Sick of fighting for fair fuel prices?

This week I have taken the opportunity to explore the topic of Fuel Prices, as a courier I am almost refuelling everyday. The prices of fuel has risen dramatically in the last decades with the price of unleaded petrol in 2007 available at the time for under 90p per litre now in 2011 the price has risen to around 1.33 per litre!

The dramatic rise in fuel prices in July saw the government lose almost £650m in tax revenue in the first 12 weeks of the year thanks to a drop in the amount of petrol and diesel being used by British motorists compared with the same period three years ago, according to the AA and the Guardian news paper.

With petrol prices so high I think all buyers of fuel have become sick of fighting for fair fuel prices, but as the price of fuel is so high we are seeing less consumption. So in turn is this not a good thing for the climate but a bad thing for the couriers?

Reduced emissions rates are fanatics however when it is affecting the lively hoods of businesses the balance of ethics can be restored. The rise of fuel is ultimately down to taxation, the unease in the Middle East, inflation and the rising cost of everyday commodities. With people and businesses having less money to spend on fuel and everyone cutting back, people are only making the most necessary trips and planning for efficient routes.

Even though less people have been filling up at the pumps and the environment is better for it, the price of fuel is dramatically high, as a courier this is worrying! Do we just keep passing on the cost straight to the customers or do we take the impact of the increases? Well which ever way you look at it what can we do about the rising prices and high cost of fuel?

I happened to come across the Fair Fuel UK website which is actively fighting for lower fuel prices in order to get the UK economy moving again.  This is a fanatic petition that is really starting to give the government a head ache, the petition is headed up by Quentin Willson and the Campaign is supported by the RAC, FTA and RHA and is now working in partnership with the House of Commons “all party working group” lead by Robert Halfon MP. The website states that:

‘Higher prices are destroying businesses, preventing growth, adding to inflation and affecting all our personal & working lives’

It a huge topic of discussion and as a courier I feel I need to do what ever I can to get the people in charge to listen to what we have to say. I have joined the petition that only takes 20 seconds to fill out.

Joining the petition i believe is one of the only genuine ways in which we can see businesses, people and couriers apply pressure to the governments and the oil industry. If you an angry courier, a unhappy business owner, an agitated driver, a mentally motor head you need to get involved and signed up to this petition

As courier our businesses are at stake, our profit margins are being reduced, is this ethical no, the problem is a big one in the courier services industry and previous posts have looked at ways in which we can switch to greener transportation but at the moment nothing is close to what our industry demands. So for the moment we need to fight for fair fuel to save our businesses.

You can read about the campaign by visiting http://www.fairfueluk.com/

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Can ethical thinking be applied to the courier industry?

Ethics is not just about recycling and holding hands and caring for the plant, it can and has been defined by academics as state of mind/influence.

Even the book for dummies has spread it pages to include the importance of ethics in business. Not only can ethics help you/ an industry arrive at a clearer positions and arguments on real life issues it can help you apply them too.

The book for dummies gives people who do not understand ethics example sof how to apply ethical thinking into everyday life situations:

Thinking more about ethical theory may even change your mind about issues in today’s world. Here are some ways you can apply ethics to your life:

• Become more ethical in your career. Ethical professionals are better professionals. Lawyers, engineers, doctors, accountants, and journalists must avoid conflicts of interest and be sensitive to the ethical requirements of their jobs. However, keep in mind that being ethical in your profession can lead to surprising results. Lawyers, for instance, have to defend some pretty shady characters in order to give everyone a fair defence.

The issues with ethics are something employees and employers face in the courier industry everyday. In our industry most of the time it boils down to money over ethics, doing something that should not be done (Which is not right or ethical) but doing it anyway to gain financial benefit.

There is an argument that suggests ethics should be over looked if a ‘courier’ in this instant needed to over ride ethical beliefs to continue to trade to earn a wage. The lines of ethics are blurred and it feels like no one has drawn a line for the courier industry.

If you understand ethics then you are more likely to act ethically when trading. Should the government not introduce trade ethical schemes to encourage our industry to start playing fairly?

It does feel like some of the big courier company’s trade less ethically than your average courier service. I believe this gives the impression that money is more important than ethics, larger couriers with call centres can get away with poor customer service and losing parcels. ‘Some’ larger courier can lose your parcel and not even give you an explanation, refund or apology and it is deemed acceptable.

If you are a courier what is the worst unethical thing you have seen in our industry?

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