h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mental isn't it? Just when the SNP are trying to get hold of the unions too.

By the way guys am from Glasgow
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Acas talks over refinery dispute

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7359870.stm

Talks aimed at resolving a dispute which could shut down Grangemouth oil refinery will be held at conciliation service Acas.

Officials from the Unite trade union will meet bosses from Ineos in London in a bid to head off the planned two-day stoppage.

Up to 1,200 workers plan to strike from Sunday over plans to end the final salary pension scheme for new workers.

The company has started shutting down the refinery, the biggest in Scotland.

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If it causes anything like the last fuel shortages then the net result will be a few less cars on the road. The real danger comes from idiot panic-buyers.

Aye, the same sort of idiots who buy three loaves of bread on Christmas Eve 'just in case'

Did you see the stupid woman on the news last night that had already filled her tank twice and was about to buy a couple of petrol cans because she couldn't afford to run out whilst she was ferrying her kids around.

No, but can I join you in slapping her? /facepalm

These are the same morons who drive massive great 4x4s that do 12 mpg because it keep /their/ children safer, yes?

and have a burglar alarm they switch on at night

A small part of me actually welcomes any sort of recession because it might teach the decadent middle classes to value money a little bit more. They might have to (gasp) only drive their cars when necessary or (jings) actually eat all the food they buy instead of shovelling half of their fridge-decoration into the bin at the end of every week.

and the fatcats get to just stay fat

I find it great motivation to get my veggie patch going

Unfortunately we can only dig for about six inches before we find impenetrable clay so need to get more compost

or take up ceramics

Perfect! I can make my own flowerpots then

Funny you should say that. I heard on the radio that sales of vegetable seeds had outstripped sales of flower seeds in the UK for the first time since the war.

I heard something like that too recently, although I'm not jumping on the bandwagon cos I've always wanted a veggie patch. We never had a garden to plant any veggies before

So much for all the promises that garages wouldn't run out. I've just been right round Falkirk/Grangemouth and there isn't a teaspoon of diesel to be had.

That's because people are stupid and are panic-buying, which leads to a week's worth of fuel running out in a day.

Well, I've just driven past our local petrol station and half the pumps are out of fuel and there's a massive queue .

And that's in Somerset ******* idiots.

As far as I've seen our petrol stations are still in operation, although the average price per litre is effing scandalous

I see that now the Grangemouth refinery has shut down it will take up to three weeks to get it up and running to its maximum capacity...

all because they don't want to give a small percentage of there wage
its outrageous if you ask me
and i cant see this strike doing them any good

The petrol station in the main street here was shut* yesterday, but the one slightly further out of the way was open, had petrol and was 3p a litre cheaper. Result.


*That was nearly a Freudian typo.