P&L 1 year on.

[bag69]

Well we started our p&l just over a year ago, and this is just a few observations about what has happened since.

To start with it was horrendous, aches and pains all over the place. Cut offs galore. We were left alone for about 3 months then lapsing started. Initially Mon & Tues only, then within weeks it was everyday. Now it is summer lapsing where they try to give us even more. About 4 months ago we also started Sat collections. That is the work side of it. However the really interesting changes are below.

B&H, intimidation etc have gone through the roof in trying to get you to complete your delivery. Staff morale is now non existant. Conduct code warnings have increased. Sickness has increased along with IHR. No one really wants to do OT any more as they are too knackered. Guilt by association has been introduced. ie if your partner is found guilty of something you will get the same punishment. Executive decision to introduce swings and roundabouts, so not allowed to cut off or claim OT. Every walk that has been tested has been found to be ok.

Most people have reverted to using bags on shoulder for 2 reasons. 1. So that they can get done on time. 2. A lot of people have said that use of the trolley hurts their backs. Think longer handles could stop this though.

Walk sizes. Up to 2500 delivery points per pair. Individual loops of 230 del points and a (rm) time of 59 to complete. When it is D2D day you can have 4 bags on 1 loop.

You will find yourself delivering melted chocolates and dead flowers during hot weather as RM have not used a solid partition to seperate the van compartments, so the heat gets to them.

Need a cold beer will probably think of lots more later.

[fishtank]

That sounds horrendous mate.
What's the union like in your place?

[bag69]

Forgot to say that the queues at the callers office are massive. The number of customer complaints has gone through the roof. Well depending on what your working hours are, you are no longer responsible for sorting all of your own mail out. Even i make a lot more mistakes than i used to.

On the plus side most of the PTers did get made up to 35hrs, although the new contract does say temporary. However because so many people have left or been got rid of any new starters are only taken on on 25hr rolling contracts.

[bag69]

Usually they are fairly strong. However we all know that RM/union all but one now. Mind you they are fighting to get rid of lapsing for the deliver to neighbour scheme. Cant see it coming off though.

[trythat]

I have to agree with fishtank. We suffered raised bullying etc, but managed to get our members to try and do the job properly, we were chucking in 4 or 5 grivences per day, emailing the DSM and getting our area rep involved.

I'm not sure if we have any P&L jobs combined that have more than 1200 DP. I see hoe you can deliver that many, unless you've shed loads that have 1 DP per 40 or 50 DP.

No one use the LWT in our office, but it's not through lack of trying to get them to use them. But we've started to get a H&S thing called 'outside observation' and I'm hoping we can use this to make RM make the staff use the LWT. Everytime H&S is mentioned I bring up LWT, but it does seem as though I'm talking to myself.

Your office needs to try and stick together, stand strong do the job properly, complain every chance you get, and if need be, start cutting off regularly.

To be honest, I'm surprised your area rep,is not at your office nearly every day.

[Patrick Clifton]

2500 delivery points

What is the delivery span for that?!

[bag69]

4.5 hrs. Mind you it is mostly high rise flats and terraces onto the street apart from a few roads. Believe it or not it is one of the easiest in the office.

[Postal1]

sounds like our office tbh

[Brandy]

Well we started our p&l just over a year ago, and this is just a few observations about what has happened since.

To start with it was horrendous, aches and pains all over the place. Cut offs galore. We were left alone for about 3 months then lapsing started. Initially Mon & Tues only, then within weeks it was everyday. Now it is summer lapsing where they try to give us even more. About 4 months ago we also started Sat collections. That is the work side of it. However the really interesting changes are below.

B&H, intimidation etc have gone through the roof in trying to get you to complete your delivery. Staff morale is now non existant. Conduct code warnings have increased. Sickness has increased along with IHR. No one really wants to do OT any more as they are too knackered. Guilt by association has been introduced. ie if your partner is found guilty of something you will get the same punishment. Executive decision to introduce swings and roundabouts, so not allowed to cut off or claim OT. Every walk that has been tested has been found to be ok.

Most people have reverted to using bags on shoulder for 2 reasons. 1. So that they can get done on time. 2. A lot of people have said that use of the trolley hurts their backs. Think longer handles could stop this though.

Walk sizes. Up to 2500 delivery points per pair. Individual loops of 230 del points and a (rm) time of 59 to complete. When it is D2D day you can have 4 bags on 1 loop.

You will find yourself delivering melted chocolates and dead flowers during hot weather as RM have not used a solid partition to seperate the van compartments, so the heat gets to them.

Need a cold beer will probably think of lots more later.

Cant believe we can be treated like this

[obscurityknocks]

4.5 hrs. Mind you it is mostly high rise flats and terraces onto the street apart from a few roads. Believe it or not it is one of the easiest in the office.

Is that the time it takes to deliver or the time georoute (or a useless planner) says it takes? It does sound horrendous with you and i feel we are on the starting grid for all that as well in the near future.

[Lincox]

Executive decision to introduce swings and roundabouts, so not allowed to cut off or claim OT. Every walk that has been tested has been found to be ok

I believe swings and roundabouts only refer to the Flexibility Agreement which Fishtank has informed me,can only be introduced in emergency situations, and is not enforceable as they may ask you, but there is no obligation. It does not apply to day to day resourcing, and if you are unable to complete on any given day, this should be dealt with under the overrunning delivery procedures. Your unit rep should have put in a dispute under the Industrial relations framework. By law you cannot be made to work over your time

[POSTMAN]

What is the local union doing with regards to the area rep or dare I say a div rep bag?

[bag69]

Says there is no agreement and if we over run and the traffic figures are high enough then we will be paid. Surprise surprise the figures are never high enough. Think the rep is leaving well alone as it is due to finish soon. Believe it when i see it. Staff are also threatened with being made to work their hours each day if they cut off. Most gave in just in case they can make a few mins one day. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

[eastie]

Says there is no agreement and if we over run and the traffic figures are high enough then we will be paid. Surprise surprise the figures are never high enough. Think the rep is leaving well alone as it is due to finish soon. Believe it when i see it. Staff are also threatened with being made to work their hours each day if they cut off. Most gave in just in case they can make a few mins one day. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

That is bollocks!! you cant use traffic figures for your WHOLE office .
One round could be absolutely hammered with packets and parcels whilst another on an estate of bungalows of old people have absolutely nothing .
You cant average out the whole offices mail and say you cant have O/T.
If you work to your time everyday they cant tell you to do swings and roundabouts.
Take your time , use a l/w trolley, take your meal relief , finish on time on mondays and cut off the rest of the other days. Its stress free

[anTi]

That is a sad situation you have there.

My office is not nearly a year into P&L and i have to say that we, as an office (and it is quite a big office) are all doing the job properly from what i can see. We are using the stupid LWT with the sole intention of getting the walks made smaller so we can get back to some sort of normality. The only twats that are using bags on shoulders are the casuals who are raping us of our overtime by doing the cutoffs in the afternoon (with managements blessing!)

In the last couple of weeks they have tried new tactics by bringing in the heavy mob (evil managers) but they are having little to no effect.

You come in on time, you take your meal relief, you use the trolley, you do your flats last, you don't go back before 2.30pm! No one likes working till that time but we realise that we must make it cost the business so much money that they have to take action. It is costing MASSIVE amounts every week.

Van shares average out at around 1300 delivery points. It is so different to how it use to be. It really angers me what they have done and just how devastating it has been for my earnings. I can honestly say that before P&L i never once dreaded coming into work, not once. But one week into P&L i was hating the job. No incentive, no real possibility of finishing early. The crazy thing is the only incentive there is now is the incentive not to do it.