Calling it a day

[Chelseablue]

Longer deLiveries is a big health and safety issue too , looking at my union fees yesterday if this does go ahead then I'll be coming out of the union . Thought slavery was abolished !

[bustedflush]

Well after being flat out for the last few weeks I,ve decided that my body can no longer take it. I,ve had back and hip problems for some time now and can only get through a shift now by taking high strengh pain killers. I,m 53 with only 9 years service on 30 hour contract but I don,t want to just hand my notice in and leave. What options are open to me on becoming a 'good leaver'. I,m seeing my doctor soon as I cannot carry on popping the pills just to do a job.

I feel for you. Last year I was diagnosed at 49 with osteo-arthritis in left knee and was prescribed codeine 32mg to take and have been on it all year. I only take 2 a day while working as I am aware of the slight euphoria you get and the potential for dependency. I don't take them when off. 6 weeks ago I went sick with severe pain behind my right kneecap and yes, I have it in that knee too. I have been on office work hobbling for last 3 weeks right at the 'tips' period and have no weekly OT to supplement my 30 hours like I would usually get. So like you I have been impacted financially as so many are when the basic wage is kept low in hours and made up with near permanent OT.

I too have the quandary of being 50+ now with what to offer a new employer? Middle-aged, two wrecked knees and an OHA description of 'having a permanent disability'!! I'm scared to of what the future holds too and can't jump ship if I'm on the only one in the sea.

[DirtyHarry]

Where the hell is the CWU while this is going on?

Discussing ways of convincing the members on delivery that increasing delivery spans yet again will protect full-time jobs.
Happy Christmas Harry, Don't forget to ask Santa for a mobility scooter.

I won't forget, fish. And happy Christmas to you and yours.

[DirtyHarry]

Longer deLiveries is a big health and safety issue too , looking at my union fees yesterday if this does go ahead then I'll be coming out of the union . Thought slavery was abolished !

Well, there has to come a point where we ask ourselves what the hell it is we pay our dues for.
The union has to start the fight to restore some dignity and real health and safety measures to our working lives.
Otherwise, there's just no point in us keeping Mon-Fri, two weeks off at xmas, union fat cats, in the luxury they've been accustomed to, and are now seriously taking for granted.

[Toby Tyke]

Same situation. 55 years old and it's taking its toll.
Reached a point where I felt I could not carry on 13-14 miles a day, week in week out.
Took some doing but managed to drop from full time to 20hrs over 3 days a week at my own cost.
It was either this or IHR which I did not want.
So far it's unbelievable the difference it's made.
Poor but happy with life again

[5plusbonusball]

someone mentioned keeping the full time jobs going but last year 3000+ left and another 3000+ will go next year, most haven't been replaced , all we got was a handful of part-time ladies who are now after less than 6 months looing for an easier role than delivery! think i'll invest my £3 a week in 3 health lottery tickets and hope to win enough to get out.

[greengiant]

Well after being flat out for the last few weeks I,ve decided that my body can no longer take it. I,ve had back and hip problems for some time now and can only get through a shift now by taking high strengh pain killers. I,m 53 with only 9 years service on 30 hour contract but I don,t want to just hand my notice in and leave. What options are open to me on becoming a 'good leaver'. I,m seeing my doctor soon as I cannot carry on popping the pills just to do a job.

I feel for you. Last year I was diagnosed at 49 with osteo-arthritis in left knee and was prescribed codeine 32mg to take and have been on it all year. I only take 2 a day while working as I am aware of the slight euphoria you get and the potential for dependency. I don't take them when off. 6 weeks ago I went sick with severe pain behind my right kneecap and yes, I have it in that knee too. I have been on office work hobbling for last 3 weeks right at the 'tips' period and have no weekly OT to supplement my 30 hours like I would usually get. So like you I have been impacted financially as so many are when the basic wage is kept low in hours and made up with near permanent OT.

I too have the quandary of being 50+ now with what to offer a new employer? Middle-aged, two wrecked knees and an OHA description of 'having a permanent disability'!! I'm scared to of what the future holds too and can't jump ship if I'm on the only one in the sea.

I'm not even 40, I had knee surgery to tidy up damaged cartilage a few months ago. Not looking forward to 8 hour delivery spans...

[TheCobra]

I did the job for only 2 years and was on 2 ibuprofen every day by the end due to achilles tendon problems and my left knee. To me the modern workload of a postman (especially the s**t walks) is becoming simply unmanageable. It'll become a job that young lads do for a few years, I can't imagine how hard some of those walks can be for a 50 year old bloke.

I happily got out and started my own biz, always keep my eyes peeled for posties now, feel sorry for my own postie who looks about early 50s and walks with a limp and looks like he's got a bad hip or something. In fact it's amazing the amount of posties you see now walking with a limp or buckling under the weight of a heavy bag, laden with parcels.

