National Fuel Strike. What Are Your Views?

bigbadboogieman on 12/10/2018 - 23:16

National Fuel Strike. What Are Your Views?

Some people have started to record their protest around high fuel prices all across Australia. It affects everyone in the form of price hikes for day to day items as well as public transport.

Especially with the fact that Petrol is taxed twice before reaching the consumer and of course the brunt of it is borne by the consumer, they are calling for a fuel strike on 26-Oct-2018. So far 149K people have registered their interest on Facebook to support this cause.

Some think it will be ineffective but atleast it's a start.

Given fuel prices have been a hot topic amongst OzBargainers, what are your views?

Facebook Link: https://m.facebook.com/events/482802342224676/

Would you participate?

Poll Options

  • 41
    Hell Yeah
  • 42
    Yes
  • 250
    No
  • 55
    Can't Care Less
Automotive Fuel

Comments

  • Clear on 12/10/2018 - 23:22
    -4

    Define 'high'. Unless it's over $1.60 per/l then it's not high. Just looking at Petrolspy shows many places at $1.42 while others like Brisbane are at $1.69.

    Even then other countries are worse. Recently I traveled to somewhere that paid about $1.90 per litre.

    • jjjaar on 13/10/2018 - 06:58
      +5

      Melbourne has been hovering around 1.56 for about three weeks now, hitting 1.60 every couple of days.

      But you’re right, it’s very low compared to other countries. Italy is around $2.10-$3/ litre for unleaded.

      • altomic on 13/10/2018 - 09:18
        +1

        Italy has a really shitty fuel tax. Fill up in Austria

        • jjjaar on 13/10/2018 - 12:15

          Good to know, cheers.

    • EightImmortals on 13/10/2018 - 09:18
      +4

      $1.19 p/l in the U.S.

      https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/USA/gasoline_prices/

      • Clear on 13/10/2018 - 09:53
        -4

        Which is roughly $1.67 AU.

        • bombaman on 13/10/2018 - 10:04

          Ahhhh….what?

          • Clear on 13/10/2018 - 10:08

            @bombaman: Nevermind I thought he was talking US. They're lucky to have cheap while the rest of the world don't.

            • EightImmortals on 13/10/2018 - 10:10

              @Clear: That was $1.19 AUD (oh, you got it. )

            • Caped Baldy on 15/10/2018 - 08:32

              @Clear: True, but they're funding their military to pay for it. So may be more expensive.

      • BillyG687 on 14/10/2018 - 16:59
        +3

        That also is just the average, some states in the US have much much cheaper fuel prices. Where I was, I paid around AUD$0.70 per litre, sometimes even less.

        • ThithLord on 15/10/2018 - 09:22
          +1

          I did around 7,500km through the US - cheapest I got was around 55/60c p/l

    • Almost Banned on 13/10/2018 - 11:44
      +7

      I don't really see the issue as 'high prices'.
      As you say, that's relative. Our prices are influenced by cost of production, exchange rates and tax.
      I think what people should be upset about is the growing retail margin being applied to fuel.
      The ACCC keeps whining about this = but does nothing.
      If people want to force a change they need to find a way to decrease the margins - perhaps by co-ordinating to buy from one brand who makes a margin commitment?

      • Clear on 13/10/2018 - 17:10
        +2

        Neither do I but that was the point OP was making and it's pointless boycotting fuel for 1 single day. It's going to achieve nothing.

        Unfortunately it seems many can't see that as evident by votes. 5 people already believe we're high when we're not in comparison.

        • outlander on 13/10/2018 - 20:13
          +1

          The only thing that is pointless is saying things are pointless. If enough noise is made, even if the noise itself means nothing, it will be heard by politicians looking to capitalize on the outrage to further their careers

          • Clear on 13/10/2018 - 20:14
            +1

            @outlander: There are better ways of making noise than 'boycotting' for a day.

