Shame. Used to really love my job :(

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

In the race to the bottom, Royal Mail have surpassed themselves. They've taken our bikes and have replaced them with a combination of trolleys and shared deliveries by van. I'm lucky enough to be blessed with a trolley. Had loads of people out on the streets tearing me a new one for pushing a pram

Used to finish before 12 most days. The new deliveries aren't any bigger, but we now finish nearer 2pm and the mail's going to get much heavier in the next few days up until xmas. We get to do a massive 11-13 miles of walking each day as well. Used to be around 5 or 6, plus about the same again in cycling. The difference in fatigue and soreness afterwards doesn't compare.

I honestly think there's a conspiracy in this. It's all bad with no advantages. I think we're going to be getting failed deliveries because it's such a slow way of delivering mail, plus all the injuries which are sure to follow. I honestly think someone or an organisation is trying to ruin the country. They're making every facet of this country worse, with the flimsiest of justification and this is the bit of it in 'my world'.

On a personal note, I've been coasting in this job for a very long time, after my college lecturer career didn't work out. It's been very good for a long time and now that it's awful, I need to sort my stuff out and do something better.

gary301161 · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
In the race to the bottom, Royal Mail have surpassed themselves. They've taken our bikes and have replaced them with a combination of trolleys and shared deliveries by van. I'm lucky enough to be blessed with a trolley. Had loads of people out on the streets tearing me a new one for pushing a pram

Used to finish before 12 most days. The new deliveries aren't any bigger, but we now finish nearer 2pm and the mail's going to get much heavier in the next few days up until xmas. We get to do a massive 11-13 miles of walking each day as well. Used to be around 5 or 6, plus about the same again in cycling. The difference in fatigue and soreness afterwards doesn't compare.

I honestly think there's a conspiracy in this. It's all bad with no advantages. I think we're going to be getting failed deliveries because it's such a slow way of delivering mail, plus all the injuries which are sure to follow. I honestly think someone or an organisation is trying to ruin the country. They're making every facet of this country worse, with the flimsiest of justification and this is the bit of it in 'my world'.

On a personal note, I've been coasting in this job for a very long time, after my college lecturer career didn't work out. It's been very good for a long time and now that it's awful, I need to sort my stuff out and do something better.

Yea sure your going to ditch the "part time job" you got now and go and find another job which will pay you the same money but do a full days work. Welcome to the real world mate. Swallow it and get used to being used.

Me! · 2/9/13

You mean you have to carry a bit more and spend more time in the fresh air then?

Top job compared to others out there I'm sure.

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

gary301161 said:
Yea sure your going to ditch the "part time job" you got now and go and find another job which will pay you the same money but do a full days work. Welcome to the real world mate. Swallow it and get used to being used.

No mate. Not looking for another job. I've come to love having my afternoons off, plus I used to do extra deliveries over winter and have several extra weeks off in summer. No other job's going to give me that, so the only option is to work for myself.

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

Me! said:
You mean you have to carry a bit more and spend more time in the fresh air then?

Top job compared to others out there I'm sure.

It's a bit more than that. More like 2 hours longer, which is a LOT longer to be walking. Imagine a 4-5 hour brisk walk everyday. It's just not sustainable. Also, just 'cos other jobs may be crap, doesn't make it alright.

I do appreciate your British sentimentality though :-0)

gary301161 · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
It's a bit more than that. More like 2 hours longer, which is a LOT longer to be walking. Imagine a 4-5 hour brisk walk everyday. It's just not sustainable. Also, just 'cos other jobs may be crap, doesn't make it alright.

I do appreciate your British sentimentality though :-0)

Shame you haven't mentioned now you start at 0700 rather than 0530. So where is the extra 2 hours coming from?. And a 5 hour brisk walk still means you finish at 1200 / 1230 just carry on pushing your nice little trolley.

gary301161 · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
No mate. Not looking for another job. I've come to love having my afternoons off, plus I used to do extra deliveries over winter and have several extra weeks off in summer. No other job's going to give me that, so the only option is to work for myself.

Must admit pissed myself when you said only option is to work for myself. When you work for yourself for half a day 6 days a week and can live on that, please let me know.8rfl@8rfl@8rfl@8rfl@

derek kelly · 2/9/13

gary301161 said:
Must admit pissed myself when you said only option is to work for myself. When you work for yourself for half a day 6 days a week and can live on that, please let me know.8rfl@8rfl@8rfl@8rfl@

Breakfast wagon or sandwich shop, get the right location & put the preparation in & you could be onto a little gold mine.

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

gary301161 said:
Shame you haven't mentioned now you start at 0700 rather than 0530. So where is the extra 2 hours coming from?. And a 5 hour brisk walk still means you finish at 1200 / 1230 just carry on pushing your nice little trolley.

Start time is exactly the same as it was before. We also take 3 to 4 hours getting sorting and preparing the mail before we go out.

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

gary301161 said:
Must admit pissed myself when you said only option is to work for myself. When you work for yourself for half a day 6 days a week and can live on that, please let me know.8rfl@8rfl@8rfl@8rfl@

I guess it depends what you do. If you work in a burger van, then you're going to work many hours for not much pay.

I'm a little disappointed that you guys are not more understanding- but I guess that's just the jovial nature of the site- I know it's not a support group or anything bl4hbl4h It's pretty bad though that nobody thinks I might fair better being self employed than in a job :dunno:

Me! · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
Start time is exactly the same as it was before. We also take 3 to 4 hours getting sorting and preparing the mail before we go out.

