Sorting?

[Dushku2309]

If its a exceptionally busy day / the lorry is late then I would think it reasonable for part timers to muck in and help out on the IPS, I cant see what the problem is.

because why should RM's problem of a van being late or it being an exceptionally busy become my problem...the managers get paid to sort these kind of problems out I don't and most of the time even get told I cannot book if I go over so I think I speak for the majority of full timers as well as part timers when I say it isn't our problem when we have done our time on IPS then it's the managers problem.

Herein lies some of our problems. Failure of communication from Mail Centres to District Offices to Postmen ( and Postladies). Part timers across the board , who should really be coming in :prepping up, bagging up and walking out the door - are now fearing for their jobs in this current climate what with The Royal Mail's cavalier attitude of "Well if your not prepared to do it, then we can easily find some one else willing to do it". It's with attitudes like this coupled with intimidation that has led to some part timers in my office coming in at least two hours early, for free no less, fearing that if they came in at 9.00am as expected, to find their walk wasn't already thrown in due to say, a late van, they'd have to pick up the slack and start their round much later, thus forcing them to claim overtime. A situation some don't want to find themselves in in case it's seen as costing the company money. Money the Royal Mail could save if they replaced them.

When the last phase of Flexibility came into effect, we were told, categorically that not more than 10 walks would be needed to be thrown in for the part timers. This of course meant we were 10 down on the IPS. This number has now increased and the knock on effect has caused every walk man to leave late..a late walk man means late drop bags, which in turn leads to late drivers which in turn leads to confrontation between walk men and drivers.. the down ward spiral continues. This inevitably results in more over time being paid and offices going over budget - which means no cash to pay for ay full time duties!

The Royal Mail couldn't get laid in a brothel with a wedge of £20's hanging out of their backsides!

Heavens to Murgatroyd

[POSTMAN]

Part timers seem to get a raw deal not only on here but where they work.

I'm guessing a lot has to do with what hrs they are on,at the end of the day,they should work whatever hrs they are on(and any pressure hrs they may get),and do the job properly.
If they have time to sort then so be it,but it's no good getting them sorting,which then makes them late prepping/out,and then having to either cut off,or not which seems to be the case for a lot of them as they are too scared to.

[Mr Blonde]

PTers at my place clearing down 5 letters every couple of minutes, in between chats and swigs of coffee, while there are yorks of mail waiting to be hand sorted, gets right up my nose.

LOL, you ain't the only one!

[mclovin]

Its not ALL the PTers, just some. There are a few who come in early, box in, then, when they are clearing a few letters every 2 minutes, getting in the way of people TRYING to sort, they are the first to moan when asked to clear the primary.

In fact once, when the letters had been cleared and there was loads of packets left to sort, I see one lad, an early bird, all boxed in had a peek round the corner to see if the packets had been cleared, they hadnt so he went back to sit on his frame. He just doesnt seem to understand that he CANNOT go anywhere until its done, and rather than help out he sat on his arse.

I see this s**t EVERY single day, they get boxed in, yet still come in early, and they wont help out when the FTers are struggling to clear, even if they've nothing left to do.

The main problem at our place is the gaffer knows the FTers will work beyond their time without cutting off 99% of the time, yet the PTers will be in his office the second they walk in the door threatening to cut off if they think they've not got enough mail in their frames.

[Mr Blonde]

mclovin, so you don't experience them coming up to the stack of letters on the fitting and have them flick through them to take their own out then?

[mclovin]

Fortunately not, that would be like a red rag to a bull.

I do tell them to hurry up and get off my primary, one fella even insists on pushing a coffin down there to clear his mail, which promptly gets sent down the primary on its own, theres not much room on there at the best of times without this nutjob freewheeling a coffin down.

[Mr Blonde]

Fortunately not, that would be like a red rag to a bull.

I do tell them to hurry up and get off my primary, one fella even insists on pushing a coffin down there to clear his mail, which promptly gets sent down the primary on its own, theres not much room on there at the best of times without this nutjob freewheeling a coffin down.

I've seen it, I think every office has the same. We have PT'ers who come in at 6am and before the FT'ers just so that they can get their hands on one of the few remaining alts, then they'll push them round to collect their half a dozen flats or letters with the springs not needing to worry about being used as they tip in their three or four packets.

One time when I was on the BRP's I needed something to tip a bag into so that I could weigh and count about fifty items so I tried to "borrow" this PTers alt, my god it was like two dogs fighting over one bone

[POSTMAN]

Koffins,they chain them to their frames at my place!!

[NewPostieUK]

If its a exceptionally busy day / the lorry is late then I would think it reasonable for part timers to muck in and help out on the IPS, I cant see what the problem is.

Same here but... are the part timers in question trained up? Personally I wouldn't know where to start. It just looks like random piles being moved around, with some putting them into pigeon holes. I'm guilty of looking to see if the packets were finished, and when they weren't, went back to my frame (although I had plenty to do, I didnt just sit down). I did try to help on packets once, but just got in the way, didn't know which packets to sort, or where to put them, no one explained.

On the other hand...whats the difference between this

If its a exceptionally busy day / the lorry is late then I would think it reasonable for part timers to muck in and help out on the IPS, I cant see what the problem is.

, and going in early as you know it will be a busy day?

Just looking at it from different perspectives.

[razor]

The difference is if you go in early you are working for free, If you do I.P.S when your DOM tells you to then you are just doing something different for 10-20 mins of your duty. Then If you go over you can claim the O.T or cut off depending on your preference.

When i first started all part timers had to do 15mins IPS every day and rural's did none, Now rural's do 20 mins and part timers do none.

[mclovin]

But....and this is what happens in my office, PTers are partly boxed in, then they still come in before they're due and box more in, clear down the primary and box that in, then complain when they've nothing left to do and the gaffer asks them to go on the sorting for maybe 10-15 minutes. Now, considering they are WAY ahead of the FTers in terms of being prepped in, they should do it no problem. If they started on their time they wouldnt be so far ahead and there would be no time for IPS. So really its their own daft fault.

[Pat Ostman]

Part timers seem to get a raw deal not only on here but where they work.

I'm guessing a lot has to do with what hrs they are on,at the end of the day,they should work whatever hrs they are on(and any pressure hrs they may get),and do the job properly.
If they have time to sort then so be it,but it's no good getting them sorting,which then makes them late prepping/out,and then having to either cut off,or not which seems to be the case for a lot of them as they are too scared to.

Most P/T's time finishes before F/T's. So when you all go out and P/T's normally leave later, who do you think has more delivery time? Can you see a F/T finishing early and going to help out a part timer who has already gone over their contract time?

And on a 5hr a day contract exactly how much sorting do you think someone should do?

[Puppetmaster]

IPS has to be 1 of the most boring things ever invented.

Funny thing is when linos say its sorting time,a lot of posties get confused by what they mean,many think its a long toilet break or a long fag break and some simply disappear of the face of the earth and then when IPS has finnished they are ful lprepped strange?

I know 1 lino threaened a Postie with being seen by a Doctor as the Postie must have a medical condition,in that every time sorting was called the Postie needed to go to the toilet for some time!