            • outlander on 13/10/2018 - 20:48
              +1

              @Clear: Such as? We're all waiting in suspense of your brilliance. Dazzle us

              • payton on 13/10/2018 - 20:56
                +1

                @outlander: hire a rent-a-mob, these out of work uni jockeys will do anything for 'the right cause'

                • Kangal on 14/10/2018 - 04:01

                  @payton: OzBargain is the place for rent-a-mob but we instead call them….

                  • payton on 15/10/2018 - 14:35

                    @Kangal: ozbargain would be the antithesis for such group think, we're a practical and not ideological driven bunch?

                    • HighAndDry on 24/10/2018 - 15:57

                      @payton: At least until we talk about plastic straws and/or bags apparently…

              • try2bhelpful on 17/10/2018 - 08:10

                @outlander: Find ways to reduce your fuel consumption, using public transport, walking etc. a genuine hit to their bottom line is better than a symbolic gesture. Sounds like a good day to fill up the car, the queues might be less.

                BTW, stop being an insulting dick.

    • Clear on 13/10/2018 - 19:04
      +3

      Since a lot of people seem to thing I'm wrong when I say we're cheap…. here is proof. Set that to AU and find Australia… then look at the dozens of countries who are paying $1.60-$3.10.

      • Kangal on 14/10/2018 - 04:22

        Man, we should all move to Venezuela!

  • mysterytal on 12/10/2018 - 23:23
    +26

    Fuel is relatively cheap. Look at the price in other countries. Then compare to the price to minimum wages. We get about 12 litres per hour worked at minimum wages. Most other countries one hour of labour will not get that much petrol.

    It's not going to make any difference.

    • Hybroid on 12/10/2018 - 23:44
      +3

      $1.4/litre is seriously cheap for any Brits here. That's less than half the price there.

      • Quantumcat on 13/10/2018 - 00:15
        -1

        Wow it really is, I just looked it up and it looks like it costs 1 pound 31 for a litre of petrol, and a pound is more than $2

        • Hybroid on 13/10/2018 - 00:20

          Hmm seems to have gone down now. Before I left remember filling up £1.55 (A$2.90) a litre from the local Shell station.

          So by comparison here, a $200 fill up is relatively really cheap for 140+litres fuel!

        • Almost Banned on 13/10/2018 - 11:39
          +1

          No - one pound is LESS than $2.
          In fact 1 pound = AU$1.85 right now, and has been around this level for some time.

          • Quantumcat on 13/10/2018 - 17:09

            @Almost Banned: Oh that's interesting, I wonder what caused that? Maybe ask the brexit stuff

            • Almost Banned on 15/10/2018 - 00:39

              @Quantumcat: The last time 1 pound was AU$2 or more was in early June 2016 - about three weeks before the Brexit referendum.

    • PAPower on 15/10/2018 - 17:32
      +1

      Mate, in Asia where everyone travels by motorbikes and homes are close to amenities and shops are bloody everywhere, they don't need that much of fuel. Here in Australia we need a lot more. Comparison should be based on effective KMs travelled.

  • zonra on 12/10/2018 - 23:29
    +36

    How is it gonna work though?
    Fuel is a not an optional commodity, it’s not like one can just decide “Okay I’ll stop using fuel”.
    So if the strike is on Friday I assume people would just either fill up on Thursday or Saturday, effectively making this “strike” meaningless.

    • follow on 12/10/2018 - 23:42
      +2

      Simple. We all go electric.

      • zonra on 12/10/2018 - 23:44
        +2

        But then we’ll have just a National Electricity Strike instead.
        I suppose people can just walk to work.

        • follow on 12/10/2018 - 23:45
          +7

          Get on your bike?

          • zonra on 12/10/2018 - 23:51
            +17

            @follow: That was tongue in cheek.
            My point is: yes fuel prices are high, it sucks, but no a 1 day “strike” isn’t gonna fix it, the whole movement is pretty silly imo.

          • whooah1979 on 13/10/2018 - 07:43
            +2

            @follow: Bicycles aren’t practical.

