daveyeff wrote:i am a non-driver, i can't drive. but i think drivers should get more than a non-driver as they have more responsibility. they have van checks to do, fill with fuel, obviously be more vigilant whilst on the road. if they have a bump they are hauled in for an 'inquisition'..with potential for conduct if found blameworthy. no, i for one would not be in the least bothered if they paid the driver more. in fact i am sure years ago the van drivers used to get something like a tenner more than non drivers. some 'old school' drivers will know that one.
I agree with that entirely
They should be paid more
We shouldnt be paid less than we are now though
I just hate the attitude many drivers have towards non drivers like its our fault they dont get paid more than us and we should be driving
Its not our fault - RM moved the goalposts not us
Most of us took the job because it was a job that didnt require driving and wouldnt have applied if we had to
We know we have it better through luck of when we joined - why would we change that until we need to?
If you tolerate this, then your paid break will be next
Not looking to stir the pot here but just thought I’d share my experience. I recently asked to come off the driving as it was causing me too much stress! I started in 2002 when I was 16, so couldn’t have drove for the company if I wanted too! However I did the changeover 8 years ago as I thought it’d give me a better chance of getting a duty in the then upcoming repick/revision as I only had 10 years seniority at the time. The last few months have been hell though! Everyday has been like Christmas and I’ve had to do all the large for my walk, the walk I’m paired up with and feed bags to my partner who has selfishly chosen to use his own car (even though he was told by the union AND the management not to) and then I have to watch him drive off straight home while I take everything back to the office. This has resulted to countless rows with the management and my partner and I finally had enough and told them to poke the driving. Now my partner has to do all the large and his own walk and I’m taking a HCT out to my round. 40 minutes more walking a day (20 there and 20 back) so slightly more physical but 100% worth it as the mental stress has more or less vanished over night. I told the manager if I had a time machine I’d never have done the changeover in first place as being a driver means more work, stress and responsibility. I understand that the company is heading towards a mostly parcels business but surely they can’t prejudice against people who can’t or won’t drive for the company?
A2B wrote:I noticed from another of your posts that you have only been with RM a couple of years so you took the job knowing you would be driving and the rate of pay? Maybe you should have considered the risk to reward ratio before you took the job if you don't think it's fair?
Oh yes, of course. I should have never become a postman because someone with a trolley gets paid the same as someone who drives........right. ok man. Yes this is what I should have considered, what a fool I have been. I must resign at once.
By the way, the job does not have to involve driving. You can pick into a van share and be the passenger or you can pick into a trolley job.
What if van shares never return? My gut feeling is that they won't return and split shifts will be here to stay. For those who end up on the afternoon shifts, like it or not they'll just have to get on with it. With the amount of companies axing jobs, it's an employer's market and RM could easily replace anyone who doesn't want to work the afternoon shifts.
I reckon it's only a matter of time before RM force the issue of everyone in deliveries being able to drive
So you'll be putting your name down for afternoon shifts.
And just getting on with it... right?
Exactly. Those saying all is dandy and just get on with it are those full timers who will be working the morning shift.
1560loopsayear wrote:Some people are now being informed they are going on the later afternoon/early evening delivery shift with only the minimum of notice required. I can see it polarising staff even more if they select some and not others to cover these 'unpalatable' hours of work. It needs to be done on a rota basis to allow for equality and fairness.
Equality and fairness is all good but no point having full timers starting later when the work is there first thing in a morning to be done or you end up paying overtime out needlessly like in my office because there aren't enough full timers to get mail ready to be delivered with full timers doing the later shift
A2B wrote:I noticed from another of your posts that you have only been with RM a couple of years so you took the job knowing you would be driving and the rate of pay? Maybe you should have considered the risk to reward ratio before you took the job if you don't think it's fair?
Oh yes, of course. I should have never become a postman because someone with a trolley gets paid the same as someone who drives........right. ok man. Yes this is what I should have considered, what a fool I have been. I must resign at once.
By the way, the job does not have to involve driving. You can pick into a van share and be the passenger or you can pick into a trolley job.
