About 50 oil refinery-based drivers in Stanlow in northwest England, who work for Hoyer, which has recently rebranded as Oxalis, will go on strike from June 6 to June 8, and again a week later, the Unite union said in a statement. Their vehicles supply petrol stations and airlines in the region as well as southeast Scotland. 

“The industrial action will cause significant disruptions to fuel supplies across the North West and Scottish borders,” Unite said in the statement. 

In 2021, panic buying led to petrol stations in the UK running dry after deliveries were hobbled by a shortage of drivers at the time. The strikes this year, however, are limited to a narrower region, potentially curbing any wider impact on petrol supplies. 

“Oxalis has offered drivers a 19 per cent pay increase over two years,” an Oxalis spokesperson said in an email. “Any further increase severely compromises the viability of the operation and puts jobs at risk.”

The spokesperson said further talks with the union are planned, contingency plans have been developed and Oxalis is confident all operations will continue in the event of industrial action.