How many of you would take VR?

Post by **wacko74** » 28 Jan 2018, 18:23

People keep saying how well paid we are for what is unskilled work, but I think they're out of touch... maybe 10-15 years ago we were well paid compared to other unskilled jobs but I don't think that's the case anymore, I get Indeed job alerts for my area (which DEFINITELY isnt an expensive part of the country) and here's 3 I got today...

Admin assistant - £12-£14 per hour
Garden centre assistant - £9 per hour
Inbound call centre worker - £9-£11 per hour

I'd say all these jobs are considerably less physically and mentally demanding than ours yet their pay is more or less on a par with what we get.

borgpicard · Post by **borgpicard** » 28 Jan 2018, 19:29

Wouldnt give it a second thought.

Post by **fly-catchers** » 28 Jan 2018, 20:32

fishtank wrote:
loverman shabba wrote:30 more years at royal mail would more than likely cripple most people into retirement
I thought that 30 years ago.
It's a physically tiring job, it always has been but I genuinely feel less tired now than I did in the days when we were lugging overweight bags full of cable mags and sky mags, phone and gas bills. I've looked after myself and I'm relatively fit , I've had issues with my knees but. not for 4 or 5 years. I think that's the key, look after yourself, don't do too much overtime and rest on your rest days.

Out of curiosity how old are you? I am now 60 and coming up to 30 years and feel more knackered than ever! Not helped by being told endlessly by the DOM how much quicker other people are on my round. Who just happen to be 10/15 years younger or more!

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 28 Jan 2018, 21:13

wacko74 wrote:People keep saying how well paid we are for what is unskilled work, but I think they're out of touch... maybe 10-15 years ago we were well paid compared to other unskilled jobs but I don't think that's the case anymore, I get Indeed job alerts for my area (which DEFINITELY isnt an expensive part of the country) and here's 3 I got today...

Admin assistant - £12-£14 per hour
Garden centre assistant - £9 per hour
Inbound call centre worker - £9-£11 per hour

I'd say all these jobs are considerably less physically and mentally demanding than ours yet their pay is more or less on a par with what we get.

I bet they do not get nothing like our terms and conditions if indeed the are real jobs and not click bait.

seaside · Post by **seaside** » 28 Jan 2018, 21:48

fishtank wrote:
loverman shabba wrote:30 more years at royal mail would more than likely cripple most people into retirement
I thought that 30 years ago.
It's a physically tiring job, it always has been but I genuinely feel less tired now than I did in the days when we were lugging overweight bags full of cable mags and sky mags, phone and gas bills. I've looked after myself and I'm relatively fit , I've had issues with my knees but. not for 4 or 5 years. I think that's the key, look after yourself, don't do too much overtime and rest on your rest days.

30 years ago, walks were about an hour and 30 minutes, 2 bags of mail. Now its 4 hours plus and 6 bags plus. 30 years ago you could stroll around, now you rush to try and finish on time. 30 years ago was very easy compared to now.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 28 Jan 2018, 22:15

id be gone like a shot, but the question is - is there much chance this being offered ? probably not

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 28 Jan 2018, 23:22

We were told we get paid more than the nurses and the police recently. I have no figures to back that up. Twelve years to go roughly if it's possible to retire at 60. Not entirely sure my body and mind will take me that far. For that matter I don't think we can be absolutely certain that RM will still exist in twelve years time. I personally wouldn't take VR. I think this year in the UK it could be bad for job losses generally. A pretty picture is being painted of the UK economy but in truth it's on a knife edge.

DGH · Post by **DGH** » 29 Jan 2018, 13:33

20 years in and 50 years old with various qualifications to fall back on and mortgage-free. I wouldn't have considered it even 5 years ago (when essentially in the same position) but I think the working environment is so pressured now, the management so poor and the finishing times so much later that I would now seriously think about it. If the 'Wallington week' option is taken away from us, I'll go anyway.

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 29 Jan 2018, 15:15

30 years ago, walks were about an hour and 30 minutes,

Is this a Monty Python sketch?
30 years ago we didn't have a walk, we just had one call and we threw the mail at it from the canteen window.

DGH · Post by **DGH** » 29 Jan 2018, 16:27

Celgar wrote:We were told we get paid more than the nurses and the police recently. I have no figures to back that up . . . For that matter I don't think we can be absolutely certain that RM will still exist in twelve years time. I personally wouldn't take VR. I think this year in the UK it could be bad for job losses generally. A pretty picture is being painted of the UK economy but in truth it's on a knife edge.

We're certainly not paid more than the police. We may be paid more than some nurses in training, but not fully trained ones. Nurses start on £22,128 rising to £28,746. Policemen can start on just over £19000 but rise to over £35 000, usually within 10 years or so.

As regards the second part of your post, I'd say you were spot on.

thekiddykid · Post by **thekiddykid** » 30 Jan 2018, 20:45

Despite my moniker I am certainly not a kid

. Early 50s and 32 yrs hard labour. Sign that cheque Moya and fast

Mailman300 · Post by **Mailman300** » 30 Jan 2018, 20:50

Been with RM 22yrs.
46yrs old.
Definitely think about taking it...but, like most of us, multi-skilled(not), so do think about where next.
On the other hand(you have 4 fingers & a thumb) if someone said u can come here for the same money, would go.

ziggy · Post by **ziggy** » 31 Jan 2018, 12:50

I'd take it in a minute

In this job you are not allowed to get comfortable with what you do. If you put a bit of effort in (without cutting corners) then you have colleagues whinging that you clearly don't have enough to do, if you are slower they whinge that you are useless. Then there's the managers with the constant lapsing pressure and the "but I'm desperate today" crap.

I know we only have to take what we can manage etc but it doesn't half wear you down going through the same sh1t every single day

Post by **CPTNemoUK** » 31 Jan 2018, 14:15

Would do in about 30 years time

suz67 · Post by **suz67** » 31 Jan 2018, 16:50

60 next,just done 20 years,would take it in a heartbeat,5 hour plus delivery starting to take its toll,lol.