Tanker drivers across the UK are to be balloted over industrial action as a protest over wages, pensions and working conditions, the Unite union has said
The "constant attack on tanker drivers' terms and conditions must stop", it added.
The ballot was likely to take place next month, Unite said.
A vote in favour of action would raise the prospect of disruption in supplies to petrol stations.
"Over the past ten years, multiple contractors responsible for the delivery of oil and petrol supplies to petrol stations and supermarkets across the country have been consistently squeezing the terms and conditions of around 3,000 tanker drivers," the union said.
Drivers want national standards put in place to stop this "race to the bottom", it added.
The problem had become more pronounced during the past 18 months, the union said.
With the price of oil heading for $100 a barrel, the profits of the oil companies were "astronomical", said Unite general secretary-elect Len McCluskey.
Click to play
Martin Shankleman: "[Tanker drivers] have the potential to really choke deliveries to forecourts."
However, he said the ballot "was not about pay".
"We are calling for national standards to bring stability to the industry. The attacks on workers' pensions must cease and the merry-go-round where drivers can have as many as 12 different employers must stop."
Unions have been vocal in their opposition to government austerity measures designed to bring down the budget deficit.
Public sector pay freezes are one component of the government's spending cuts, while pay rises in the private sector have also been curtailed.
