Cars banned! Well i'm voting no!

[Urban Smith]

i use my own car,try narrowing down your stupid blinkered arguement to the to$$ers who still think job & finish still is in place & who run round to get finished earlier &they squeal like a pig when they get lapsing or pkts to deliver,i take my breaks,don't come in early & do my job,but cos i use my car i'm part of the problem? Clown,sort yer facts out

Of course your'e part of the problem if you use your car.

1. How much do they pay you to use it ?

2. How much "Man Power" do you save RM by using it.

3. Last one - Why do you use it ?!

[dvbuk55]

I suppose the question that has to be asked is when the revisions take place and the HCTs and Vans haven't arrived - although scheduled for that duty - do we go ahead with the revision or do we wait for the promised equipment - like the Way Forward, as mazza in the prvious post says she has no drop boxes, promised faithfully never materialised but told to press on ahead regardless.

[mazza111]

dvbuk55. Think that's the point I'm trying to make. The management telling us to do thing that aren't allowed n stuff like that. How many new posties do you think get told of those rules.

Can you guys remember the training you got? Bet it wasn't one day in classroom , and 2 days out with a postie and expected to remember all the rules and regulations, nevermind being told to do stuff by management that's not allowed. How is a postie supposed to know when they are told something different by management?

[POSTMAN]

For the millionth time on here,WHERE IS THE REP!!!

[dados]

the reason i use my car has been stated on here before,its a medical 1,thats the only reason,if i was on a rural duty it would naturally be sorted,i & ATOS asked about this to my DOM,hence why i am still on a town walk ,it hacks me off that i am considered a part of the problem cos its a neccessity to me,bring on van sharing
& BTW there are posties in my D.O who use their cars for no other reason than to get the job done quicker,& there is also a big shortage of bikes which is why it is encouraged.
I put not using cars as 1 way of getting to RM without striking last year,together with an overtime ban,taking breaks etc. using all of those collectively to ensure that we stayed in favour with the public,we all kept our pay,but no,i was told it was to hard to organise locally,& it was easier to strike (& look where that has got us).

[dvbuk55]

dvbuk55. Think that's the point I'm trying to make. The management telling us to do thing that aren't allowed n stuff like that. How many new posties do you think get told of those rules.

Can you guys remember the training you got? Bet it wasn't one day in classroom , and 2 days out with a postie and expected to remember all the rules and regulations, nevermind being told to do stuff by management that's not allowed. How is a postie supposed to know when they are told something different by management?

Well of course you could read the agreements or ask your rep - the information is there you need to look for it mazz.

[mazza111]

Would that be the rep who always manages to be sick when we're on strike? Or on the last vote, told me he didn't have time to explain to me what I was voting for (was on holiday when they had the meeting). Just vote no was his stance. At end of the day, I refuse to vote on something I don't understand. :) TBH he's not a very good guy. I would love to see those agreements, but have they ever been given out? I sure as hell haven't seen one in the 2.5 years I've been there. Our area rep is pretty good tho, altho a bit militant style, he tells things as they are, but I have yet to see an agreement.

I will vote this time because I've found the agreement on this site and read it, but we're probably talking about agreements that have been made before I started there. Really shouldn't be up to members to hunt out the agreements, shouldn't the union be giving this info to new members? Shouldn't the union be giving their members a copy of this agreement? Sorry but it's a definite lack of communication both on RM and CWU's behalf. How many old guys do you have in your office who don't have internet at home, I know we have quite a few. We also have quite a few who are dabblers and would probably only find the info by accident like I did

Always thought it was the done thing to use cars on delivery if you had one. Didn't get offered any alternative back in those days. Or these days tbh.