[Dazsw]

The days of peopld oing 30-40 years service in an outdoor role are gone.

This job is fairly hard on the body nowadays, I've only been in 4 years, I can't see me doing 4 more.

[TheCobra]

Postman near me in Hyde used to limp round his walk, he looked like a wounded soldier, not that old either, late 20s-30s maybe? Terrible, looked in massive amount of pain. I kept seeing him like that for ages when I drove down the main road, not seen him for a bit now so duno how that one turned out, but it was clear he should have been off sick a looong time ago.

There's a line to draw and I think if anyone gets too injured then don't be scared to go off sick just cos of some bully DOM or line manager. It's you who's got to live with a long term disability when you're 50-odd and left the place, the line manager/DOM won't give a s**t then.

[Postie45]

Well after being flat out for the last few weeks I,ve decided that my body can no longer take it. I,ve had back and hip problems for some time now and can only get through a shift now by taking high strengh pain killers. I,m 53 with only 9 years service on 30 hour contract but I don,t want to just hand my notice in and leave. What options are open to me on becoming a 'good leaver'. I,m seeing my doctor soon as I cannot carry on popping the pills just to do a job.

my advice dont quit, but stop working "flat out" its honourable of you to put this level of effort in, but is in no way should this be required or expected, and the adverse health youre experiencing is possibly a result. Work to a steadier pace which *may* mean less stress on your body. Follow h&s, use your trolley etc Dont feel pressured into working fast, speak to your CWU rep if this becomes an issue. good luck !

[TheCobra]

Well after being flat out for the last few weeks I,ve decided that my body can no longer take it. I,ve had back and hip problems for some time now and can only get through a shift now by taking high strengh pain killers. I,m 53 with only 9 years service on 30 hour contract but I don,t want to just hand my notice in and leave. What options are open to me on becoming a 'good leaver'. I,m seeing my doctor soon as I cannot carry on popping the pills just to do a job.

my advice dont quit, but stop working "flat out" its honourable of you to put this level of effort in, but is in no way should this be required or expected, and the adverse health youre experiencing is possibly a result. Work to a steadier pace which *may* mean less stress on your body. Follow h&s, use your trolley etc Dont feel pressured into working fast, speak to your CWU rep if this becomes an issue. good luck !

Good advice, especially the trolley. None of the posties near me use them and they're all limping about. I found the trolley a godsend when they brought them in, but now seems like not many posties using them. Seems like people think they're winning cos they're finishing a bit quicker, but long-term that trolley could save you a shedload of injuries.

[osgoody1970]

the reason, posties do not use trollies is, THAT IT TAKES TOO LONG, the union, nor management never understood how fast and good posties were, I said at the time," you put trolley's in here, be prepared to take 60-90 minutes off the work load" it fell on deaf ears, or the senior managers bullied, planners and delivery managers to push through these unmanageable workloads, because it was financial suicide to put these new delivery methods in and cut the delivery spans, as it should have been done at the time, I feel for posties in there today, bullied by managers in working over, not confident enough to use the cutting off procedure, the union needs to step in and get involved in putting this right.

[k979aaa]

the reason, posties do not use trollies is, THAT IT TAKES TOO LONG, the union, nor management never understood how fast and good posties were, I said at the time," you put trolley's in here, be prepared to take 60-90 minutes off the work load" it fell on deaf ears, or the senior managers bullied, planners and delivery managers to push through these unmanageable workloads, because it was financial suicide to put these new delivery methods in and cut the delivery spans, as it should have been done at the time, I feel for posties in there today, bullied by managers in working over, not confident enough to use the cutting off procedure, the union needs to step in and get involved in putting this right.

It is about time someone said this clocking in and out would help with being paid for going over and may end the bonus culture but till this culture is eradicated nothing will be done to make walks achievable by most staff and we all get old one day.

[rambo1]

the reason, posties do not use trollies is, THAT IT TAKES TOO LONG, the union, nor management never understood how fast and good posties were, I said at the time," you put trolley's in here, be prepared to take 60-90 minutes off the work load" it fell on deaf ears, or the senior managers bullied, planners and delivery managers to push through these unmanageable workloads, because it was financial suicide to put these new delivery methods in and cut the delivery spans, as it should have been done at the time, I feel for posties in there today, bullied by managers in working over, not confident enough to use the cutting off procedure, the union needs to step in and get involved in putting this right.

It is about time someone said this clocking in and out would help with being paid for going over and may end the bonus culture but till this culture is eradicated nothing will be done to make walks achievable by most staff and we all get old one day.

Sounds harsh, but look after number one. Use your trolley, don't rush around for anyone come back on time and anything you can't get done is for managers to sort out, it's what they get paid for. How many on here complaining they are worn out are doing tons of overtime? it's hard enough doing your hrs and not rushing around.