later starts

[pieoftheday]

I think one problem they haven't thought of is o/t.
Just now, generally, finish time is 2ish.
Gives you 2 hours max before it's dark.
Who's going to want to start any overtime in the dark?
I certainly won't be doing it any more.

Commit to deliver?

[Dexydog]

I think one problem they haven't thought of is o/t.
Just now, generally, finish time is 2ish.
Gives you 2 hours max before it's dark.
Who's going to want to start any overtime in the dark?
I certainly won't be doing it any more.

Commit to deliver?

Thought someone would say that, and it's a fair point.
If that comes in, I'm leaving.
That would be the actual final straw for me.
Half an hour or so, fair enough.
Any hint of it being without some kind of limit, I'm out.

[postslippete]

Collection drivers drive up to the post box.
Get out of the van.
2 or 3 steps, job done.
Granted, they're sticking their hands in not seeing what's in there, but you could just as easily pull the mail out with a posting peg or whatever.
It's absolutely not the same as delivering in dark.

Get a good head torch. FFS people climb mt Everest in the dark. Get a grip.

There are now over 300 deaths of climbers that have tried to scale Everest - obviously they didn't get a grip.

Joking aside. Delivering in the dark in the early mornings is absolutely not the same as delivering in the dark at night. I used to deliver early mornings when the only person that I would see is the milkman. But some of these council estates are really not the places to be walking ]round at night with drunks, druggies, prozzies and gangs of youths often lurking on street corners. Just recently one of the guys delivering parcels in the van got attacked near the flats.

[pieoftheday]

I think one problem they haven't thought of is o/t.
Just now, generally, finish time is 2ish.
Gives you 2 hours max before it's dark.
Who's going to want to start any overtime in the dark?
I certainly won't be doing it any more.

Commit to deliver?

Thought someone would say that, and it's a fair point.
If that comes in, I'm leaving.
That would be the actual final straw for me.
Half an hour or so, fair enough.
Any hint of it being without some kind of limit, I'm out.

Sorry, It was a tad predictable

[Dexydog]

I still think RM know full well its a non starter.
Just a stick to hit us with.
What's worrying is the union haven't come out and said so.

[arsenalbob]

Collection drivers drive up to the post box.
Get out of the van.
2 or 3 steps, job done.
Granted, they're sticking their hands in not seeing what's in there, but you could just as easily pull the mail out with a posting peg or whatever.
It's absolutely not the same as delivering in dark.

Get a good head torch. FFS people climb mt Everest in the dark. Get a grip.

There are now over 300 deaths of climbers that have tried to scale Everest - obviously they didn't get a grip.

Joking aside. Delivering in the dark in the early mornings is absolutely not the same as delivering in the dark at night. I used to deliver early mornings when the only person that I would see is the milkman. But some of these council estates are really not the places to be walking ]round at night with drunks, druggies, prozzies and gangs of youths often lurking on street corners. Just recently one of the guys delivering parcels in the van got attacked near the flats.

Surely not prozzies? I’d have to cut off

[denhamhoop]

Interesting read, spotted one that starts at 9am.

Assuming the MC distrubution drivers keep their current start time, they would effectively be arriving at an empty office and having to unlock the gate, turn off the alarm if fitted and unload into the offices unless a manager comes in early to open up.......or the MC start times wil shift forward to match, rush hour traffic will have to be taken into consideration.

Or just have the code or keys like they do now on Nights as most runs are before anyone gets into Delivery Offices

[postslippete]

Surely not prozzies? I’d have to cut off

A lot of them are really bad and mainly do it for the drugs. But unlike a drug dealer they can wash their crack and sell it again

[SpacePhoenix]

Until you have did a modern day RM delivery then you know nothing milly

Stick to your lane

You will be working in the dark at sometime in the future just like Amazon, Evri and DPD etc have to now whether you like it or not.

Only if we lose the dispute. Later starts are one of the biggest sticking points. Heaven forbid it comes in but if it does me and a few others will walk away from the job.

I think later starts will be brought in no matter whether we win or lose this dispute. With the work arriving in the MCs later, it can only be a matter of time before RM make all dispatch times and start and finish times for MC nights processing and distribution and DOs later

At the moment most managers have gone home by say 2pm with a good number of staff still out delivering. If there are later starts so finishes will be in the dusk or dark, these managers will surely have to stay under H&S laws? Is there not a duty of care? I assume they will do a rota and will monitor SISO to ensure they can account for everyone plus having the person's mobile number in case they need to check on them. Interesting.

Why would they need everyone's mobile number when they can just use the phone functionality of the PDAs?

Interesting read, spotted one that starts at 9am.

