Cast Iron Bladders?

[banjo1t]

Can I ask when are we getting our cast Iron bladders fitted?? and bionic legs!!

I don't know how the union have agreed to us being out delivering for 4.5 hrs, I'm knackered after 3.5 hrs, so I'll be crawling round to complete it. It's not like we are sat in an office (ivory tower).. we are burning calories, the body needs sustenance to go this length of time, including fluids. I bet most posties try to go without a pee break, well it's bad for the body, and they will have problems in later life (kidney failure etc)

A good idea, would be to take your mail first, complete this then return to the office for the packets, at the same time have your break, this splits the 4.5 hrs up.....

what do ye reckon?

[taurus88]

You can't do 4.5hr delivery every day unless you're very fit.

[dejavu]

Thats the time of some rounds in our office and longer. After we have been doing these for a year now, you tend to feel all the days just roll into one cause your so tired. When it comes to your day off your glad to sit and rest. Also lately after doing my round everyday my legs and recently my shins have started killing me. When I get home I need to get off my feet and rest them they hurt so much. And I see myself as a young relatively fit man. Feel sorry for some of our golden oldies out there or others who arnt as fit. Welcome to the new 'work till you drop' policy of the Royal Mail.

[Fantomas]

My round's just over 4hrs everyday now,and i'm feeling it! Painful back,hip,knees,and this is before we encounter bad weather! I wouldn't mind,but my 'colleague' has a round which is at least 1hr per day shorter,for the same hours n cash.....great walk revision that was!

[taurus88]

I was fitter than average before I started with RM. I've done regular overtime on top of a slightly longer than average walk. I'm reaching a point already where my knees are starting to buckle. I'll survive because I'm young enough and strong enough, but give it a few years and I'll see some serious symptoms. Which is why I say that 4.5hrs of non-stop, physical labour (which it basically is) cannot be done on a regular basis unless you are young, of above average strength and fitness, and even then it will eventually bend your back closer to the ground and likewise your knees. This job is not good for you on any terms, these changes are likely to knock years off people's lives.

PS - we've all seen the easy walks. Did a half today (heavy day) and it took me an hour. My walk takes between three and three and a quarter hours most days. Obv. you can't make every walk equal, but there's a massive discrepancy between the shortest and the longest walks (probably of as much as an hour and a half). There are also some walks that may be the right length but attract significantly reduced volumes of mail, which = fewer bags, smaller bundles, easier to carry, can be done at a quicker pace.

[not me]

I was fitter than average before I started with RM. I've done regular overtime on top of a slightly longer than average walk. I'm reaching a point already where my knees are starting to buckle. I'll survive because I'm young enough and strong enough, but give it a few years and I'll see some serious symptoms. Which is why I say that 4.5hrs of non-stop, physical labour (which it basically is) cannot be done on a regular basis unless you are young, of above average strength and fitness, and even then it will eventually bend your back closer to the ground and likewise your knees. This job is not good for you on any terms, these changes are likely to knock years off people's lives.

PS - we've all seen the easy walks. Did a half today (heavy day) and it took me an hour. My walk takes between three and three and a quarter hours most days. Obv. you can't make every walk equal, but there's a massive discrepancy between the shortest and the longest walks (probably of as much as an hour and a half). There are also some walks that may be the right length but attract significantly reduced volumes of mail, which = fewer bags, smaller bundles, easier to carry, can be done at a quicker pace.

already guys in our office falling by the wayside through over sized walks

[dejavu]

I wouldn't mind,but my 'colleague' has a round which is at least 1hr per day shorter,for the same hours n cash.....great walk revision that was!

Same in our office, when I mentioned it to a manager last time we saw one, he said he'll look into. I also asked him if this was the quiet period were we get less mail and not so busy, he said yes. I asked if thats the case why does my round go over its time everyday then and whats gonna happen when we really get busy? His response "oh, erm, right, I'll look into that, theres no reason why another round couldnt take some of yours". Then he went and havent seen a manager for 3 months. Usual crap, they spit a load of bullshit at you then get out the office as quick as poss then you never see them again.

[Fantomas]

Usual crap, they spit a load of bullshit at you then get out the office as quick as poss then you never see them again.[/quote]

lol thats my fav,last week we had a manager that was a) going to look at why my round was the only one in the office not sequenced and b)going to look at getting our transport probs sorted..........He'd moved to another depot on monday lol

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

My round already averages 4.5 hours delivery time per day (typically close to 5 hours on Fridays), excluding meal relief, which is taken in two parts on the walk. Even with an 0800 start until this coming Monday, I have never had a "spare" 15 or 20 minutes to take any meal relief before going out on deliveries, not to mention taking a break before 1000 contravenes employment law (breaks should be taken around half way through the working day; anyone working six hours or more should take a 20 minute complete break from work). This also means I can split the walk up into manageable sections before I get chance to recharge, typically taking my main break at a well known supermarket ~2 hours into the walk, taking the remainder ~3.5 hours into the walk.

Given that I have a well known supermarket on my walk as well as numerous public houses, I have no problems keeping hydrated and well nourished at a reasonable cost (plus reliefing myself when nature calls), but I do sympathesize with those of you with similar rounds and do not have such options.

[demon]

see a doc get fit note for 3 hours walking a day and see health and safety rep tell him royal mail are starting to give you the injurys see what they say to thsat

[krussel]

you tend to feel all the days just roll into one cause your so tired.

Thats just how i feel these days as my round runs between 4.15 to 5 hrs out the office.

[bandit650]

One section of the town area in the office is the heavy area to prep and deliver and we are all lumped in the same isle,most of us are out of the office for 4.5hrs or more, our deliverys after the last hash up have landed us with being out 4.5 hrs and on bad days we can be out 5hrs,most of us dont bother with M/R we book them plus all the extra time on top we are now booking more hours than we use to,we are also having to rely on the good customers to lone us thier small rooms so we can have a comfort break,they really did'nt look at comfort stops when doing the revision and i doubt if they will pay much attention to it on the next round either,some of us are trying to keep our fluid intake down because we dont have places to go so lord knows what will happen if it gets any worse.

[london sub]

I wonder if the new delivery models of 4.5 hours has been run by Health and Saftey?

As far as i'm concerned RM would have us out for 8 hours if they could, and the doms wouldn't give a damn!

[Lounge Lizard]

Mine's always been 4 hours quieter days, 5 hours busier days, 6 hours Christmas pressure, 7 hours snow and ice but being a Rural there's always remote places for a call of nature.

[DGP1]

Back of the van with a Lucozade bottle.....................just remember not to drink it