How long service to qualify for redundancy pay?

[PFdriver488]

The writing is on the wall in our place and it looks like they are telling us lies and forcing through all the changes, even brought in a company that is supplying owner drivers to replace all the agency workers. I’m hearing mixed reports about who will qualify. It looks like they are basically gonna ask us one by one to go self employed, the route drivers may/will loose their routes. Iv heard 39 weeks and also 2 years service required. Any one know the answer?

[robking]

By law it's 2 years

https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-righ ... ndancy-pay

[PFdriver488]

That’s what I thought, cheers I didn’t think to check their site I was Googling for Royal Mail/cwu pages

[stevejm]

The writing is on the wall in our place and it looks like they are telling us lies and forcing through all the changes, even brought in a company that is supplying owner drivers to replace all the agency workers. I’m hearing mixed reports about who will qualify. It looks like they are basically gonna ask us one by one to go self employed, the route drivers may/will loose their routes. Iv heard 39 weeks and also 2 years service required. Any one know the answer?

What are the pros and cons of being an owner driver ... from your point of view?

[PFdriver488]

Pros u can pick and choose what to take out Ie no bulk, looks like they are gna be able to pick the best routes, can get collections taken off u by lying about van space. No hassle from manager. Big money if on a handy compact route. £45-70k a year

Cons no days off without getting cover, own van, own diesel, own insurance, no holiday pay, no sick pay, no days off as cover means Ud need someone Lying waiting to do the odd day on a time u were off, van is sick or u r sick it would be very stressful, prob have to work when sick and rent a van when it’s sick. Own accountant. Most routes can’t hit the numbers required to make big money. We see them come and go only a few stay long term and that’s down to the route and usually non uk so a hard worker (lol sorry but it’s true), well by that I mean they are prepared to work 7am too when the amount they take out is done. ie commit to deliver. Iv heard some work til 10pm

Personally I would never go OD. And most of the place says the same bar one or two. My exit strategy began seriously today. No point waiting around hoping for a pay off. Given the changes we have seen so rapidly they are actively making our lives hard and encouraging you to quit. Pay offs are far from guaranteed. I already started job hunting but unlike the others I’m not institutionalised I can see a life outside of Royal Mail and I’m also not looking for another driving job as the days of that being a decent job are getting closer to be over. Who wants to risk their license for slightly over minimum wage, risk an accident or fatality because they are trying to clear and over filled van! Nah from tomoro work to rule in my head comes alive, if I fail I fail, iv read it enough on here and I’m taking the advice I won’t be charging about like a lunatic anymore and I will be taking my full lunch! The rest is their problem, I get paid from the neck down, not to think, that’s the dom’s job. I’m looking forward to not being sore from lifting all those 30kg collections anymore or injuries from steps that aren’t safe and also not having to drive barely legal vans anymore! The future is bright in my eyes and I no longer feel the need to worry. I will however keep striking until I leave because it is shocking how the men we worked so hard for during covid turned their backs on us all and are now quietly shafting us and think smiling in the morning in your face means u won’t work it out! Up the strikes and honestly I hope the cwu gets completely restaffed if it survives because they have handled most of this shockingly, it’s like they are a bunch of kids sometimes. They really need to get more professional and maybe better legal advice before calling a strike! If we loose this war they have as much to loose as us so why not get a little more serious. And I was a strong union supporter until I started watching the lives. Those put me right off the cwu but I’d rather have them that not have them tbf.

Sorry may have answered more than your question there lol

[77SAMPOST77]

Pros u can pick and choose what to take out Ie no bulk, looks like they are gna be able to pick the best routes, can get collections taken off u by lying about van space. No hassle from manager. Big money if on a handy compact route. £45-70k a year

Cons no days off without getting cover, own van, own diesel, own insurance, no holiday pay, no sick pay, no days off as cover means Ud need someone Lying waiting to do the odd day on a time u were off, van is sick or u r sick it would be very stressful, prob have to work when sick and rent a van when it’s sick. Own accountant. Most routes can’t hit the numbers required to make big money. We see them come and go only a few stay long term and that’s down to the route and usually non uk so a hard worker (lol sorry but it’s true), well by that I mean they are prepared to work 7am too when the amount they take out is done. ie commit to deliver. Iv heard some work til 10pm

Personally I would never go OD. And most of the place says the same bar one or two. My exit strategy began seriously today. No point waiting around hoping for a pay off. Given the changes we have seen so rapidly they are actively making our lives hard and encouraging you to quit. Pay offs are far from guaranteed. I already started job hunting but unlike the others I’m not institutionalised I can see a life outside of Royal Mail and I’m also not looking for another driving job as the days of that being a decent job are getting closer to be over. Who wants to risk their license for slightly over minimum wage, risk an accident or fatality because they are trying to clear and over filled van! Nah from tomoro work to rule in my head comes alive, if I fail I fail, iv read it enough on here and I’m taking the advice I won’t be charging about like a lunatic anymore and I will be taking my full lunch! The rest is their problem, I get paid from the neck down, not to think, that’s the dom’s job. I’m looking forward to not being sore from lifting all those 30kg collections anymore or injuries from steps that aren’t safe and also not having to drive barely legal vans anymore! The future is bright in my eyes and I no longer feel the need to worry. I will however keep striking until I leave because it is shocking how the men we worked so hard for during covid turned their backs on us all and are now quietly shafting us and think smiling in the morning in your face means u won’t work it out! Up the strikes and honestly I hope the cwu gets completely restaffed if it survives because they have handled most of this shockingly, it’s like they are a bunch of kids sometimes. They really need to get more professional and maybe better legal advice before calling a strike! If we loose this war they have as much to loose as us so why not get a little more serious. And I was a strong union supporter until I started watching the lives. Those put me right off the cwu but I’d rather have them that not have them tbf.

Sorry may have answered more than your question there lol

Great response to question ,
But I would not be fooled by the earnings of 45-70k a year one owner driver stated he needed to earn £1000 a week just to break even .
He has since left and now works for yodel on better money and smaller lighter parcels .
It is a nightmare trying to get cover if you need any time off ,
and do not forget on the insurance bit you need Business insurance which is very expensive .
Most owner drivers do not last long and that tells you all you need to know .

it is just cheap slave labour , Avoid it at all costs .

[norris9]

usually non uk so a hard worker (lol sorry but it’s true), well by that I mean they are prepared to work 7am too when the amount they take out is done. ie commit to deliver. Iv heard some work til 10pm

Yeah, cos a lot of them work for 5 or so years, take that money back to eastern europe to buy a house outright in their own country for £40,000.