Assuming the MC distrubution drivers keep their current start time, they would effectively be arriving at an empty office and having to unlock the gate, turn off the alarm if fitted and unload into the offices unless a manager comes in early to open up.......or the MC start times wil shift forward to match, rush hour traffic will have to be taken into consideration.

Or just have the code or keys like they do now on Nights as most runs are before anyone gets into Delivery Offices

Can't see distribution keeping their start times if processing get their made later, as it would mean restoring wave 3 which was axed a few years ago

[fb1969]

Joking aside. Delivering in the dark in the early mornings is absolutely not the same as delivering in the dark at night. I used to deliver early mornings when the only person that I would see is the milkman. But some of these council estates are really not the places to be walking ]round at night with drunks, druggies, prozzies and gangs of youths often lurking on street corners. Just recently one of the guys delivering parcels in the van got attacked near the flats.

Fully agree with you. And in terms of general hazards while walking on delivery there is a big difference between starting in the dark while it gets lighter, and starting in the light while it gets darker.

[Route1]

After reading that I have the upmost respect for the Milkmen of the past who had to negotiate all of those hazards whilst carrying glass bottles.

And they probably did it without torches too.....unsung heroes.

I've delivered mail (my walk), parcels (lats),done collections & worked in the callers office after the sunset in the last month.

Order of preference
(1) Obviously working in the Callers Office it didnt make any difference. Walk in the park.
(2) Collections (pillarboxes, firms Post Offices) arent a problem because we know where we are going and know the area. Dont need a torch. Also know how to avoid most traffic.
(3a) LAT - Home delivery office. Know the area so not an issue. Torch is useful. Can avoid most traffic but sometimes get awkward parcels
(3b) LAT - Other offices. Do-able , stuck in traffic, Torch is useful.
(4) My Walk - I know the route, hazards etc but it takes so much longer. Even reading the addresses with a torch isnt as easy as it sounds.

Delivering mail later in the dark can be done but its a dumbass idea. Complete madness. There are so many more hazards that will make the same delivery longer. There will be more accidents on duty. There is a big difference between delivering mail in the dark to delivering parcels or doing collections in the dark. Even the doing parcels or collections take a wee bit longer and they are much much easier.

[Mickeybrowneyes]

Many areas it is simply not safe to work in the dark.
The truth of the matter is posties will get attacked and robbed on a regular basis in some dangerous areas. There are plenty of them around in towns and cities.
Not a stroll in a village with a head torch, it will never work as a nationwide model.
Before you say about other firms do it, there are some areas where delivery drivers and Uber eats e.t.c won't go after dark

[Nickvilla20]

I deliver on a council estate which is mostly flats and is pretty quiet but by night can be pretty rough especially when all the youths are hanging around. I’ve already been assaulted by a drugged up teenager at 9am in the morning delivering mail in the dark will make this much more likely.

[SpacePhoenix]

After reading that I have the upmost respect for the Milkmen of the past who had to negotiate all of those hazards whilst carrying glass bottles.

And they probably did it without torches too.....unsung heroes.

I've delivered mail (my walk), parcels (lats),done collections & worked in the callers office after the sunset in the last month.

Order of preference
(1) Obviously working in the Callers Office it didnt make any difference. Walk in the park.
(2) Collections (pillarboxes, firms Post Offices) arent a problem because we know where we are going and know the area. Dont need a torch. Also know how to avoid most traffic.
(3a) LAT - Home delivery office. Know the area so not an issue. Torch is useful. Can avoid most traffic but sometimes get awkward parcels
(3b) LAT - Other offices. Do-able , stuck in traffic, Torch is useful.
(4) My Walk - I know the route, hazards etc but it takes so much longer. Even reading the addresses with a torch isnt as easy as it sounds.

Delivering mail later in the dark can be done but its a dumbass idea. Complete madness. There are so many more hazards that will make the same delivery longer. There will be more accidents on duty. There is a big difference between delivering mail in the dark to delivering parcels or doing collections in the dark. Even the doing parcels or collections take a wee bit longer and they are much much easier.

How is there any difference between delivering mail in the dark and delivering packets in the dark, it's the exact same hazards for both?

[Barnacle]

I’ve delivered mail in the dark using a neck torch which pointed down at the letters bundle. That works quite well but you can still fall victim to unseen steps and other hazards.

Most blocks of flats lock the trade button in the morning and then don’t let you in after that. So there could be mail coming back due to that reason.

More difficult is delivering parcels, unless you know the area really well, because even though RON will take you to an address, most don’t have their house numbers lit up or even have a number displayed, so you can still be wandering around trying to find the exact house. Plus, people are less keen to answer the door when it’s dark, so waiting for people eats into time taken.