100% privatised one day, agency workers in the next

[A2B]

It sounds like you're putting too much thought into the training that's done. If you're told how to train someone, that's the model you use. If a lino is getting silly about the trainee's performance, then that's what it is: his performance. As soon as it was put through at ours, it was grabbed at as money for old rope.
On a side note - would making someone on a singleton duty a WPC be classed as ironic?

Or on the other side of the coin maybe you are not putting enough thought into it? Each to their own and no doubt the situation will change at some point in our office but at the moment people would rather work a couple of hours overtime than take the money for the WPC position.

[BarnsleyLackey]

It sounds like you're putting too much thought into the training that's done. If you're told how to train someone, that's the model you use. If a lino is getting silly about the trainee's performance, then that's what it is: his performance. As soon as it was put through at ours, it was grabbed at as money for old rope.
On a side note - would making someone on a singleton duty a WPC be classed as ironic?

Or on the other side of the coin maybe you are not putting enough thought into it? Each to their own and no doubt the situation will change at some point in our office but at the moment people would rather work a couple of hours overtime than take the money for the WPC position.

Maybe so. I know what it takes to train someone to do this job, and it's not a lot. Add to that the fact we don't get a weekly influx of new starters. So basically you can go weeks without training anybody, which would make it a no brainer.
You maybe right about changes though. I can't see why they'd pay it when it can be done for free.

[A2B]

People are paid overtime to train new starters so it's not being done for free and if the WPC position was purely for training new starters the job would have been filled ages ago.

It's when you are told to retrain postie X because they are slower than standard on IPS , postie X by his own admittance is slow on IPS but he is faster than most of the office whilst on delivery, this doesn't matter to the manager as he needs the IPS sorting done quicker. WPC is tasked with bringing postie X up to "standard", postie X and the rest of the office don't like this and problems ensue

[NWpostie]

Unlike contracted staffs, the agency staff don't have any fixed hours and are probably under no illusions about their position in the food chain, unsurprisingly they won't work a Saturday and no one can force them as they not under contract.

if they want to go over to 100% agency, nothing will get delivered on Saturday or Sunday, never mind getting in to work at 6am -7am.

[massdebate121]

You do realise that the "agency workers" are employed through Royal Mail's fake agency, Angard? Contrary to what you might've heard, they are not a separate company, Angard IS Royal Mail. Angard was set up in order to avoid employing staff on proper contracts.

[NWpostie]

Regardless of which agency company, by their very nature agency workers feel no personal commitment to the company they are employed to do the work as they are transitional and various cock ups over several previous Christmas by Angard doesn't inspire confidence.

[wacko74]

I'm currently on a career break due to end next year and as a full timer with a permanent contract I'm fully expecting to have a battle on my hands to get my job back.

I'm sure they'll just tell me there are no longer any vacancies at my D.O.... even though all the newest recruits are temp contracts or agency staff.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

You maybe right about changes though. I can't see why they'd pay it when it can be done for free.

Eventually I think Line Managers will disappear completely and they'll want something between. When they do get rid of line managers they'll need something in between such as a Charge Hand, Supervisor or Team Leader, who'll be responsible for their own duty (probably smaller to reflect extra responsibilities) and a small pool of others - say 6 - 10.

What could be better than having a trained pool of coaches to take over such a role, and they are already being paid roughly £1 an hour extra. Increase it by another 50p and most will make the switch.

[massdebate121]

Regardless of which agency company, by their very nature agency workers feel no personal commitment to the company they are employed to do the work as they are transitional and various cock ups over several previous Christmas by Angard doesn't inspire confidence.

When I applied for Angard 4 years ago, I was under the impression I was applying for a job at Royal Mail. If I'd known then that it was for a zero-hour contract, I wouldn't have applied.

[motherhubbard]

You do realise that the "agency workers" are employed through Royal Mail's fake agency, Angard?

The last ones I saw came from Blue Arrow. They had never heard of Angard.

[bustedflush]

Our ones aren't from AngryHard either.....

[BarnsleyLackey]

People are paid overtime to train new starters so it's not being done for free and if the WPC position was purely for training new starters the job would have been filled ages ago.

It's when you are told to retrain postie X because they are slower than standard on IPS , postie X by his own admittance is slow on IPS but he is faster than most of the office whilst on delivery, this doesn't matter to the manager as he needs the IPS sorting done quicker. WPC is tasked with bringing postie X up to "standard", postie X and the rest of the office don't like this and problems ensue

I get the theory of what you're saying. But postie X knows his job. The only people that can make him go faster or more accurate are management. The coach is only a tutor.

[newboy23]

You do realise that the "agency workers" are employed through Royal Mail's fake agency, Angard? Contrary to what you might've heard, they are not a separate company, Angard IS Royal Mail. Angard was set up in order to avoid employing staff on proper contracts.

LOL well I didn't know that

[Tman]

Seems like most of our casuals aren't via Angard either.
Angard was set up to reduce the endless round of new starters leaving after a week. Employing through an agency means the no-hopers are quickly (ie cheaply) dumped, and the poor sods kept on are on low hours contracts.

[korky]

You do realise that the "agency workers" are employed through Royal Mail's fake agency, Angard? Contrary to what you might've heard, they are not a separate company, Angard IS Royal Mail. Angard was set up in order to avoid employing staff on proper contracts.

LOL well I didn't know that

me neither?
seems there are quite a few agency workers coming in now, must be at least 6 in ours and talking to another postie from a smaller office they've had a few too, we had a main guy in earlier in the year saying absolutely no "zero hour" staff a la sports direct.
i know its common this time of year to get temps in mail centres but I've never known them out on the streets, give it a year or so and 25% of posties will be either agency or management,
union membership is dwindling fast