Good gaffers with well run offices.

[Navalron]

Surely, and I know there are good doms and linos out there but we don't hear many good stories about them. Surely of our 1,372 do,s there has to be good gaffers. Most of mind in the Glasgow district were brand new, also they worked their way up from postman, postman driver, phg and they knew all the duties. But there were failures but no where near the rate of today's as a good majority are from uni and in a job placement for six months at a time before moving on to another area and never really getting to grips with the job and responsibility. Next thing they are in charge of a mail centre running shot over all union/management agreements, bringing in casuals and demoralize the workforce to an extent that I'm really surprised that mega lunch ups haven't materialized. Please let us know. THERE ARE GOOD OFFICES OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. LET US KNOW ABOUT IT FOR OTHER OFFICES TO SEE WHAT MOST OFFICES WERE LIKE NOT THAT LONG AGO. MOST OF THE GAFFERS CAME THROUGH THERANKS AND NOT LIKE UNIVERSITY NOW WHO NEVER EVEN DID A PAPER ROUND. GIVE US SOME GOOD STORIES from OFFICES that take no s**t.

[Navalron]

Is it so bad that an office can be run withbullying and harassment and not getting paid for hours worked so that the DOM (collects his bonus). When will you realise that all out will get you the majority of what you want. Money wise, well it's not a bad wage and let's be honest looking about at other industries. But the bullying that postieshave to go in on a daily basis not knowing wtf their going to be doing is a right head f**k. Don't listen to the RM bosses who say that the handful of other mail companies will steal our mail and we will lose contracts. Oh bullshit. NO ONE IS SET UP TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE USO. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE AND WILL NEVER HAPPEN UNLESS THEY BREAK UP DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTION'S BUT EVEN THAT'S BULLSHIT. ALL THESE COMPANIES CAN DO IS PICK UP BIG POSTINGS LIKE GOVERNMENTS DEPARTMENTS, HOSPITALS ECT, ECT AND DELIVER TO DO to letterbox or bulk mail it. We go on strike, and let the great British people who still runs the show. 73% of the public want TO re-nationalised the RM. Or do you work ending up like Amazon and all the other Carl companies to work for with just above the minimum wage of£7:83per hour, with no paid breaks, less holiday time, no shift or driving money. All the benefits that myself and thousands like me hit the street to protect these hard fought terms of employment. Of course the top tier of management want them gone to get their fat bonus cheques and bring in casuals to treat them like Crap with no regular work, going back to the Victorian days. If you don't take a stand then the job will not only be finished it will be once and for all totally f****d.

[Navalron]

Is it so bad that an office can be run withbullying and harassment and not getting paid for hours worked so that the DOM (collects his bonus). When will you realise that all out will get you the majority of what you want. Money wise, well it's not a bad wage and let's be honest looking about at other industries. But the bullying that postieshave to go in on a daily basis not knowing wtf their going to be doing is a right head f**k. Don't listen to the RM bosses who say that the handful of other mail companies will steal our mail and we will lose contracts. Oh bullshit. NO ONE IS SET UP TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE USO. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE AND WILL NEVER HAPPEN UNLESS THEY BREAK UP DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTION'S BUT EVEN THAT'S BULLSHIT. ALL THESE COMPANIES CAN DO IS PICK UP BIG POSTINGS LIKE GOVERNMENTS DEPARTMENTS, HOSPITALS ECT, ECT AND DELIVER TO DO to letterbox or bulk mail it. We go on strike, and let the great British people who still runs the show. 73% of the public want TO re-nationalised the RM. Or do you work ending up like Amazon and all the other Carl companies to work for with just above the minimum wage of£7:83per hour, with no paid breaks, less holiday time, no shift or driving money. All the benefits that myself and thousands like me hit the street to protect these hard fought terms of employment. Of course the top tier of management want them gone to get their fat bonus cheques and bring in casuals to treat them like Crap with no regular work, going back to the Victorian days. If you don't take a stand then the job will not only be finished it will be once and for all totally f****d.

[Celgar]

Our DO does have a DOM who was previously a postie and they do a very good job of running our office and are very fair & even handed. Years ago we had another DOM who was also previously a postie and they were quite good at the job. It does seem that the best managers are posties although this does have to be teamed with other capabilities such as good communication skills and a willingness to go beyond the call of duty to get the job done and fight their corner for the office they manage.

