Rural Sign-On - Less shifts for the shiftless

[cdpete2004]

Trish, one more thing. I am prepared to do any work that PO pays a fair remuneration for. If we were paid for shopping scroungers, cheats and false disability claimants, I'd be prepared to go all out to double my remuneration. Same goes for illegal immigrants, people who park on double yellow lines outside my PO cos it's an extra 30 yards to park their car to cash their giro. I'd be more than prepared to do my bit.

[FinancialSpecialist]

I think I've seen and lived enough of life to allow myself the luxury of any preconceptions, bigoted, racist or sexist views, as I choose to - Democracy is a wonderful thing.

So 26 years working with 4 on the dole = an ivory tower from which you can judge everyone else because you've "earned" it. I do not get this logic.. I am sure you will be happy to explain, at length...

In addition, whilst car tax may not bring in masses of income, it is bringing customers through our doors who would otherwise not be there, customers who can afford to run a car and tax it. It should be obvious that these customers can be spoken to about our other products which do bring in more income and thereby help to secure our jobs. In addition, by serving these customers well and introducing other products, we could be giving them a reason to use us again for that or other things. When you are not happy to serve giro customers and you would rather not serve car tax customers, where is it you are envisaging that income will come from?

Times have changed, POL doesn't get the income that it used to and in the way that it used to. At this moment in time we cannot afford to pick and choose our customers. Besides, it is not our job to pass judgment on them, but to serve them and try to do the best by them, regardless of why they have come into the branch, whether it be to collect benefits or invest £1m. You are welcome to your bigoted, sexist or racist views (as you put it), I hope that you are in the minority and that you put them to one side when dealing with your customer.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I think I've seen and lived enough of life to allow myself the luxury of any preconceptions, bigoted, racist or sexist views, as I choose to - Democracy is a wonderful thing.

So 26 years working with 4 on the dole = an ivory tower from which you can judge everyone else because you've "earned" it. I do not get this logic.. I am sure you will be happy to explain, at length...

He seems quite proud of that which is his right, democracy after all, but its strange I have worked since I was 16.5 years old (Now 47) and only "signed on" for 2 six month periods, yet I have a different outlook.

Perhaps surprisingly I do like the idea of community work to gain experience however its not a new idea. A family member is currently doing just that through a placement with Job Seekers.

[ebbzie]

Life is oh so hard, isn't it ? Society is full of victims. It's not their fault. It's the economy. It's the government. It's the Chinese. The Japanese. It's nasty capitalists. It's Thatcher's fault. It's Reganomics. It's the housing market.

No, it's not. It's generation after generation in many of these families bringing up their offspring to sponge off society. Show their kids the fiddles that will earn them the most 'pay'. Whether it's popping out another kid, or making the most of an aching back (usually from lying on it for too long) to get on disability, their only aim in life is to get as much out of the state as they can, while giving nothing in return.

I have to say, I totally agree with you on this post, society has become such as mess and because of the government offering such an easy route, many have in my eyes not even tried to find a job and just signed-on. I think people claiming benefits that are capable of working, but just can't be bothered should be made to do mundane community work which would then encourage the bulk of them to seek employment.. Anyone agree with me on this?

Agreed. Its when you see things like my scrounging neighbour, if you see him in the day time he has his walking stick out and is limping come the evening or early morning he can "miracuosly" carry large fishing bags and full rod cases with no limp or stick at all from his brand new car which he gets every 3 years re newed free. Makes you sick when you also hear his 20 year old son (who doesnt work) gets paid as his carer!!!!! Forgot to add he can carry all this upstairs to his "rent paid, council tax paid flat"

[sussub]

if this work is introduced then the subbie should be bloody well paid for it, not the chicken feedd that is doled out.

[cdpete2004]

Financialspecialist (sic) if you don't 'get it' I'm not going to waste my time explaining it. By the way, how much of POL's annual loss is attributable to you ?

Trueblueterrier, your relative was 'placed' into community work by Jobseekers. He/she didn't do it off their own back then ? We're all entitled to our different outlook, you're right about that.

[Lynn Simpson]

Well said Financialspecialist There is no place for bigotry in any part of society yet alone a business which offers a service to the general public.

With regards future government work, it is important that we encourage new customers as we see the footfall in offices diminishing at a fast rate. I acknowledge the point about the pittance that is earned from car tax but it offers opportunity and from small acorns ......blah blah. Look at AEI an enormously profitable 'Government service initiative'.

FinancialSpecialist.. Thank goodness for a sane voice that does not judge or look down his/her nose at those less fortunate! I am confident that your attitude is that of the majority of people that work for POL.

