Tanker drivers dispute

[oypostie]

For those of us that wern't around when fuel supplies were disrupted before what was Royal Mails position.
Did Royal Mail get any kind of priority or did deliveries fail as vans ran out of fuel ?

[maninred]

For those of us that wern't around when fuel supplies were disrupted before what was Royal Mails position.
Did Royal Mail get any kind of priority or did deliveries fail as vans ran out of fuel ?

I remember it well:

A lot of postmen had to use their cars on delivery.

They also had to take their D2D’s home at the weekend to put them together.

A lot of them came in early to prep their walks.

They were desperate times though.

[POSTMAN]

Royal Mail were given priority and if I remember right,also we as posties were as well,along with other services,nurses,docs ect.

[Lounge Lizard]

If I remember right you get the old fat from the chip shop if the petrol station has run out of diesel.

[PostieSP1]

LoL i love this line-

A lot of postmen had to use their cars on delivery.

as if anyone would do that:p

Last time our office did'nt have priorty,drivers did delivery every 2 days!

[arnold cheshire]

Royal Mail were given priority and if I remember right,also we as posties were as well,along with other services,nurses,docs ect.

i cant remember royal mail getting priority

[Tman]

No, wishfull thinking on POSTMAN's part, more like....

[Stormproof]

I very much doubt we would get priority. I guess if you've not got enough fuel in your car to get to work you would have to go to your nearest office.

[thecyclingexpostie]

no problem getting to work (i ride a bike, as do many), but what about fuel for the van once we're on duty? we have our own diesel pump in the yard, but when that runs out…

i'm not going to let them lay me off if there's a shortage of fuel; i'll tell them i'll just take a few pouches and packets in my bike trailer and deliver that way…

[Stormproof]

I doubt they can lay anyone off due to someone elses dispute. It'll be just like when it snows and delivery is cancelled, except there will be no snow I'm sure that they will keep a few vans topped up due to items like Specials needing to be done.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If there is an all out strike - which I think unlikely, it will be rolling if anything - then Royal Mail would apply to the Government for partial suspension of the USO and all its guarantees. We would probably end up on a 3 day week.

Any old timers on here that worked as a Postie in 1979 during the Winter of Discontent may have a better idea, but thats my take.


As to individuals running out of fuel in the own cars and not being able to go to work. I think they would then use the "Severe Weather" scenario and instruct them to phone their own office and report to the Royal Mail office nearest to them.

[thecyclingexpostie]

at least rm aren't likely to be affected by the panic buying at the forecourt ahead of even the ballot on strike action. the way the government has handled the whole affair is laughable.

the chap at the place i went for petrol told me that their drivers aren't in the same union, so won't be striking anyway. so really, the government should have stressed business as usual, with the announcement that measures to counteract the effect of the strike, should it happen, would be announced in due course.

what they've done though, is made themselves look stupid (encouraging the use of gerry cans) and then encouraged panic buying by telling us to keep 'topped up', which itself will increase fuel consumption (and hence demand therefore) as the car is heavier, and will do 0 miles/gallon sitting in a queue with the aircon waiting to top up…

[Darren Bent]

It would give Royal Mail a nice headache in logisitics next week and this probably means less junk mail to deliver as we won't have the fuel to pick them up.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

It would give Royal Mail a nice headache in logisitics next week and this probably means less junk mail to deliver as we won't have the fuel to pick them up.

Unlikely in my opinion - so far no strike has been called Unite will have to give the Companies 7 days notice.

Not all the Tanker Drivers are in dispute only those working for Turners, Norbert Dentressangle, Wincanton, BP, Hoyer, DHL and Suckling were ballotted, and only Drivers from five of the companies voted in favour of striking, with only employees from DHL and Suckling voting against industrial action.

The five companies that voted in favour deliver petrol to Shell, Esso, Tesco, BP and Sainsbury’s garages. Between them these companies have just under 8,000 petrol stations in the UK.

So - if the Unit has its own tanks there won't be a problem unless the Government start to ration fuel supplies. If the Unit uses local garages then I am sure that plans will be put in place in case local ones closed down.

The only way it will effect us that quickly is if the run on fuel continues and to be honest after about 3 days I think it will all die down as the ones that are panicking will have filled up already. Beyond that people will only be topping up their tanks, or filling as usual so the demand will die down.


Now if there is a strike and they picket the refineries or bulk distributors then after a few days to a week it will start to hit hard, but I can't see it happening. There is too much pressure on the Bosses and Politicians, Labour will be pedalling like mad behind the scenes to make sure Unite don't strike, Unite are too close to Labour and will probably accept a deal like the CWU did over 2010. The Condems will be pushing the bosses to sort it quick but not give too much away as they have already put a lot more pressure on themselves than the Unite have, just down to their mishandling of it.

The only way I can see a protracted strike is if any of the Tankers drivers are militants and start to push from the bottom so hard that the Union bosses have to react to show they are in control. I hope that happens but I can't see it to be honest otherwise the vote for strike would have been more overwhelming.

Its all a storm in a tea-cup sadly, stoked to look bigger by the Conservatives for political reasons.

Just my opinion though.

[2old4this]

Royal Mail were given priority and if I remember right,also we as posties were as well,along with other services,nurses,docs ect.

Yep I remember queuing for petrol one saturday morning on my way into work. there was a copper making cars infront of me drive on, he looked in saw my R/M uniform and told me to stay in queue.