[DGH]

Of the dozens and dozens of line managers my office has had over the past years (and that I can recall), most of them have been postmen with at least several years service. In recent years more graduates have come in but we still get 'ex-rankers' too. In my experience there is little to choose between them when it comes to actual ability.

Of those I would have rated as actually competent and fair, all have been ex-delivery. 5 in total. Four have since returned to being postmen, one has moved from the office.

Far more have had some competence but one or two serious issues, be it man-management or selfishness ('my section is alright, Jack') or failing to deal with overloaded deliveries in an acceptable way. I can recall perhaps 8 of these. All are either still managing (though not necessarily in the same office or have retired). 2 graduates, 6 ex-delivery. It's fair to note that the graduates began well but became demoralised by the mediocrity that surrounded them.

The vast majority have had serious weaknesses in competence with a tendency to be duplicitous and/or lazy and/or with an inability to organise properly. However most of these would probably have upped their game if well led. Again, the majority have been ex-delivery. 3 ex-graduates, an estimated 30-odd ex-delivery. Again, most of these are probably still managing somewhere in RM.

Five, all ex-postmen, have had issues so severe as to make them stand out as egregiously poor even with the low bar set by RM. Three promoted (?!?), one still a line manager, one now a postman again.

Only one has been so horrendous as to actually be nearly dismissed for gross misconduct. He was instead transferred and is a postman.

So of maybe 50 or so line managers I can recall, only 10% have been really worth their pay and they've not lasted. But although they've all been ex-posties, so have the very worst.


As for DOMs, every single one has had issues but two of the three best have come from outside the business as graduates, and it's probably fair to say none of them have been dreadful, though a couple of acting DOMs might fit that description well. However what's noticeable is that while the best three all started well enough, all were ground down after a time and became more and more arbitrary in their decision-making.

[koolishy67]

Ours new one excellent no problem at all like if you want day off or anyother problem he is always helpful but the previous one is not good.

[tommyrep]

The problem with good managers comes when the superiors want more - cost savings-!
Pressure from above eventually takes its toll. Harmony in a work place is not their main objective, £ £ £ rules the day.
Well run offices are a rarity unfortunately and I agree with other posters that there are many good, fair DOMs and linos out there. They are seldom left to manage as THEY wish and that's where the problems start!

[Ozzvaldo]

We have a DOM who used to be a postie and he's absolutely rubbish. Simply couldn't care less about what goes on in the office (and we have a lot of problems in my office) as long as he picks up his wages each month. I'm reliably informed by those who worked with him when he was a postie (it was at another office) that his attitude was the same back in those days and he was known as a work-shy schemer always looking for dodges to avoid work.

[Brandy]

We have a DOM who used to be a postie and he's absolutely rubbish. Simply couldn't care less about what goes on in the office (and we have a lot of problems in my office) as long as he picks up his wages each month. I'm reliably informed by those who worked with him when he was a postie (it was at another office) that his attitude was the same back in those days and he was known as a work-shy schemer always looking for dodges to avoid work.

Sounds like my ex DOM!

[Seymour Buts]

Part of me feels for them to be honest. There's now four ex linos and managers back as posties in our office; all jacked management 'coz it simply wasn't worth the agro that came with it. Most of them we're pretty good gaffers too. Sadly they've been replaced with people from outside the business, be it grads or from other industries. Lets just be kind of say they're not very good.

[Newbie001]

I would say most of the bad managers I've come across have been ex-posties. They did job when it was a lot easier and now think we're all taking the p**s. Quite a few of them were managers brown nose runners, go figure.

[seaside]

Will there come a point when managers could be sued, if there was prove of non payment of overtime, Bullying, favouritism the list goes on,... heard posties in their 50s plus, told they are too slow. Surely this is not right,

[postslippete]

Sometime in the 1970s I've heard that we had good gaffers with well run offices

[Brandy]

Will there come a point when managers could be sued, if there was prove of non payment of overtime, Bullying, favouritism the list goes on,... heard posties in their 50s plus, told they are too slow. Surely this is not right,

No its not right,but it goes on.

[postmanzach]

Ours is actually pretty decent. 15 years as postman, 10 years as a manger. Helps you out getting days off you need. Well run office most of the time but he’s always under pressure to save hours. Think he’s been taking piss abit ‘cooking the books’ recently doing postman work, helping out which means office looks like it’s more productive than it actually is, meaning next year we will have to save even more hours making it dam near impossible to achieve.