ANNOUNCEMENT : ALL OF ROYAL MAIL'S EMPLOYMENT POLICIES (AGREEMENTS) AT A GLANCE (Updated 2021)... HERE

ANNOUNCEMENT : PLEASE BE AWARE WE ARE NOT ON FACEBOOK AT ALL!

Ex Royal Mail worker

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
MG1966
Posts: 4
Joined: 15 Sep 2010, 22:48
Gender: Male

Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by MG1966 »

Hello I used to work at a district office in central London - remember those?! deliveries and outward work. I left in the early 90's but always liked the job and have took an interest in what has gone on over the years at RM. Can someone tell me if the following things still exist?

PHG's - Used to work in the registered letter enclosure, did the final outward sorting for regional areas, worked on the machines where they would type in the postcodes.

Night shift - Our district office had a night shift, worked it myself a few times on duty or overtime. Used to do inward sorting and then onto some of the bigger walks and do the sorting for the main frame

Seniority- Some of the old boys at our office had some cushy walks - they were good to cover!

The Book room - run by PHG's who used to dish the overtime out, take your holiday bookings, took your docket sheet in

Charges: We used to have to collect and pay for any underpaid postage items ourselves up front and then then try and get the dosh back from the customers. Run from a little office by a PHG

Senior Men on a walk: These were usually the A and B man who were on the walks 6 days a week C's.D's and E's usually rotated.

Van delieveries: some vans which might cover two areas we used to have two or three of us plus the driver delivering sacks of mails to firms

Doorman: We used to have dedicated postman who were really security, checking passes, I used to cover their lunch breaks on some duties.

Thanks and good luck
Postman Plodd
Posts: 596
Joined: 30 Nov 2008, 15:53
Gender: Male

Re: Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by Postman Plodd »

MG1966 wrote:Hello I used to work at a district office in central London - remember those?! deliveries and outward work. I left in the early 90's but always liked the job and have took an interest in what has gone on over the years at RM. Can someone tell me if the following things still exist?

PHG's - Used to work in the registered letter enclosure, did the final outward sorting for regional areas, worked on the machines where they would type in the postcodes. We have 1 senior guy looks after the specials and moans a lot

Night shift - Our district office had a night shift, worked it myself a few times on duty or overtime. Used to do inward sorting and then onto some of the bigger walks and do the sorting for the main frame Not in our DO any more

Seniority- Some of the old boys at our office had some cushy walks - they were good to cover! Still alive and well

The Book room - run by PHG's who used to dish the overtime out, take your holiday bookings, took your docket sheet in Gone

Charges: We used to have to collect and pay for any underpaid postage items ourselves up front and then then try and get the dosh back from the customers. Run from a little office by a PHG Nope

Senior Men on a walk: These were usually the A and B man who were on the walks 6 days a week C's.D's and E's usually rotated. ????

Van delieveries: some vans which might cover two areas we used to have two or three of us plus the driver delivering sacks of mails to firms Dunno what our lot get up to, it seems its a free for all especially at the moment

Doorman: We used to have dedicated postman who were really security, checking passes, I used to cover their lunch breaks on some duties. Nope

Thanks and good luck
TeeferTiger
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 2783
Joined: 22 Dec 2008, 13:56
Gender: Female
Location: Welsh Wales

Re: Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by TeeferTiger »

PHGs- Not officially, but the room of doom/RLE still exists, and there are just OPGs in there now. Still some with PHG allowances but they're not being replaces.

Charges are now done by Revenue Protection. They arrive in a yellow pouch, the OPGs in the RLE write out grey cards, put them out for delivery and the money gest collected in the room of doom when people come in/post back the grey card with stamps on to the value required.
Does this rag smell of chloroform to you?
krussel
Posts: 5300
Joined: 26 Jan 2009, 18:03
Gender: Male
Location: Out on the streets.

Re: Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by krussel »

Welcome mate, so much has changed and nearly all for the worse. A couple of good points though:

Its a 5 day working week now (how long did we fight for that), some still work 6 days for 5 weeks and then take a week off. A later start at 6am (but as there are no nights there is no advanced sorting being done).

