TINKER TAILOR TANKER DRIVER • I feel 1 must reply,
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through your columns, to Mr Webster's letter printed in your issue of September 6.
As a tanker driver with 12 years' experience in the oil trade I feel I am qualified to correct certain statements he made. It is true the company does supply certain items of clothing under the guise of company uniform, questionably of the highest quality, as the company says we are their ambassadors and should therefore be smartly presented. It would be fair to say that most of these items are supplied to enable the company to conform to the Health & Safety Regulations. Likewise I am sure Mr Webster himself has been known to wear certain items of company issue clothing.
Taking the point of second jobs, I know of no operative at my terminal who is involved in this pastime, and as we would be required, as a condition of employment, to notify our employer of any such secondary employment, and as failure could result in disciplinary action none of us are likely to take such a course. Possibly what may be confusing Mr Webster are businesses run by wives totally without the assistance of their husbands, which on reflection I am sure he will understand.
Referring to the question of sickness records, of course we have excellent sickness protection schemes as enjoyed by numerous other occupations, including perhaps Mr Webster's, but to my knowledge it is never abused. Unfortunately some people do suffer more sickness than others but surely this does not suggest they are malingerers. As to disputing figures, namely an 8% average, these are statistics normally confined to personnel departments and local managements only, so unless he has some form of confidant within the suggested company, I would imagine he was totally unqualified to comment.
To the statement of routing, I have just one comment — rubbish. Certainly motor spirit deliveries in the main are cleaner than diesel/gas oil deliveries but on average both these deliveries are enjoyed by all drivers as a matter of course and not by purposeful routing. As regards to tips, these are extremely rare and as to .25 tips these are rarer than the proverbial rockinghorse manure.
I would question the earnings of £17,000, certainly within my own company, but the named companies who have that earnings capability certainly do not get it easily and definitely do not enjoy the Job and Finish system as suggested, as the running standards are so tight as to make it difficult to maintain planned standard hours as opposed to surpassing them and I feel that it is insulting to these drivers that a man who cannot possibly be an employee of either of those companies should have the audacity to pass judgement.
As a shop steward who has been involved in numerous negotiations with my company can assure your readers that nothing is gained unless it is to the company's mutual advantage.
Hopefully Mr Webster has now got this off his chest and as I am not attempting any form of character assassination I will refrain from making any personal comment, but I would respectfully like to remind Mr Webster of the age-old saying: "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones".
To avoid identifying my company and causing them any unnecessary embarrassment I would be obliged if you did not print my name and address. Tanker Driver
Cheshire