          • Kangal on 14/10/2018 - 04:24

            @follow: Bikies!!!

        • [Deactivated] on 13/10/2018 - 15:32
          +5

          I suppose people can just walk to work.

          Would suit me. By the time I reach office, it will be time to start walking back home.

        • KangaBanga on 14/10/2018 - 20:13
          +1

          no we wont, thats what tesla is trying to achieve with solar power generating roof tiles and home batteries and the electric cars. Expensive conversion but then you wont depend on gas anymore and are sort of energy "independent"

          Unfortunately its all about cost. Still cheaper to run petrol/diesel powered vehicles than shell out for electric car and home solar solution.

          We may see more people move to electric vehicles if oil prices go to $3 or something.

    • jjjaar on 13/10/2018 - 07:05
      +1

      Well… governments need to provide suitable alternatives.

      Where I live I have copious other options including trams trains buses walking and cycling. But this isn’t available to those living outside of public transport high areas. Therefore, governments need to smarten their act and provide options so when fuel becomes so high, people can just jump on a bus instead.

      • HighAndDry on 15/10/2018 - 13:03
        -2

        Well… governments need to provide suitable alternatives.

        As a general question, why is the government's responsibility and not your own to get to work?

        • jjjaar on 15/10/2018 - 13:41
          +1

          Why do governments provide roads everywhere but not footpaths, cycle lanes, buses, trams, ferries or trains?

          It's not about responsibility to get to work, its about providing equitable options. People shouldn't have to own a car to have access to a job.

          • HighAndDry on 15/10/2018 - 13:48
            -2

            @jjjaar: I guess the govt should buy people who want to be pizza delivery persons cars too.

            Seriously, it's your responsibility to get to your job.

    • outlander on 13/10/2018 - 20:19
      +3

      Public transport can absorb a certain number of people, but yes, your right. People aren't going to stop buying petrol.

      What they can do though, is act in ways that cause disruption to the distribution side of things. For instance, if everyone decided to fill up only from stations to the left of the city, it would leave a lot of stations with no customers, and a lot of desperate angry station owners.

      In life, you don't always need to make effective moves to change things, you just need to kick up enough anger that the people in charge get scared of being booted out.

      • HighAndDry on 15/10/2018 - 13:51

        For instance, if everyone decided to fill up only from stations to the left of the city, it would leave a lot of stations with no customers, and a lot of desperate angry station owners.

        Yeah…. then the station owners on the left will put up prices because everyone's going there, and station owners on the right will discount to attract customers back.

        And then people will go to the left side because it's cheaper.

  • Cheeper on 12/10/2018 - 23:57
    +2

    This has been done before but probably with less involvement because back then social media etc did not have such a large audience. Anyway, it had zero effect.
    This will also have no effect as well apart from sending a message that people are not happy with the cost of petrol, which is something everyone already knows.
    Most of the developed world is being ripped off to the bone on fuel pricing.. check the price in NZ 2.33, UK 2.42 Germany 2.46 for instance. As a comparison it shows Aust as 1.56 @8Oct18.
    See here…
    https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/
    One thing we all should be doing is using a petrol pricing app and supporting the discounters.

    • AdosHouse on 13/10/2018 - 02:28
      +11

      Instead of a single National fuel strike day. Lets all get together and pay for a tanker ship to go get fuel from Venezuela for us. OzBargain deal of the century!

      Yes that is a joke. And I know Venezuela has very little to no fuel at the moment.

      • coxjon on 13/10/2018 - 15:10
        +3

        I’ll get Vin Diesel Unleaded on the phone.

    • whooah1979 on 13/10/2018 - 07:56

      Australians are getting a better deal compared to other developed countries. Some of them paid ~$2.90 only a few days ago.