Fishtank...With regards your posting on 'lost work for job centre staff' I agree with your comments whole heartedly. However if the work is franchised out because of the severe and shameless austerity measures that are inflicted on local governments by this neo-liberal and misguided government, I would prefer it to go to another public industry with a unionised workforce as opposed to an exploitative enterprise that pays its employees the minimal wage

[POSTMAN]

Although it's been a while,I was under the impression that when you sign on at the dole office,there are computers and the like where you could see the latest jobs on offer,various other bits and bobs,people you could see ect.
Now,if these peeps were just going to go to their local PO,there is nothing there,so the help for those who are genuinely looking would be gone.
And for those who don't give a f**k,it's easy street,no badgering by the staff,just sign and go.

Sounds like a pile of s**t to me.

[subbie]

Lets stop the slagging, and get back to the topic of this tread.

This is the first signs of what new Gov work could look like. What we all should be doing is looking at the market value of this work, understand it, and set a value to it as a transaction value that we are willing to work for. If we do not do this and we work for the pittance that POL are offering for the pilots then that is exactly what POL will factor in when they make their bid during the tender process that the Gov insist must take place.

We also must get detailed information on the contract specification with regards to quality standards and how the Gov will ensure that they "only" give the contract to a company that fulfils the spec, and that they check that other bidders can genuinely comply. It is in this area that sometimes contract lettors turn a blind eye, just to get the lowest price.

Unless we get some firm ground rules with this kind of work then POL could get used by the Gov as a test bed, just to let the contract to those robbers Pay Point who quite frankly abuse the process and the agents that work for them.

This work aint worth having unless it pays. We must treat each and every pilot with caution.

Subbie

[POSTMAN]

Trueblueterrier, your relative was 'placed' into community work by Jobseekers. He/she didn't do it off their own back then ? We're all entitled to our different outlook, you're right about that.

Don't get your comment,would a member of PO staff have been able to do that,find a job for the unemployed, or is it because teebs relative is active at the 'job centre'?

[yorkieboy]

Lets stop the slagging, and get back to the topic of this tread.

This is the first signs of what new Gov work could look like. What we all should be doing is looking at the market value of this work, understand it, and set a value to it as a transaction value that we are willing to work for. If we do not do this and we work for the pittance that POL are offering for the pilots then that is exactly what POL will factor in when they make their bid during the tender process that the Gov insist must take place.

We also must get detailed information on the contract specification with regards to quality standards and how the Gov will ensure that they "only" give the contract to a company that fulfils the spec, and that they check that other bidders can genuinely comply. It is in this area that sometimes contract lettors turn a blind eye, just to get the lowest price.

Unless we get some firm ground rules with this kind of work then POL could get used by the Gov as a test bed, just to let the contract to those robbers Pay Point who quite frankly abuse the process and the agents that work for them.

This work aint worth having unless it pays. We must treat each and every pilot with caution.

Subbie

Hi Subbie

The Info. from the NFSP clams that payment per transaction for the Trial will be £1.20. However the Data Sheet that comes with the info. claims 25p per Transaction.

Yorkie

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Financialspecialist (sic) if you don't 'get it' I'm not going to waste my time explaining it. By the way, how much of POL's annual loss is attributable to you ?

Trueblueterrier, your relative was 'placed' into community work by Job seekers. He/she didn't do it off their own back then ? We're all entitled to our different outlook, you're right about that.

No they researched the idea of placement, tried to find one which would help them find a job, presented details to the advisor and ultimately got the placement that JS and they thought was best for them.

As long as your happy putting people into boxes. Personally its something I loath doing each individual should be judged on their own merits not on whatever box society or the "Daily Mail" thinks they should be put in. Yes there are spongers, but there are also people desperate for work, there are highly paid people who steal, and poor people who would give their last slice of bread to someone else, thats why people should be judged on their own, not as a socio-economic group.

[subbie]

Yorkie

You can no longer trust anything that the NFSP puts out.

Subbie

[cdpete2004]

Let's face it, 25p is more than likely the actual transaction fee we'll get. Maybe the NFSP let slip what POL will get from the government. Of course, POL has overheads too, like backhanders to the NFSP to shut up and sit down.

I would have thought though that this signing on mallarkey would have gone to paypoint, like the green giros have. No news about that, btw ?

Also, saw an article on BBC website about 'hidden cost of holiday money'. Anyone here totally honest with their cutomers about the so-called 'commission free' buyback offered by Post Office ? I always tell them to spend it all or swap what they've got with friends or family, I show them our 'sell rate' for the currency they've just picked up, and then the 'buy rate' we'd buy it back for. At a 10% to 20% spread, even the shiftless can work out THAT'S a rip-off. There you go, I DO care about all God's / Allah's / Shivna's / Satan's / Dai The Lama's AND Father Nature's Creatures !!!

[cdpete2004]

Trueblueterrier, seriously, if people are desperate for work, there's work out there to be had. even if it's at minimum wage, there's tax credits to make it worth their while, if they really want it. Your relative, for example, can't find work at a petrol station, or Mcdonalds, or a local pub or supermarket ? Any of these has to be a better alternative to the dole, or a dead-end-no-hope placement ?