Are you ok with this though. I can see how you're being overworked :violin:8rfl@

gary301161 · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
Start time is exactly the same as it was before. We also take 3 to 4 hours getting sorting and preparing the mail before we go out.

Used to take me 2 hours max to sort my walk. what are you doing?.

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

gary301161 said:
Used to take me 2 hours max to sort my walk. what are you doing?.

The work environment is DRASTICALLY different to how it was a month ago. When I started, I used to prep the walk and bag it up in just over an hour and deliver it in about 1:40. It's gradually gone up over the years, but this last change is drastic.

Does anyone think walking a half marathon every day, whilst pushing a 100Kg pram is reasonable?

Me! · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
The work environment is DRASTICALLY different to how it was a month ago. When I started, I used to prep the walk and bag it up in just over an hour and deliver it in about 1:40. It's gradually gone up over the years, but this last change is drastic.

Does anyone think walking a half marathon every day, whilst pushing a 100Kg pram is reasonable?

Doesn't the 100kgs reduce with each delivery ...

faithsdaddy · 2/9/13

Me! said:
Doesn't the 100kgs reduce with each delivery ...

Yep, until we reload with bags at regular intervals. Because it's timed drops, we take on new bags before finishing all the mail we already have. Only really drops after about 80% of the delivery is done.

Boggymarsh · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
I guess it depends what you do. If you work in a burger van, then you're going to work many hours for not much pay.

I'm a little disappointed that you guys are not more understanding- but I guess that's just the jovial nature of the site- I know it's not a support group or anything bl4hbl4h It's pretty bad though that nobody thinks I might fair better being self employed than in a job :dunno:

Unfortunately some on here just have to point out the worst and like to cast the rod to get a bite...just don't rise to it!

Having worked in public service since I left school at 16 there have been many changes to the way things are done and in the terms and conditions of employment, pay and pensions and the Post Office is no different to the rest. I know, because in my line of work I have been on the receiving end of such changes and so stand with you!

If you want to go it alone it's not an easy option and will take research, time, money and bloody hard graft. You need to discover what you want to do, you need to be realistic and above all you need to have, the USP that makes your business different and better than the rest in that sector and that is bloody hard to find. I've got two projects up my sleeve for when I hand in my cuffs and baton and to get me where I am with them today has taken some doing and I'm not even at the stage of them becoming operational. If you have a dream, then work at it and it can become a reality.

gary301161 · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
The work environment is DRASTICALLY different to how it was a month ago. When I started, I used to prep the walk and bag it up in just over an hour and deliver it in about 1:40. It's gradually gone up over the years, but this last change is drastic.

Does anyone think walking a half marathon every day, whilst pushing a 100Kg pram is reasonable?

So your whinging because you have to work more than 2 hours 40 mins a day?. Poor soul. Your not having to carry 100Kg just push or pull it. Do yourself a favour don't try and work for yourself, who would you whinge about when you have to do more than 3 hours a day?..

derek kelly · 2/9/13

faithsdaddy said:
I guess it depends what you do. If you work in a burger van, then you're going to work many hours for not much pay.

Was at a horse show a couple of weeks back, burger van there had a queue all morning, burgers were ?3.80 cup of tea/coffee was ?1.60, burgers were like cardboard & tea/coffee was shite, horse show finished at 1pm.
As I said, it's all about location.

faithsdaddy said:
I'm a little disappointed that you guys are not more understanding- but I guess that's just the jovial nature of the site- I know it's not a support group or anything bl4hbl4h It's pretty bad though that nobody thinks I might fair better being self employed than in a job :dunno:

I am a public servant & have witnessed first hand how it is being decimated so you have my sympathies.

It's not enough to just say "I'm going to work for myself" you need a plan & I would suggest looking for something you are interested in rather than just accepting anything.
When you find out what it is you want to do then try to get it started whilst still in your current job, a lot of hard work without guarantees but it depends on how much you want it.
Do plenty of research & identify a suitable location for example we have been looking for a sandwich shop, there is one about 200 yards from where we live however it has been for sale several times over the past seven years to our knowledge, probably even longer, that tells us that it isn't a suitable location for a sandwich shop.
Good luck.

ScottyUK · 2/9/13

derek kelly said:
Was at a horse show a couple of weeks back, burger van there had a queue all morning, burgers were ?3.80 cup of tea/coffee was ?1.60, burgers were like cardboard & tea/coffee was shite, horse show finished at 1pm.
As I said, it's all about location.

I spoke to a guy running a burger van at last years Essex Air Ambulance meet in Harwich. He said so many people think it's easy money that loads have used their redundancy money from jobs to buy vans. Now there's too many and they're all doing it on price hence it's crap burgers and everything on a shoe string.

I'm sure some are making a killing (they must be at the prices) but others it seems not.

derek kelly · 2/9/13

ScottyUK said:
I spoke to a guy running a burger van at last years Essex Air Ambulance meet in Harwich. He said so many people think it's easy money that loads have used their redundancy money from jobs to buy vans. Now there's too many and they're all doing it on price hence it's crap burgers and everything on a shoe string.

I'm sure some are making a killing (they must be at the prices) but others it seems not.

It's not easy work, rewarding work rarely is but as I say it's about proper planning & research, I have seen people at auctions buying catering vans for about ?800 & thinking they can just go out & sell food, they haven't even considered the safety regulations & the insurance.
In some spots there are what is known as the burger mafia who have all the best locations & will bully anybody who encroaches onto their territory.

Shame. Used to really love my job :(

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