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!

Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood?

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
Hitcher
Posts: 1530
Joined: 20 Sep 2009, 09:59
Gender: Male

Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood?

Post by Hitcher »

We've got sequencing machines being installed at our DO and it seems they can't get enough MC staff to cover the duties so they've gone up in the office - FT and PT 4 night weeks.

What are they like to work on and what are the shift patterns like?

Cheers.
Gold Fox
Posts: 313
Joined: 06 Jun 2014, 20:50
Gender: Female

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by Gold Fox »

Go for this job ...... better than delivery .... plenty of money ( night allowance + machine allowance ).... you can not go wrong ...as they are Specialized Duties ... once you sign it .. its your for rest of life because they do not come up for any duties pic .
postiewhite
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 619
Joined: 23 Jul 2013, 18:38
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by postiewhite »

Whats the pay like?
trythat
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 720
Joined: 23 Jun 2007, 16:36

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by trythat »

Hitcher wrote:We've got sequencing machines being installed at our DO and it seems they can't get enough MC staff to cover the duties so they've gone up in the office - FT and PT 4 night weeks.

What are they like to work on and what are the shift patterns like?

Cheers.
We've had CSS machines for a couple of years now, since MC was closed down (that turned out to be a mistake, but we all knew that would happen, but hey ho), the opg who transferred in from the MC couldn't do walks for various reasons, any way we also do SA CSS on a Sunday, had a good take up at first, but quite a few have declined it now. We also have opg who have to do CSS machine worrk when they run over, or CSS opg on leave etc, from what I'm told, it's not bad but can be quite hard when batches come in late or are to large, also our CSS opg are expected to prep deliveries, but out D2D to the main D2D area etc.

But it does seems as there are no night managers. so who knows exactly what they do :Very Happy

If you need the extra dosh go for it, if you already have a duty and like it, then it may be a harder decision.
baldyuk
Posts: 5
Joined: 02 Oct 2007, 15:09

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by baldyuk »

Go for it.

It's much easier work than doing deliveries (the smaller batches are more difficult than larger batches to keep running tbh) plus like other people have said, more money, more time off since most CSS duties are 4 nights per week FT. Been doing it for five years now and i've seen the crap the postman/women have to go through each day and it isn't nice. I'll even take EVR if or when they ever take the machines out of our office.

Good luck what ever you decide to do.
baldyuk
Posts: 5
Joined: 02 Oct 2007, 15:09

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by baldyuk »

postiewhite wrote:Whats the pay like?
Normal CSS duties:--

Basic Pay
Delivery Supplement
Delivery Supplement - split down twice for some reason
Night Shift (pens)
Night Shift (Non Pens)
Advanced TPM Allowance


+Supervisors get the extra Leadership Allowance (OPG/OSG) on top

Yes its a good wage each week but prepare to work hard work for it!!
aiden01
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 7001
Joined: 27 Feb 2013, 21:43
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by aiden01 »

Gold Fox wrote:Go for this job ...... better than delivery .... plenty of money ( night allowance + machine allowance ).... you can not go wrong ...as they are Specialized Duties ... once you sign it .. its your for rest of life because they do not come up for any duties pic .
why then have nearly 90% of opg,s who originally signed for them have now signed for new duties on various different shifts with a lot less money :mad :mad maybe the hard work was too much for them or else there is an easier way to earn money with some o/t :thumbup
Hitcher
Posts: 1530
Joined: 20 Sep 2009, 09:59
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by Hitcher »

Thanks for the replies so far guys. What time do you get off?
A2B
Posts: 2025
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 19:34
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by A2B »

aiden01 wrote:
Gold Fox wrote:Go for this job ...... better than delivery .... plenty of money ( night allowance + machine allowance ).... you can not go wrong ...as they are Specialized Duties ... once you sign it .. its your for rest of life because they do not come up for any duties pic .
why then have nearly 90% of opg,s who originally signed for them have now signed for new duties on various different shifts with a lot less money :mad :mad maybe the hard work was too much for them or else there is an easier way to earn money with some o/t :thumbup
I'd guess the biggest reason people wanted off was the shock to the system adjusting to working nights and indoors. Delivery staff moan about the crap weather and long delivery span but i'd rather that than being inside all night
TrueBlueTerrier
FORUM ADMINISTRATOR
Posts: 72727
Joined: 30 Dec 2006, 10:29
Gender: Male
Location: On my couch

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

baldyuk wrote:Delivery Supplement - split down twice for some reason
Part of its pensionable part of its not.
All post by me in Green are Admin Posts.
Any post in any other colour is my own responsibility.
If you like a news story I posted please click the link to show support Any news stories you can't post - PM me with a link
My sharing of news articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement or condemnation of any particular viewpoint or the issues presented. I share them solely for informational purposes.
postslippete
Posts: 4194
Joined: 14 Jul 2014, 16:27
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by postslippete »

I would say GO FOR IT!! I wish I could be a CSS operator again but sadly there are more senior guys than me doing it since the cutbacks



Yes, it will be hard for the body to adjust from a morning shift to a late night shift. You will probably feel hungry during the night too. Once you get home, get a few hours in and wake up in the afternoon.


Its not always easy on the machines - a lot of time is spent in preparing trays and printing labels for the next batch. But if you are efficient you can get a lot of this done whilst the machines are still running. Do make sure you take your meal relief in between sequencing waves 1 and 2 though.

It is still physical work putting trays onto the cages in batch order, putting them onto the machine and then cramming the mail back into trays again once they have been sequenced. Prepare yourself for machine breakdowns as often the mail gets stuck between the belts; and don't forget to clean the machine at the end of the shift.

However, the great things about the job is that there is usually no manager, you don't have to face the cold and rain and you only have to work to your scheduled finish time. That means that if you don't have time to finish processing your batches on the second or even third wave - then it doesn't get done - and posties simply get their mech unsequenced....

Also, you not only get a night time shift allowance but you also get paid extra for delivering door to doors as well that you don't have to do. Its something the CWU agreed. In all you would get probably an extra £80 a week more than if you were working as a FT postie. This means, there are a few part-time (30 hours a week) night shift workers that earn nearly as much as a full-timer out on delivery. And they don't get much hassle from managers either.....
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
notts1862
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 132
Joined: 07 Feb 2013, 08:39
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by notts1862 »

Which office are they in ? I might put in for a transfer. I run one on nights in the Nottingham Mail Centre. Hard work but time goes fast.
Hitcher
Posts: 1530
Joined: 20 Sep 2009, 09:59
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by Hitcher »

How much are these payments worth for FT?
baldyuk wrote:
postiewhite wrote:Whats the pay like?
Normal CSS duties:--

Basic Pay
Delivery Supplement
Delivery Supplement - split down twice for some reason
Night Shift (pens)
Night Shift (Non Pens)
Advanced TPM Allowance


+Supervisors get the extra Leadership Allowance (OPG/OSG) on top

Yes its a good wage each week but prepare to work hard work for it!!
aiden01
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 7001
Joined: 27 Feb 2013, 21:43
Gender: Male

Re: Night shift sequencing machine job vacancies - any goood

Post by aiden01 »

Hitcher wrote:How much are these payments worth for FT?
baldyuk wrote:
postiewhite wrote:Whats the pay like?
Normal CSS duties:--

Basic Pay
Delivery Supplement
Delivery Supplement - split down twice for some reason
Night Shift (pens)
Night Shift (Non Pens)
Advanced TPM Allowance


+Supervisors get the extra Leadership Allowance (OPG/OSG) on top

Yes its a good wage each week but prepare to work hard work for it!!
afaik ft clear in your hand £410