Driving

[tpost]

Our office is at present going through a georoute/pegasus revision and the plan is to bring in van share.I am at present on a walk and have no wish to return to driving duties, so my question is can royal mail make me drive for them?

[bogstandard]

No

[banner18]

I would say yes under the flexibilty agreement, unless there was any genuine reason why you couldn't or shouldn't do it.
I know that they can't make you drive if you have never driven for RM and never taken a medical etc... I have seen many ex drivers who are now walkers, wrenched off their duties to cover a rural when sickness is rife. If you really don't want to drive for RM, just go to the docs and get a note saying you should not drive. Make up something, like you are having dizzy spells or something.

[banner18]

Another thing to remember is that, (I think this was the point you were trying to get at) If, when you come to pick a duty, there are only driving duties left, then you may not have to pick one of them, but that will mean that you will be relocated to a mail centre or another office.

[bogstandard]

hopefully banner your not a rep as you would be incorrectly advising your members. To be a driver for the business is a voluntary option avaliable to all, some choose to, some don't. As you have sugested being flexible allows the business to use your licence as and when it suits them, unless you can make up an excuse or come up with good reason. what other skills might you possess that the business may freely avail themselves of i wonder.

[trythat]

Wouldn't have thought so, and if your office is like ours, then all drivers have to show their driving license. We've also had people decide they don't want to drive for what ever reason, and that has generally been good enough.

[k979aaa]

Wouldn't have thought so, and if your office is like ours, then all drivers have to show their driving license. We've also had people decide they don't want to drive for what ever reason, and that has generally been good enough.

Every six months we have to show our license's if you do not want to drive use the i get panic attack's driveing under pressure routine!. I may crash the van if you pressure me (have a handy reliabile witness) if that don't work crash the f*cking thing three time's in six month's!. I do not think they will have you driveing after that!.

[dvbuk55]

There is a park and loop scheme at our office and some of them can't drive so that leaves the onus on a particular person to drive every day, every week - now - just to test a theory, if the driver was to lose his licence through drink driving would he lose his job? My opinion is that he would not because he had not been employed as a driver and the fact the could no longer drive did not disadvantage him against his colleague who could not drive anyway - so logically he could refuse to drive in the first place - that would then put the onus on RM to do one of two things, scrap the park and loop OR re-institute a reward for driving.

[mitzi]

i think it would depend on when he was recruited. if it was after way forward then all new recruits with driving licenses should have been asked at interview if they were willing to drive for royal mail. even going back 20 years a lot of recruits into delivery offices were employed as postman drivers specifically. i am inclined to agree with dvbuk that if an individual has a driving license and is not given an extra payment for its use then it should be their right to withdraw that facility, however if a driving duty is chosen in a resign then it may be arguable at ET that driving forms an implied part of employment contract.

[dvbuk55]

i think it would depend on when he was recruited. if it was after way forward then all new recruits with driving licenses should have been asked at interview if they were willing to drive for royal mail. even going back 20 years a lot of recruits into delivery offices were employed as postman drivers specifically. i am inclined to agree with dvbuk that if an individual has a driving license and is not given an extra payment for its use then it should be their right to withdraw that facility, however if a driving duty is chosen in a resign then it may be arguable at ET that driving forms an implied part of employment contract.

There are elements that are true BUT about 20 years ago RM was still training drivers at it's expense on the proviso that they remain employed for 2 years after the training. You have a point about picking a driving duty but that could be down to limited choice and not to preference and wouldn't be part of a contract of employment merely an element of that duty, which you can asked to be moved from. I have driven for RM on a very very odd occasion but from past experience with other employers there is always the tendency to rush and speed and any points on your licence count against your own insurance.

[stokes11eg]

i think it would depend on when he was recruited. if it was after way forward then all new recruits with driving licenses should have been asked at interview if they were willing to drive for royal mail. even going back 20 years a lot of recruits into delivery offices were employed as postman drivers specifically. i am inclined to agree with dvbuk that if an individual has a driving license and is not given an extra payment for its use then it should be their right to withdraw that facility, however if a driving duty is chosen in a resign then it may be arguable at ET that driving forms an implied part of employment contract.

There are elements that are true BUT about 20 years ago RM was still training drivers at it's expense on the proviso that they remain employed for 2 years after the training. You have a point about picking a driving duty but that could be down to limited choice and not to preference and wouldn't be part of a contract of employment merely an element of that duty, which you can asked to be moved from. I have driven for RM on a very very odd occasion but from past experience with other employers there is always the tendency to rush and speed and any points on your licence count against your own insurance.

Do you not still have to be assessed by the R.A.C.?I agree that whoever chooses a driving duty,should count it as part of their contract,but what about those of us who often get taken of a walking duty, to cover for someone else?
Could we refuse?

[bogstandard]

If you choose not to drive for RM anymore put it in writing effective immediate, WARNING dont do this to pee them off it will be held against you.

[trythat]

We've had people who do driving job, lose their license, they then have to do a walk delivery, I don't think they can sack you for losing your license.

[woofwoof]

NO

did royal mail put you in for your driving test ANSWER NO
will they pay all fines for that van ANSWER NO
do you feel under more stress driving for royal mail ANSWER YES

its your licence you payed for it say no BUT you mst have the BALLS to stand your ground im sure if you contacted head quaters they would guide & back you

[bogstandard]

what about " i no longer feel RM adequately caters for my safety and security whilst out driving "
alternatively tell them NO, they aren't entitled to a reason, so don't feel obliged to give em one.