  • buckster on 13/10/2018 - 00:35
    +4

    I'm sure OPEC really cares

    • mskeggs on 13/10/2018 - 08:26
      +11

      This.
      As the old, easy and cheap to drill oil fields run dry, the new, expensive to drill in hard to get places fields come on line.
      If it costs $60 a barrel to get out of the ground instead of $10, then the price per litre is much higher.

      The best response is demand destruction. Use public transport, ride a bike, walk, get an electric car, when next you move house pick a place near stuff.

  • cjbowden on 13/10/2018 - 01:34
    +14

    If the petrol companies are making record profits (which they are right now), then the prices are too high. It shouldn't really matter what prices other countries pay, especially as tariffs, subsidies and taxes will all be different.

    I think taking some action is a great idea, as it will remind companies that users can change their behaviour. You might be surprised how a single day drop in revenue will impact a company. Imagine if we could get to the point where nobody bought petrol on a given day, and their revenue was $0. At least it is a statement.

    • trongy on 13/10/2018 - 11:10
      +9

      You might be surprised that most companies can look past an individual day's revenue and focus on weekly, monthly and quarterly sales figures.

  • Euphemistic on 13/10/2018 - 06:37
    +6

    It’s kinda pointless, but I’ll take part because I typically only fill up once a month and the car is full now.

    Anyone who does participate will only fill up before or after anyway and the total sales won’t make any difference over the month, week, year or whatever. The only way it will make any difference is if all those participating decide not to drive on that day which is hardly going to happen.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/10/2018 - 07:26

    If you want to fight oil prices, use something other than oil. Might be time to look into biodiesel and learning how to make it.

      • [Deactivated] on 13/10/2018 - 08:06

        I am talking making it yourself with waste oil from takeaway shops. Also, no matter how many scientists you pay off, growing fuel>mininng fuel. Renewable is the key word.

        • whooah1979 on 13/10/2018 - 08:24

          Biodiesel isn’t renewable fuel.

          https://www.wired.co.uk/article/biofuels-worse-than-petrol-e…

          In 2014, the UN warned that growing crops to make biofuel harms the environment and drives up food prices. It condemned the widespread use of biofuels made from crops as a replacement for petrol and diesel.

          "We support a declaration signed by 132 civil society organisations, which calls for bioenergy, including biofuels, to be excluded from the definition of renewable energy in the next EU Renewable Energy Directive."

        • whooah1979 on 13/10/2018 - 08:27

          I am talking making it yourself with waste oil from takeaway shops.

          It’s impractical to make fuel on a small scale by driving around using fossil fuel to collect spent cooking oil.

          • [Deactivated] on 13/10/2018 - 10:50
            +1

            @whooah1979: I don't drive personally, but I do know proactive people that do and make thier own fuel, it is not for everyone, but some of us are more than capable of doing it, it is an option. Once you are converted, you are using your biodesil to collect the oil, you make it a regular trip and combine with shopping trip. I know most people here are not into grass roots living, but some of us are.

          • trongy on 13/10/2018 - 10:59

            @whooah1979: Driving around using spent cooking oil as fuel to collect a larger amount of spend cooking oil might work. Bear in mind that someone has to collect the spent cooking oil - shops are not supposed to pour it down the drain.

            Regardless, it won't scale past a small number of vehicles.

          • Switchblade88 on 13/10/2018 - 16:45

            @whooah1979: Not once you're doing more than 2L bottles.

            My old man was doing 150L batches with a 44gal drum, complete with methanol/sodium hydroxide mixer, pump, heater elements, timer, the lot. Being an electrician was helpful, but certainly nothing a handyman with a high level of OHS awareness couldn't handle.

            Otherwise, it was incredibly cost-effective to collect the oil & DIY. He was reckoning about 40c/L without labour costs - though this was 15 years ago before waste oil demand rose, regulations, etc.

  • WreckTangle on 13/10/2018 - 07:47
    +1

    Its already happening in NZ, but fuel is expensive there due to truly excessive taxes

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&…

  • Peace Maker on 13/10/2018 - 08:26
    +6

    Many big franchises are keeping the price artificially high by raising it and watching their competitors move with them so they all benefit. Buying it consistently from the providers with the lowest price is the best strategy to break this form of collusion.

