It should be stressed that what we are seeking is reasonable and no more than what is in place elsewhere in the industry. There have been minimum standards governing the offshore oil industry since 2000 covering health and safety, training, and terms and conditions. This is not a political dispute. It is an industrial dispute and the Government's recent rhetoric will not help us achieve a negotiated settlement. They must set aside their political objectives and work with us, the employers, retailers and oil companies to achieve an outcome that is good for the industry and the country. The union said it had been trying for more than a year to establish minimum standards in the fuel oil distribution industry and halt a "race to the bottom." Officials called for minimum standards on health and safety procedures, training, pensions, rates of pay, hours and holidays, equal opportunities and disciplinary procedures. Yesterday's panic buying left drivers facing a wait of up to three days for supplies to be replenished after motorists filled up over fears of a strike by tanker drivers. The warning was issued as the Government was accused of presiding over a "shambles" for urging motorists to stockpile fuel and keep tanks two thirds full in anticipation of a walkout. It prompted long queues at filling stations with many forced to close after running dry. Despite there being no possibility of a strike by tanker drivers for at least 11 days, drivers formed queues up to half a mile long at filling stations. She also hit out at Labour after it emerged that Unite assistant general secretary Miss Holland was the party treasurer. "These double standards are exactly what we've come to expect from the Labour party," she told the Daily Mail.