Edit for Typo grrrr

[SpacePhoenix]

tbh it's about time that the use of private cars was banned:

• *Security:A van is more secure as anyone trying to break in and steal the mail would have to force open a metal door. With a car all they would need to do is smash the glass and lift up the parcel shelf to gain access to the boot. Do you lock all doors and the boot, including dead-locking if a car has it?
  *Insurance: Do you have BUSINESS INSURANCE? If you don't then the police could pull you over and book you for not having insurance.
  *Wear and Tear: Do you think that RM will contribute to servicing costs? I doubt it.
  *Fuel: I can't see RM paying for fuel for people using private cars. Say you get through £40 of petrol a week using your private car for delivery, that is £40 that is effectively coming out of your take-home pay.

If RM were to make people return to the DO to sign off duty at the end of their shift (and to drop off pouched off stuff), then that would help. When your hours get made later then chances are that some PO branches by the time that you get to your pouching off time will have either shut for the day or have had their last collection so you'll have no choice but to return to the DO.

[BIG MICK]

As far as I can see, people use ther own cars for the following reasons..

1. Convenience and independence - much easier than potentially waiting for bags to be dropped off and waiting for the crewbus.

2. To get finished as early as possible - and drive straight home.

Now this was ok a few years ago, but now management want everyone working their full hours - and are asking staff to declare what time they finished the day before... but there are still staff who are refusing to lapse when asked if they can fit it into their delivery span that day, and still finishing more than an hour early each day. This will one day lead to someone being sacked, I'm sure.

I don't use a car on delivery... I leave the office on my time, and finish on my time.

For me, you have no grounds to whinge about pay and conditions at work if you are pissing your own petrol money up against the wall every day.

[viking1488]

this is one thing i do agree with this should have been done a long long time ago

[trythat]

To me, this is the only good thing in the agreement, we've been trying to get rid of cars on delivery for ages in our office.

[mazza111]

Phoenix - Don't have mail in my car to drop off, get that dropped off in morning. Only thing that gets put in my car is my returns to the office, no post office near by to pouch off to, D.O. is closer and en route home from school.

Yes, I do have business insurance.

Probably costs me about 20p extra a week to use my car. Live locally to office

No RM don't contribute to my servicing costs. I don't expect them to.

I made the choice to use my car as I was bloody sick of waiting for a lift to and from the office. My (part) duty is on my way home. So no extra costs there. Then I drive past the D.O on the way to get my son from school. So no extra costs in getting the returns back (unless it's not a school day) and I'm feeling lazy :)

I also would like to see the day that RM management can get organised so I don't need to use my car for this, but atm, the convenience is much better than having to walk or heaven forbid waiting for a lift.

Today was the first time I've worked a Monday for a while. Always have a Monday off as there isn't much indoor work to be done. And for once I was finished early. Not because I had the car, but just because I got started early on the final part of my duties, the delivery part. Think I'm going to be asking for more Saturdays off in the future tbh :)

[coxie]

mazza i can understand why you use it, i dont agree with it but i see peoples reasons behind it, but i can guarantee you there will come a point where you get dismissed for doing it. People think they are imune to it and wont get caught. Managers turn a blind eye to it sometimes but will eventually be told to clamp down on it and if they dont then you get days where the IB follow you and if there is any mail in your car whether its returns or just 1 missort then you are out of a job. As i said 3 people last year were sacked for it, there were told but thought they were special and now they are down the job center. You will ignore this but managers dont care if its easier if you drive out when they need to get rid of 1 or 2 people to balance the books they will target the people that drive out as its an easy dismissal.

[welshy808]

I work in an office where Royal Mail banned the use of Private vehicles, this was at great cost to them. they did it as we were doing the job properly. it brought in shred vehicles, cost 18 months planning team, 7 extra vans and a full georoute revision. the revision never worked we had more duties put back in. but I never hear people moan that they can't use there cars, if you need to get away (funerals, dentist etc.), you need to get official cover that your line manager endorses.
As long as you accept that you will be working your full hours it's not a problem in reality.

[mazza111]

Coxie, using personal cars is actively encouraged in our office, no it's not right. I don't want to use my car. But other option is walking. Which in turn would make me late back, as there is no vans available to drop me off at the times they want me to go.

Again agree that this is one part of the agreement I do agree with. Especially if it means that the managers have to manage better :)