Extra help at Mail Centres but not at Delivery Offices

[wacko74]

Now that we have P&L in most D.O.'s there is no reason at all why we can't have casuals as they can be teamed up with an experienced postie anyway.

I don't begrudge M.C.'s getting extra help at Christmas though... how else do you expect the permanent staff to be able to take their 2 hour lunch breaks?

[clashcityrocker]

They could advertise in advance and have time to do security checks.

They could do the recruitment in October/November but it might turn out that the "new recruits" find alternative employment in the period between being recruited and actually starting.

[chrisj]

Casuals are first targeted in September and finally recruited in early Nov or even have confirmation in late October. They employ so many and they have many back ups...

It is not that easy but it very do-able. What is wrong with actually using local people - they will have local knowledge and they are most likely going to be reliable.

There are so many people that want the extra cash at Christmas that finding people these days will not be that hard. Furthermore, what happens with some casuals is that the tend to return.

Definitely agree with the park and loop. A fit person with an experienced partner should be able to cope easily. As long as the work is prepared. People still do not appreciate the flexibility that P&L provides...

[chrisj]

I should like to add that the casuals that are assigned to Delivery offices should be paid a bit more because of the job and for R&R. They might even include a bonus for working the whole assignment... Some agencies do this.

It cannot be that hard for the Agency to select casuals that might be interested and able from with their pool of casuals... Some of the casuals might like the outdoors more, even the possibility Xmas tips and putting something on the CV or a chance to get proper RM job.

fish's idea is not that far fetched but not the stereotype that he jokingly came up with.

[DB1100]

That's why you work in a mail centre can't handle doin a proper post mans job then ct

Nah, we just sort all the crap that you send back to us clearly meant for you, just you can't be asked to read it correctly...

Hehe, the fullest boxes in our IPS frames are always the missort boxes. It's as though the people who work in the local MC know absolutely nothing about any areas of the city.

But they know the price of everything in their nice warm canteen.

[Sergeant Blast]

That's why you work in a mail centre can't handle doin a proper post mans job then ct

Nah, we just sort all the crap that you send back to us clearly meant for you, just you can't be asked to read it correctly...

Regarding not reading things correctly....how about starting with your own posts. Did you mean 'arsed'?

[baldrick]

having some jolly overweight bearded old men lumbering about the office in a red fleece.

Bugger off Fish - they ain't taking my job

And they aren't jolly - unless they've been in the local during their break. But you can be sacked for that these days.

[Pat Ostman]

They could advertise in advance and have time to do security checks.

They could do the recruitment in October/November but it might turn out that the "new recruits" find alternative employment in the period between being recruited and actually starting.

I applied in September and started in December. As far as I'm aware it takes about three months anyway so that policy has worked before.

Royal mail managers are reactors, sadly they are never proactive. It's one of their greatest flaws. It's why you can see this endangered species running around like headless chickens bullying staff trying to make the impossible, possible.

[blue1873]

That's why you work in a mail centre can't handle doin a proper post mans job then ct

Nah, we just sort all the crap that you send back to us clearly meant for you, just you can't be asked to read it correctly...

Hehe, the fullest boxes in our IPS frames are always the missort boxes. It's as though the people who work in the local MC know absolutely nothing about any areas of the city.

But they know the price of everything in their nice warm canteen.

Thats why the canteen staff had their hours cut at our MC,the staff are'nt
using it because the prices are so high

[dvbuk55]

What exactly do you want them to do in a DO?

They could take on more casuals at the mailcentre and send the mailcentre staff out to the Delivery Offices...
I'm aware that this has no practical value but it would at least brighten up the DO at christmas having some jolly overweight bearded old men lumbering about the office in a red fleece.

Hang on I already work in a DO and who would be Father Christmas if I wasn't there Oh how I would miss those days before Christmas having young ladies sitting on my knee and me asking "what would you like off Santa"

[Caniel]

We could have casual staff sorting the IPS, it's not impractical. They'd be slow at first but it doesn't take long to pick it up, if there's enough of them the regular delivery office staff could then come in and go straight on to sorting their walks and go when ready. If the delivery staff are spending less time indoors sorting mail and more time out on delivery it will help loads.

For example I spend 1 hour 45 mins on the IPS every morning, take that away and that's 1 hour 45 minutes I could spend doing all of or at least some of the large packets (sorry parcels) which I have been cutting off.

[DB1100]

We could have casual staff sorting the IPS, it's not impractical. They'd be slow at first but it doesn't take long to pick it up, if there's enough of them the regular delivery office staff could then come in and go straight on to sorting their walks and go when ready. If the delivery staff are spending less time indoors sorting mail and more time out on delivery it will help loads.

For example I spend 1 hour 45 mins on the IPS every morning, take that away and that's 1 hour 45 minutes I could spend doing all of or at least some of the large packets (sorry parcels) which I have been cutting off.

So what about the part timers? and those full timers who are on double or triple prep?

[chrisj]

No one can double-prep effectively to completion except if the rounds are very light. At Xmas double-prepping to an extent where the part-timer simply comes in and does packets, redirection and bag up is impossible at Xmas.

This is an argument I have with the manager from time to time even before Xmas. At ours the IPS work is much lighter because of night staff that continues to prep even in the first hour of FT starting. So double preppers are hammered with 3 boxes of Mech, flats, xmas cards and all sorts...

The situation only appears to work before Ft double preppers comes in before their time to throw off their own rounds and the part timers themselves comes in early before their start - the same old story...

[Caniel]

We could have casual staff sorting the IPS, it's not impractical. They'd be slow at first but it doesn't take long to pick it up, if there's enough of them the regular delivery office staff could then come in and go straight on to sorting their walks and go when ready. If the delivery staff are spending less time indoors sorting mail and more time out on delivery it will help loads.

For example I spend 1 hour 45 mins on the IPS every morning, take that away and that's 1 hour 45 minutes I could spend doing all of or at least some of the large packets (sorry parcels) which I have been cutting off.

So what about the part timers? and those full timers who are on double or triple prep?

Put casuals on to prep walks as well. If the mail is sequenced its easy to throw off, granted manual mail would take a casual a lot longer though but it would still help if someone came in to find the mech mail all thrown in and only the manual left to do.

[mancpassion]

Im a casual and is working at a collection office, having spent the the past 2 years in MC's..

Coming to collections has been a real eye opener about the true royal mail. Hats off to you lot, you really do get put through the mill by idiot managers, who Hires these People???