Return to shared vans from *?????????* ***

[Woody Guthrie]

What problems are there that cant be solved by starting at your time and finishing at your time?

The problem that you've only been in the door 3 months and are still on probation and you're two months behind on the rent and think if you don't work over you won't have a job.

The problem that you might need some extra overtime but can't do it after your finish time so you might get f**k all for being a pain in the arse.

The problem that it doesn't stop management bullying staff.

The problem that some people don't want conflict every day.

The problem that with staggered starts and home working some people don't have a fixed or regular start time.

The problem that your rep might be a useless knobend.


The problem that it's over simplistic virtue signaling bullshit that normally comes from full-time staff with their own duties who haven't had to change a thing about their attendance patterns since day one of the pandemic.

[Jahpostie]

Spot on. Excellent post!

[Acca Dacca]

What problems are there that cant be solved by starting at your time and finishing at your time?

The problem that you've only been in the door 3 months and are still on probation and you're two months behind on the rent and think if you don't work over you won't have a job.

The problem that you might need some extra overtime but can't do it after your finish time so you might get f**k all for being a pain in the arse.

The problem that it doesn't stop management bullying staff.

The problem that some people don't want conflict every day.

The problem that with staggered starts and home working some people don't have a fixed or regular start time.

The problem that your rep might be a useless knobend.


The problem that it's over simplistic virtue signaling bullshit that normally comes from full-time staff with their own duties who haven't had to change a thing about their attendance patterns since day one of the pandemic.

That’s the problem with bullying managers you have just listed, not the problem with van sharing not being allowed

When van sharing comes back do you think the same bullying managers won’t be trying to force more lapsing on people or telling people they should be doing more now?

You’ve not actually listed any problems that not van sharing has caused other than “managers bully” and that will continue when it’s back

It’s not a new thing

[iHateD2Ds]

Some people feel OK with van sharing they have had the two jabs they walk around without a care in the world.

Others, have had Covid they know what it feels like and don’t wish to catch it again
They know of Loved ones dying or suffering with Long Covid .
The Threat is real ,especially to them.

And the echelons of Royal Mail and CWU are following Government Guidelines
The same Government who has failed us.

[SpacePhoenix]

Some people feel OK with van sharing they have had the two jabs they walk around without a care in the world.

Others, have had Covid they know what it feels like and don’t wish to catch it again
They know of Loved ones dying or suffering with Long Covid .
The Threat is real ,especially to them.

And the echelons of Royal Mail and CWU are following Government Guidelines
The same Government who has failed us.

Covid is never going to go away anywhere, its endemic. More and more of the scientists are saying that it's something that we're all going to have to learn to live with. My guess is a yearly vaccination for elderly and vulnerable

[Woody Guthrie]

That’s the problem with bullying managers you have just listed, not the problem with van sharing not being allowed

Those were problems that can't be resolved by just starting on your time and finishing on your time because that was the question posed.

It is not a magic bullet and the additional issues thrown up by the removal of van sharing are not exempt from that.

If you're being sent out at 8am with a trolley and 6hrs 30min of delivery but your finish time isn't until 3pm it isn't much fun, in fact it's likely to kill you but starting on your time and finishing on your time isn't going to resolve that is it?

[Celgar]

The government need to do something other than rely on eventual nearly 100% two dose Covid vaccination in the short to medium term otherwise we are heading for another full lockdown. I would argue that as the door was left open to thousands of possible infected from the south Indian states we should have already set local lockdowns in the areas with high migrant concentrations such as Bedford etc. People from those areas have now visited other parts of the UK for holidays etc and spread the Indian variant far & wide. I do not see any chance of the June 21st plan being implemented probably until 2022 so the large events WOMAD etc, nightclubs opening, and of course RM shared vans cannot happen for the foreseeable future.

[smartecosse]

What problems are there that cant be solved by starting at your time and finishing at your time?

The problem that it's over simplistic virtue signaling bullshit that normally comes from full-time staff with their own duties who haven't had to change a thing about their attendance patterns since day one of the pandemic.

This entirely sums up our office........