    A long time ago when I worked in the industry we'll only made a couple of cents per litre from fuel. All the profit came from the stuff in the shop. Now since nearly independents have been bought out, profit is around 10-14 cents a litre. Coles and Woolies buying up everyone was a bad move for consumers.

  • Peter Enis on 13/10/2018 - 08:51
    +18

    Meanwhile big utes are dominating new car sales and SUVs keep rising in popularity. If fuel prices are really a concern why aren't more people buying microcars, EVs or hybrids?

    • [Deactivated] on 13/10/2018 - 16:04
      +3

      Those who are able to purchase such vehicles are probably hardly concerned about what they pay for fuel is my guess.

  • smuggler on 13/10/2018 - 08:52
    +2

    I spend more on restaurant food than i do on fuel.

  • EightImmortals on 13/10/2018 - 09:21

    The cost of fuel might be controlled by the corporations but the amount of tax is directly on the government. Reduce their gouging a bit and we can get better prices on a lot of things. And no 'roads and schools' doesn't cut it as an argument anymore. :)

  • altomic on 13/10/2018 - 09:22
    +10

    Fuel is a rip off. It costs me so much money to drive my hummer in to the city for work everyday.

  • teardrops21 on 13/10/2018 - 09:42
    +7

    While the sentiment of a national fuel strike is worthy, it is ultimately utterly useless. It would only make sense if people permanently used other sources of fuel or transport.

    As others have said, Australia has one of the lowest fuel prices by world standards. Ironically, if the government were to increase fuel taxes that would hurt the oil companies more than a fuel strike.

    A response the fuel companies and retailers could take would be to lower prices on the strike day, then increase prices on either side to 'punish' the strikers.

    I also agree it's easy for inner city dwellers to support this strike and get a warm fuzzy feeling, because they have alternatives. However, for many people in the suburbs or regional areas they have no option. Beside, the striker are still going to fill up their cars. If it makes you feel good then do it, but don't think it is going to make any difference. Just like earth hour.

    • EightImmortals on 13/10/2018 - 12:47
      +1

      "A response the fuel companies and retailers could take would be to lower prices on the strike day…"

      To me that would signal 'mission accomplished'. :) I could then fuel up on strike day and boycott their expensive days. Win-win!

  • iforgotmysocks on 13/10/2018 - 09:49
    +2

    Cool, should be less queues that day.

  • pennypincher98 on 13/10/2018 - 10:12

    Protests about the price of fuel.
    Fills up anyway?

    Are all these 150,000 odd people going to catch public transport?

    • pegaxs on 13/10/2018 - 10:43
      +1

      No, they are just going to fuel up on Tues~Wed like they have been for the past 10 years…

      • pennypincher98 on 13/10/2018 - 11:03

        Exactly.
        So what's the point?

        • pegaxs on 13/10/2018 - 14:36
          +5

          Because "Armchair Anarchy". In this age of "social media", everyone needs to feel outraged about something, and then to do absolutely nothing about it.

          "I'm outraged! and by damn, I'm going to tell all of my 16 followers…"

          • Lockieasy on 15/10/2018 - 01:53
            +1

            @pegaxs: That reminds me of when the internet fought warlord Joseph Kony with likes and retweets. We really showed him!

  • EightImmortals on 13/10/2018 - 10:14
    +6

    Will people stop making the claim that we have some of the cheapest fuel in the world?

