Bertie's plea to the truckers.TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern begged truckers last night: "Don't cripple the country". Mr Ahern made the eleventh hour plea to avoid a "go slow" protest tomorrow that threatens to choke the country's main roads. As a compromise package he promised angry truckers that he would cut excise duty in the December Budget. But he insisted there would be no early cuts. He said: "The truckers should take up the government's offer to engage directly with us and find a resolution to the fuel price issue in the context of the December Budget. "This was a perfectly reasonable position which was supported by the farming, trade union and community pillars in the Programme For Prosperity and Fairness. "The hauliers should do likewise." But last night Irish truckers vowed to press ahead with the 24-hour strike and protests tomorrow after the government rejected their demand to cut diesel tax by a third. Gerry McMahon, leader of the Irish Road Haulage Association This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , said drivers would stage slow convoy protests on many of Ireland's key national and urban routes in a move likely to cause widespread traffic chaos. The decision by Shell to increase oil prices for commercial customers by 3.8p per litre has further infuriated in·fu·ri·ate tr.v. in·fu·ri·at·ed, in·fu·ri·at·ing, in·fu·ri·ates To make furious; enrage. adj. Archaic Furious. hauliers. More than 1,000 members of the Irish Road Haulage Association will drive in conveys at less than 25mph on main roads in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick Limerick, city, Republic of Ireland Limerick, city (1991 pop. 56,083), seat of Co. Limerick, SW Republic of Ireland, at the head of the Shannon estuary. The city has a port with two docks. and Waterford. Mr McMahon said the protests would take place where they will have the most impact - although efforts would be made to help emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' . He said: "The price of diesel now accounts for 35 per cent of all haulage costs and if the cost is not lowered, job losses will follow. "It's been building for the last 18 months. "We can take no more. Profits in this industry are small and they've been wiped out by fuel price increases." Last night the Automobile Association Automobile Association may refer to:
Spokesman Conor Faughnan said: "Shortages in the UK were not caused so much by the protests as the motorists panic buying Panic Buying High volume buying brought about by sharp price increases. Notes: The main problem with panic buying is that investors are not evaluating fundamentals. Instead, they are blindly buying before prices rise even more. ." The IRHA IRHA International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance IRHA Irish Road Haulage Association (Ireland) IRHA Inter-Residence Hall Association (various universities and colleges) is not planning blockades at fuel depots but breakaway groups of drivers may engage in such protests. |
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