What is a fair payrise for us?

[Tman]

I contest the idea that postal workers are " unskilled". Good postal workers, in my opinion, are highly skilled individuals. !

Fooling yourself. You'd be on two or even three times the 12 quid hourly rate if you were classed as skilled, and you would've received three or four years training as opposed to three or four days.

[Woody Guthrie]

There's a huge difference between a skilled job and a job that requires some skill in order not to screw it up on a daily basis.

Labouring for a brickie requires some skill so you don't fall head first into the cement mixer or drop a hod of bricks on someone's head but it isn't a skilled job.

However the reason we're paid relatively highly for an unskilled job has nothing to do with skill level and everything to do with the fact that it's a physically demanding job with unsocial hours in often hostile weather conditions. It's not something everyone can or even wants to deal with.

With skilled jobs it is lack of supply of skilled workers that drives higher wages, with us it is not lack of supply but retention of workers. We're paid that much because without it a lot of us would find easier ways to earn minimum wage.

[daveyeff]

we've had to fight for everything we get. they don't give us it because they think we are worth it.

[worktotime]

i would be more interested in a fair and manageable workload ,a massive change in culture with actions and not just talk , and the 1 hour off the week from last October they havent given us.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

I will wait and see what conditions are attached before agreeing any payrise. The first gesture must surely be at least 1 hour off the working week before we even talk about anything else.

[mjd24]

Does anyone have the info on how our pay compares with inflation going back 5/10 years or so?

[Tunahowmad]

I'd like to get a payrise and a reduction in hours
However i do not think we are currently in a position to take any sort of industrial action if a payrise is linked to productivity and/or redundancies The situation for working people in the UK is looking grim.

Looking at the next few years with Brexit and a forecast of many job losses that have been announced by major employers plus the financial forecast for our economy i think we will take what is given. The government in power will have a massive surplus of unemployed working age people willing to work and the public really will not support strike action
So i feel its dark times ahead for any hope of a significant payrise. Looking ahead i think we will be just another parcel delivery company and have already seen job adverts stating driving licence essential plus flexible working patterns including later start and finish times.

[HTPostman]

Seen as everyone else is having a say I will. I’d much prefer job security and not constantly worrying that I’ll be out of a job if they make cuts because I’m near the bottom of the great seniority ladder. Id also prefer an agreement on the holiday pay of which I’m now owed approaching £1500.

I’d settle for my PT contract being made up to FT and Christmas bonus type payment (say £200) in return for clearing the £1500. Plus knowing my job is safe for a few more years would mean so much more than a few extra quid a week.

[twoloops]

I contest the idea that postal workers are " unskilled". Good postal workers, in my opinion, are highly skilled individuals. Try taking Joe Bloggs off the street...give him a van full of letters and parcels and a PDA...and tell him to crack on with it.

Don’t kid yourself, with the stringent testing RM now employ, most new starters pick up the job within 2 to 3 weeks with less than a few days training, it’s hardly rocket science

[2yearpostie]

Stick as we are and keep everyones job that wants one, id sooner they spend any money on a couple of extra vehicles, even a smart car so you can follow your partner round in the van would do.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

I contest the idea that postal workers are " unskilled". Good postal workers, in my opinion, are highly skilled individuals. Try taking Joe Bloggs off the street...give him a van full of letters and parcels and a PDA...and tell him to crack on with it.

Don’t kid yourself, with the stringent testing RM now employ, most new starters pick up the job within 2 to 3 weeks with less than a few days training, it’s hardly rocket science

So why don’t they stay then? We had 8 new people before lockdown. 2 remain but both want to leave. RM can always get staff but they can’t keep them, a good business would be asking why.

[yellowbelly]

.......Id also prefer an agreement on the holiday pay of which I’m now owed approaching £1500.

I’d settle for my PT contract being made up to FT and Christmas bonus type payment (say £200) in return for clearing the £1500..

IIRC RM don't have an option, it's the law, it beggars belief that they're still dragging their heels on this one!!!

[yubin282]

2 hours were owed at the end of the yr and about 3.2%.

If we're not getting the hours 9.6% will do for the 2 hours and a years pay rise for this year.
Were not far off the minimum wage an hour and to work in all conditions and use our driving licence and put them at risk if any crashes
+ no driving allowances
MUGS we are

Not that far off minimum wage? £8.72 is minimum wage; combined with the delivery suppliment our hourly rate is about £12.30 off the job of my head.

I was just about to reply with this. Sometimes I think people who have been with Royal Mail for a long time, are completely unaware of just how low the minimum wage is, and how poor the pay and working conditions are for most "unskilled" positions.

Many people on minimum wage are playing the Tax Credits (and other associated bennies) system to it's full extent, with the net result that they have just as much if not more discretionary income as a postie grossing £12.30 per hour

A postie who is a single parent of 2 kids and working 16 hours per week living in rented accommodation would probably be no worse off if they were only being paid minimum wage.

yep that's true actually, i worked it out on .gov website and i would be entitled to almost exactly what i take home every week.

[matthew68]

I contest the idea that postal workers are " unskilled". Good postal workers, in my opinion, are highly skilled individuals. Try taking Joe Bloggs off the street...give him a van full of letters and parcels and a PDA...and tell him to crack on with it.

Don’t kid yourself, with the stringent testing RM now employ, most new starters pick up the job within 2 to 3 weeks with less than a few days training, it’s hardly rocket science

You sound like our manager!

[matthew68]

I contest the idea that postal workers are " unskilled". Good postal workers, in my opinion, are highly skilled individuals. Try taking Joe Bloggs off the street...give him a van full of letters and parcels and a PDA...and tell him to crack on with it.

Don’t kid yourself, with the stringent testing RM now employ, most new starters pick up the job within 2 to 3 weeks with less than a few days training, it’s hardly rocket science

So why don’t they stay then? We had 8 new people before lockdown. 2 remain but both want to leave. RM can always get staff but they can’t keep them, a good business would be asking why.

Same at our place the problem is it’s all part time nowadays, we had 4 new starters in January and now only 1 left,I spoke to the guys who left and they all said it’s to knackering for the money and not worth it for a part timer! 2 of them have got jobs delivering for supermarkets and have more hours and as I have seen one of them in his words a lot easier job for more benefits and money