    In FACT we are about half way down the list so at best you could say we are paying an 'average' price, not 'one of the cheapest' but not the most expensive either..

    https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/

    • whooah1979 on 13/10/2018 - 10:20
      +3

      Will people stop making the claim that we have some of the cheapest fuel in the world?

      nobody is saying that australians have the cheapest fuel prices. our prices are better when compared to other developed nations.
      https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/

      Venezuela
      Iran
      Sudan
      Kuwait*
      Algeria*
      Ecuador
      Nigeria
      Turkmenistan
      Egypt*
      Azerbaijan
      Kazakhstan
      Angola
      Uzbekistan
      Malaysia*
      Bahrain
      Bolivia*
      Saudi Arabia
      Qatar*
      Tr.&Tobago
      Oman*
      Iraq
      Ethiopia
      Kyrgyzstan*
      Russia*
      UA Emirates*
      Indonesia*
      Belarus*
      Burma
      Tunisia*
      Pakistan*
      Afghanistan
      Lesotho
      Colombia*
      Botswana
      Haiti
      USA
      Puerto Rico
      Dominica
      Swaziland
      Panama*
      Namibia
      Chad
      Liberia
      Lebanon*
      Suriname*
      Georgia*
      Bhutan
      Sri Lanka*
      Sierra Leone*
      Togo
      Guatemala*
      Nepal*
      Vietnam*
      Taiwan*
      Benin
      El Salvador*
      Fiji*
      Paraguay
      Tanzania*
      Burkina Faso
      Bangladesh
      Argentina*
      Ivory Coast*
      Uganda*
      Guyana
      Cambodia*
      Ghana*
      Guinea
      Peru*
      Mexico*
      Australia

    • mysterytal on 13/10/2018 - 10:47
      +2

      Compare petrol prices to minimum wages and you'll find we have if not the cheapest fuel but very close.

      Iran minimum wage 11 million rial per month - Petrol price 12 thousand rial per litre.

      I am saying we get 12 litres in return for one hour of labour.

      Where else does one hour of labour at minimum wages get so much? (excluding the outlier Venezuela which has virtually free petrol)

      • jason101 on 13/10/2018 - 11:48

        Anyone here with more skill and time than me performed this calculation based on a "typical" wage in various countries vs minimum wage?

        ie.

        https://salaryaftertax.com/au

        $4,831 / $1.50 (say per litre here) = 3,220L of petrol per month of average salary

  • waterbottled on 13/10/2018 - 10:47
    +1

    yeah i'll participate in the strike on the days I don't fuel up my car.

  • Godric on 13/10/2018 - 11:47

    Well i ain't walkin so..

  • shaybisc on 13/10/2018 - 11:50
    +1

    You don't fill up every day. Strike for a month. Fight the power.

  • ju2au on 13/10/2018 - 12:02

    Go permanently on strike by buying an electric car; that will show em!

  • Mrgreenz on 13/10/2018 - 12:05
    +1

    Would rather strike to reduce goverment size, they will just find a way to plug the “income hole”, probably with more debt and kicking the can down the road.

  • idjces on 13/10/2018 - 13:39

    First oil price graph i could come across, it's actually been heading up fairly steadily since mid 2017, guess it did pay off for those investing in oil companies during the lows

    https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cmjpj223708t/oil

    The retail price seems to have followed the crude price, so sounds like people are just finding a place to point their fingers at and complain

  • Seraphin7 on 13/10/2018 - 14:30
    +1

    It's a joke. If you want to talk about high prices of fuel, look at the amount of tax that included in the price.

  • sgtdanny69148 on 13/10/2018 - 16:19

    This is why we need to invade iraq again….

    • bad hombre on 13/10/2018 - 16:24

      Will be Iran this time but they are strategic allies with Russia so no invasion will happen.

      • HighAndDry on 15/10/2018 - 13:55

        I say we invade the Saudis.

        They're chummy with the US, so if the US invade who's gonna protect them?

  • bad hombre on 13/10/2018 - 16:22
    +3

    Won't be too long before we start to see $2. Aussie dollar is dropping.

    Wasn't the GST supposed to replace the fuel excise tax when the GST was introduced?

  • Tasmaniac on 13/10/2018 - 18:21
    +1

    Wait until everyone realizes just how awesome the Tesla's are. Safest, cheapest, fastest and greenest cars in the world.

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