The letters come in per-sorted in a plastic tray to your walk and in correct frame order, so you just slot them in. Still have to ips the flats and packets. In my office the ave walk takes out between 7-11 bags :neutral:
Rows of houses all bearing down on me........I can feel their blue hands touching me.......All these things in all positions.........All these things will one day take control..........
steven100
Posts: 1391
Joined: 09 Aug 2009, 12:35
Gender: Male

Re: Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by steven100 »

krussel wrote:Welcome mate, so much has changed and nearly all for the worse. A couple of good points though:

Its a 5 day working week now (how long did we fight for that), some still work 6 days for 5 weeks and then take a week off. A later start at 6am (but as there are no nights there is no advanced sorting being done).

The letters come in per-sorted in a plastic tray to your walk and in correct frame order, so you just slot them in. Still have to ips the flats and packets. In my office the ave walk takes out between 7-11 bags :neutral:
Are these points really good????
westlondonpostie
Posts: 559
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 19:19
Gender: Male
Location: Close to the edge

Re: Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by westlondonpostie »

MG1966 wrote:Hello I used to work at a district office in central London - remember those?! deliveries and outward work. I left in the early 90's but always liked the job and have took an interest in what has gone on over the years at RM. Can someone tell me if the following things still exist?

PHG's - Used to work in the registered letter enclosure, did the final outward sorting for regional areas, worked on the machines where they would type in the postcodes.

Night shift - Our district office had a night shift, worked it myself a few times on duty or overtime. Used to do inward sorting and then onto some of the bigger walks and do the sorting for the main frame

Seniority- Some of the old boys at our office had some cushy walks - they were good to cover!

The Book room - run by PHG's who used to dish the overtime out, take your holiday bookings, took your docket sheet in

Charges: We used to have to collect and pay for any underpaid postage items ourselves up front and then then try and get the dosh back from the customers. Run from a little office by a PHG

Senior Men on a walk: These were usually the A and B man who were on the walks 6 days a week C's.D's and E's usually rotated.

Van delieveries: some vans which might cover two areas we used to have two or three of us plus the driver delivering sacks of mails to firms

Doorman: We used to have dedicated postman who were really security, checking passes, I used to cover their lunch breaks on some duties.

Thanks and good luck

Blimey, sounds just like my Office when I started over 25 yrs ago, boy have things changed and not for the better. :wave
easter bunny
Posts: 378
Joined: 01 Jul 2007, 20:08

Re: Ex Royal Mail worker

Post by easter bunny »

Postman Plodd wrote:
MG1966 wrote:Hello I used to work at a district office in central London - remember those?! deliveries and outward work. I left in the early 90's but always liked the job and have took an interest in what has gone on over the years at RM. Can someone tell me if the following things still exist?

PHG's - Used to work in the registered letter enclosure, did the final outward sorting for regional areas, worked on the machines where they would type in the postcodes. We have 1 senior guy looks after the specials and moans a lot

Night shift - Our district office had a night shift, worked it myself a few times on duty or overtime. Used to do inward sorting and then onto some of the bigger walks and do the sorting for the main frame Not in our DO any more

Seniority- Some of the old boys at our office had some cushy walks - they were good to cover! Still alive and well

There must be the old Doorkeeper grade working in the Network surely ? The grade was changed to the Occupational Support Grade under the way forward.
I had 6 years as a doorkeeper in the 90s . Open Docket near enough for many years. The Millennium 3 day holiday was worth £50 an hour if I remember....

I'm sure Doorkeepers still exist somewhere in the Country . The grade was changed under the way forward to the OSG grade

I'm sure Doorkeepers still exist somewhere in the Country . The grade was changed under the Way Forward to Occupational Support Grade ( OSG )

The Book room - run by PHG's who used to dish the overtime out, take your holiday bookings, took your docket sheet in Gone

Charges: We used to have to collect and pay for any underpaid postage items ourselves up front and then then try and get the dosh back from the customers. Run from a little office by a PHG Nope

Senior Men on a walk: These were usually the A and B man who were on the walks 6 days a week C's.D's and E's usually rotated. ????

Van delieveries: some vans which might cover two areas we used to have two or three of us plus the driver delivering sacks of mails to firms Dunno what our lot get up to, it seems its a free for all especially at the moment

Doorman: We used to have dedicated postman who were really security, checking passes, I used to cover their lunch breaks on some duties. Nope

Thanks and good luck