What if van shares never return? My gut feeling is that they won't return and split shifts will be here to stay. For those who end up on the afternoon shifts, like it or not they'll just have to get on with it. With the amount of companies axing jobs, it's an employer's market and RM could easily replace anyone who doesn't want to work the afternoon shifts.
I reckon it's only a matter of time before RM force the issue of everyone in deliveries being able to drive
So you'll be putting your name down for afternoon shifts.
And just getting on with it... right?
Exactly. Those saying all is dandy and just get on with it are those full timers who will be working the morning shift.
The early shift has to be full-timers as they will have to do the IPS, prep, etc unless they don't the IPS, prep etc gets done later and so everything is later (including the afternoon shift). You can dream on if you think RM will have part timers in just to do the IPS, prep, etc
A2B wrote:I noticed from another of your posts that you have only been with RM a couple of years so you took the job knowing you would be driving and the rate of pay? Maybe you should have considered the risk to reward ratio before you took the job if you don't think it's fair?
Oh yes, of course. I should have never become a postman because someone with a trolley gets paid the same as someone who drives........right. ok man. Yes this is what I should have considered, what a fool I have been. I must resign at once.
By the way, the job does not have to involve driving. You can pick into a van share and be the passenger or you can pick into a trolley job.
What if van shares never return? My gut feeling is that they won't return and split shifts will be here to stay. For those who end up on the afternoon shifts, like it or not they'll just have to get on with it. With the amount of companies axing jobs, it's an employer's market and RM could easily replace anyone who doesn't want to work the afternoon shifts.
I reckon it's only a matter of time before RM force the issue of everyone in deliveries being able to drive
So you'll be putting your name down for afternoon shifts.
And just getting on with it... right?
Exactly. Those saying all is dandy and just get on with it are those full timers who will be working the morning shift.
The early shift has to be full-timers as they will have to do the IPS, prep, etc unless they don't the IPS, prep etc gets done later and so everything is later (including the afternoon shift). You can dream on if you think RM will have part timers in just to do the IPS, prep, etc
The point is, a full timer has no right to tell part timers just to get on with it as it is easy to say when they are unaffected.
A fair bit will come down to the FT/PT split and how many staff are normally needed for the indoor work. If a DO normally needs say 20 staff for the indoor work and has 20 full timers then they'll be in the morning and then the part timers will be a mix of morning or afternoon (outdoor only). If it ends up with a resign and the part timers higher up the seniority list all grab the morning shifts then it'll be a case of tough luck for the rest of the part timers
Jahpostie wrote:
Exactly. Those saying all is dandy and just get on with it are those full timers who will be working the morning shift.
It's all forum talk at the moment, we could be putting 2+2 together and getting 5
RM are more than likely analysing the PDA data from before covid and since and are probably evaluating which way of doing things is better financially for them
Early / Late shifts
Singleton duties
covid rumour mill full steam ahead.
Still to see what the future holds especially with social distances, uso review, parcel strategy etc. Remember Rico was moved along because the new parcel strategy wasnt being implemented fast enough. Rico was a stick person, the new ceo is a carrot person. Strategy wont change in my opinion. I like it the way it is and hope it doesnt change, our currently implemented P&L.
In the past drivers did get a Driving Allowance but that stopped before P&L came in.
I can drive for Royal Mail and regularly get taken off my walk because of it. I picked a passenger duty and I prefer being the passenger. If the driver was paid more i would pick a drivers duty otherwise I would always pick a passenger duty. Thats just my preference. My partner prefers the drivers side as there are less delivery points. Thats his preference.
claretandblue wrote:Our DOM was expecting 2 in a van to return yesterday, but he said the union blocked it.
If that is the case it would be reassuring to hear from the union about this. I understand that they are in talks with RM, but this is a separate issue.
claretandblue wrote:Our DOM was expecting 2 in a van to return yesterday, but he said the union blocked it.
I would doubt if the union had enough clout to "block" the business from returning to two in a van, I would also question whether there would be enough support amongst the national officers to do so.
The union after all would prefer the status quo pre- Covid-19 to some radical overhaul of working practices that could cost jobs.
