Postman Pat given his marching orders as Royal Mail now seeking gender-neutral 'postpersons'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... rsons.html



Postman Pat and his ilk have been given their marching orders.

The Royal Mail is advertising for 'postpersons' to deliver the nation's letters and parcels.

The company is using the gender-neutral term to make the point that the job is not just open to first class males.

Its new job ad states: 'We are reinventing Royal Mail for the future and now is a perfect time to join us on that journey.'

The term 'postman' dates back to 1883 when the job was a strict male only affair.

Ironically that term replaced the more gender sounding title of 'letter carrier.'

Women's association with the UK's postal service dates back to 1870 but back then most women worked as telegraphists.

Their conditions of service were not as progressive as they are now, and they were often segregated from their male colleague.

In 1876 the service even introduced a marriage bar which forbade the employment of married women in any role other than that of the sub postmistress.

Although female delivery staff were not unknown in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century, they became a far more familiar sight during the First and Second World Wars when millions of men were fighting on the front line.

In 1940 existing postmen were even urged to bring their 'wives, sweethearts, sisters and lady friends' to help with the Christmas mail delivery.

Applicants for the current vacancies are promised a full range of benefits including an hourly rate of £13.60, paid overtime, a uniform, a competitive pension and an 'excellent' family package including maternity and paternity leave.

But perhaps the greatest perk given the sky-high cost of postage is 'free stamps at Christmas.'

Royal Mail

[funkflex55]

The hourly rate is £13.06 not £13.60 for postpersons on the new contract. Also, RM has been advertising the tole as postperson for several years. This article is more like a paid for recruitment drive but they cannot even get the facts right!

[Mr Rush]

This article is more like a paid for recruitment drive but they cannot even get the facts right!

They got the name of the company correct - probably because RM supplied the story.

You're not the only one who picked up on the wording as it remided me of the right-hand panel in this recruitment pamphlet from the 70s:

[funkflex55]

This article is more like a paid for recruitment drive but they cannot even get the facts right!

They got the name of the company correct - probably because RM supplied the story.

You're not the only one who picked up on the wording as it remided me of the right-hand panel in this recruitment pamphlet from the 70s:

Where are these swimming, athletics and football events they promise. The only sport I do these is long distance walking and that's enough, most days I'm knackered. It is correct about not being bored, the shifts go so quickly as there's also (too) much to do.

[Mr Rush]

Where are these swimming, athletics and football events they promise.

All came to a halt in the mid 90s judging by the trophies in our canteen.

[sweepster70]

There is only Postman/Postwoman. Even Mick Lynch took the piss when Dave Ward called us Postalworkers, (Better than Post person) when he was a guest speaker at the rally we had in London during the last strike.
Why should we appease the minority, liberal left wing nut jobs. Yes.... I do know most head's of Unions are politically dangerous with the views they have.