[Cucumber]

Is there ANY chance that RM have made plans for what to do if van share doesn't return this year (or ever)?
For the record I'm neither for or against van share, it's the way we (are supposed to) work but to let things drag on like this for so long with the state some offices are in seems outrageous.

[fb1969]

RM make plans???

Fully agree with you, they've had just over a year to make proper changes but as usual they just carry on on the cheapest possible path. Its a bit like the van with a door mirror held on by elastic bands and cable ties, or the door held shut by stripy tape.

[Cucumber]

RM make plans???

Fully agree with you, they've had just over a year to make proper changes but as usual they just carry on on the cheapest possible path. Its a bit like the van with a door mirror held on by elastic bands and cable ties, or the door held shut by stripy tape.

I agree.
Look at other companies that have changed their ways of working after engagement with the staff. RM seemed to think that Covid would simply blow over in a few weeks/months and seem to be pinning their hopes on a fantasy zero covid society which will allow a safe return to van share.

[SpacePhoenix]

RM make plans???

Fully agree with you, they've had just over a year to make proper changes but as usual they just carry on on the cheapest possible path. Its a bit like the van with a door mirror held on by elastic bands and cable ties, or the door held shut by stripy tape.

I agree.
Look at other companies that have changed their ways of working after engagement with the staff. RM seemed to think that Covid would simply blow over in a few weeks/months and seem to be pinning their hopes on a fantasy zero covid society which will allow a safe return to van share.

If van share ever were to be permanently axed, wouldn't that result in many DO mergers onto new buildings away from the area that they cover in order to have enough parking space for all the vans?

[Cucumber]

RM make plans???

Fully agree with you, they've had just over a year to make proper changes but as usual they just carry on on the cheapest possible path. Its a bit like the van with a door mirror held on by elastic bands and cable ties, or the door held shut by stripy tape.

I agree.
Look at other companies that have changed their ways of working after engagement with the staff. RM seemed to think that Covid would simply blow over in a few weeks/months and seem to be pinning their hopes on a fantasy zero covid society which will allow a safe return to van share.

If van share ever were to be permanently axed, wouldn't that result in many DO mergers onto new buildings away from the area that they cover in order to have enough parking space for all the vans?

I'd be astounded if RM merged offices to new buildings simply to provide more parking. It would be done to save money, nothing to do with vans. In my view they'd sooner go to a permanent move to morning/afternoon shifts using the same van twice. But I guess we will never know.
One thing is for sure, van share is either safe or unsafe, they surely must have have learned a lesson from the short lived voluntary reintroduction last Autumn.

[Woody Guthrie]

One thing is for sure, van share is either safe or unsafe,

I'm sorry but that's nonsense.
There is a level of risk involved in everything. Even outside of Covid19 there are risks of passing on potentially dangerous illnesses through van sharing.

It's a case of assessing and managing that risk down to an acceptable level not pronouncing anything "safe".

Nothing in life is "safe", that's an entirely made up concept designed to comfort nervous children.

[SpacePhoenix]

RM make plans???

Fully agree with you, they've had just over a year to make proper changes but as usual they just carry on on the cheapest possible path. Its a bit like the van with a door mirror held on by elastic bands and cable ties, or the door held shut by stripy tape.

I agree.
Look at other companies that have changed their ways of working after engagement with the staff. RM seemed to think that Covid would simply blow over in a few weeks/months and seem to be pinning their hopes on a fantasy zero covid society which will allow a safe return to van share.

If van share ever were to be permanently axed, wouldn't that result in many DO mergers onto new buildings away from the area that they cover in order to have enough parking space for all the vans?

I'd be astounded if RM merged offices to new buildings simply to provide more parking. It would be done to save money, nothing to do with vans. In my view they'd sooner go to a permanent move to morning/afternoon shifts using the same van twice. But I guess we will never know.
One thing is for sure, van share is either safe or unsafe, they surely must have have learned a lesson from the short lived voluntary reintroduction last Autumn.

One factor I reckon will apply is if a DO can handle a 17tonner. We've got DOs in our area that can't handle the newer 600s which apparently is a little wider than the old 600s