Lovel said that in May this year it introduced a fuel levy to be passed on to customers to cover the extras.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/common/story_page/0,4511,1280260%255E2862,00.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 05, 2000