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It's hard to believe

Reminisce about days gone by in the job.How it used to be what you miss and how things have changed.This is an open forum.
Munchboii
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 261
Joined: 15 Oct 2019, 21:25
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by Munchboii »

fredtheegg wrote:
14 Nov 2021, 18:17
Started on delivery back in 1980. It was all letters as well, Football pools to most houses every week. Phone bills, electric bills, gas bills to every single house and often at the same. Start at 5:30 and had to be ready to catch the van at 6:45 to be on the streets by 7. Always finished first delivery by 8:30 and back to the office on the bus for breakfast.

The delivery office was inside the MC and we always crossed functions. Twice a week the MC had an artic arrive straight from Dover docks (we are in the East Midlands) full of overweight bags of magazines from the USA. Which we had to unload onto hay carts ( who remembers them) and take upstairs via lift, to unload again. Very heavy work.

Then it was back out on 2nd delivery with about 3 letters at 11.30.

After all that it was back to the MC in the afternoon for 4 hours docket opening all those really heavy bags from America.

It was non stop back in the 80’s. I’m sure we were on a 43hr week with a minimum of 20 hrs overtime every week. We very rarely had a day off either
Wow just wow :Applause :Applause

Sounds like great times with very happy memories, wish i could have started when it was like that. Dream job

postieblueshirt
Posts: 1229
Joined: 01 Oct 2019, 22:05
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by postieblueshirt »

Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
mjd24
Posts: 1000
Joined: 11 May 2008, 18:48

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by mjd24 »

postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
wallan
Posts: 493
Joined: 09 Apr 2012, 08:12
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by wallan »

mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
And in the 1960,s Not Getting Full Rate Of Pay Until 28 Yrs Old
krussel
Posts: 5284
Joined: 26 Jan 2009, 18:03
Gender: Male
Location: Out on the streets.

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by krussel »

mjd24 wrote:
08 Nov 2021, 12:42
POSTMAN wrote:
08 Nov 2021, 11:23
97 I started, the 2 deliveries.
Lump everything on the 1st and yes back for the 10s and brekkie.
The pay was seriously crap although later SDD changed that.

No way in the world could we keep that up tho.
Weirdly the firm made a ton of money then, and everything went out, none of this cutting off bollox.
Like everything that needed to change, they wanted too much and screwed it up.

So how were they making so much money back then?

No DSA (down stream access) all our delivered work was FULL rate. The idea with DSA was to give the competition time to set up their own delivery people to deliver letters. Of course it was never going to happen as they made far too much money with us doing the expensive final mile delivery.

Totally mad. Like making Sainsbury sell Tesco products next to their own but cheaper. Guess what Tesco would close all its stores. :arrrghhh
Rows of houses all bearing down on me........I can feel their blue hands touching me.......All these things in all positions.........All these things will one day take control..........
krussel
Posts: 5284
Joined: 26 Jan 2009, 18:03
Gender: Male
Location: Out on the streets.

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by krussel »

mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
Yes that was the down side with only one full day off a week. And the 5am starts (many in at 4.30am to get a head start). Many of use used to get home on a sat morning at 8am and go straight back to bed for a few hours. If not when you went out on a sat night you were dead on your feet by 9.30pm. :crazy:

In fact on a sat i was back in bed before my dad even got up and he would not know for sure if i had been to work.
Rows of houses all bearing down on me........I can feel their blue hands touching me.......All these things in all positions.........All these things will one day take control..........
Munchboii
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 261
Joined: 15 Oct 2019, 21:25
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by Munchboii »

mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
wallan
Posts: 493
Joined: 09 Apr 2012, 08:12
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by wallan »

Munchboii wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 22:23
mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
We did 2pm - 7pm on a Sunday , Piller Box Collections , Facing / Sorting . Despatches
Munchboii
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 261
Joined: 15 Oct 2019, 21:25
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by Munchboii »

wallan wrote:
02 Dec 2021, 07:35
Munchboii wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 22:23
mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
We did 2pm - 7pm on a Sunday , Piller Box Collections , Facing / Sorting . Despatches
Well yep exactly that, perfect job for if you and the girlfriend (or wife) were saving for a mortgage, plenty of docket available. One of the attractive reasons for making the job a career. These days, its the opposite, definitely dont do this job for the money thats for sure :confused :Sick
wookie
Posts: 315
Joined: 30 Dec 2011, 12:38
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by wookie »

Not all, but a lot of managers were runners. Get the job done, but you finished early? They have forgot.

Ask yourself, What do the mangers do when we are all out on delivery, in a empty office?
mjd24
Posts: 1000
Joined: 11 May 2008, 18:48

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by mjd24 »

Munchboii wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 22:23
mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
Oh yeah i totally get that, but im not sure id pick that over my current 9 day fortnight . . . although it’s impossible to know what id be happier with until id tried both.
citypostie
Posts: 854
Joined: 08 Apr 2009, 19:42
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by citypostie »

mjd24 wrote:
01 Dec 2021, 16:37
postieblueshirt wrote:
30 Nov 2021, 22:04
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
Wasn't like working 6 days despite starting at about 5am because you was home before dinner time even after doing overtime. The firm's delivery I was on as a reserve for 6 months when someone retired meant I was heading back to the office at 7.30 on Saturday and home by 8! Not a hard day really and that was after I'd been at royal mail for 5 years and they'd started making the rounds bigger
fly-catchers
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 573
Joined: 05 Oct 2008, 16:38
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by fly-catchers »

I remember working 6 days were 4.45am to 12.35 finish. And 10am on Saturday. Much preferred the 5 day setup with two days off. Well until the deliveries became unmanageable! And my knees went!
Edward Hunter
Posts: 627
Joined: 23 May 2007, 22:30

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by Edward Hunter »

i think our hours on a Saturday in the 80s (in London) were 0600 - 10.30.It would be a bad day if not finished by 9! Used to get in for a bit of Tiswaz before going to see Chelsea. Even used to manage to get to the away games up north after working! I wouldnt want to be starting on deliveries now. it will cripple you double quick.
atherstone…Fox
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 Sep 2022, 11:29
Gender: Male

Re: It's hard to believe

Post by atherstone…Fox »

:chuckle started in 86 and had to sit in classroom for 5 weeks with 13 others learning how to sort ect sign official secrets act :dance then after learning all that shoved onto delivery great walk van out at 6.30 sharp and had to finish by 8.45 get van back or catch bus 2nd delivery with few letters always made sure last drop was at the pub :shock: went onto driving never looked back easy life I thought :speak to the hand until they took me off driving and put me on railway platform for 8 months as punishment OMG
Train …pub …train …pub :cuppa :cuppa great times miss it :cry
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