Race to the bottom. We was warned

[claretandblue]

Most of our new starters this year have already gone, I think we are on our 4th wave of recruitment.

[kazardaimenu]

Their dream is for all the mail to be sorted by machines and bundled in the mail centres with parcels walk sorted so that delivery spans are nearly 8 hours. Can’t see many takers for that job on minimum wage.

[pieoftheday]

Their dream is for all the mail to be sorted by machines and bundled in the mail centres with parcels walk sorted so that delivery spans are nearly 8 hours. Can’t see many takers for that job on minimum wage.

Not sure I can see RM investing in anything to do with letters

[GRS]

Their dream is for all the mail to be sorted by machines and bundled in the mail centres with parcels walk sorted so that delivery spans are nearly 8 hours. Can’t see many takers for that job on minimum wage.

: Christ I remember being told about 6/7 years ago that within a couple of years there won’t be IPS…….basically be a tray of letters that can’t be machine sorted to sort up etc etc. Fast forward to now and we get more manual than ever to sort, probably the most since walk sorted bundles first became a such a thing many moons ago. Trouble is we have deliveries taking 5+ hours so on top of so much IPS there just isn’t enough hours in the day especially when on a short day! They really do live in a world of pipe dreams.

[Hyrrokkin]

I once worked in an Amazon distribution centre and the turnover is very reminiscent of what's occurring now on these new contracts.

The difference was that anybody could walk into the warehouse and learn the job within 2-3 hours. Not quite the same when it comes to throwing off and delivering across multiple duties.

They're just idiots.

High turnover of staff is a part of Amazons/RM/gig economy employer short/medium/long term strategy.
They want a high turnover of staff - no matter how shitty or mad that seems-makes perfect sense to them.

[PenfoldMouse]

Conditions and stress in our depot are pretty bad, were going into Xmas and things are going to get worse. I know this is the case in most places. Our rep doesn’t seem interested in doing much not that I think he can, he just wants to keep his head down. The union as a whole doesn’t seem to be doing anything about the issues and I feel like they’ve just given up and sitting tight for the takeover to happen and this doesn’t give me confidence that Dave and the gang can make things better. I just want this s**t fixed so even if I don’t love my job, I can not be so stressed out by it

[Mr Rush]

Most of our new starters this year have already gone, I think we are on our 4th wave of recruitment.

Our biggest intake was last November when 12 people started on the same day. Half were gone within six months. I believe just one of that cohort is still present on delivery and another took up one of the collection jobs.

In talking to many I hear the familiar refrain that their previous job was very stressful. It seems (not to sound too sarcastic) they came here having seen too many episodes of Postman Pat. Some have been filtered by the shocking physical requirements, others will likely depart to preserve their mental health next month when s**t hits the fan, and those who were quite capable have left because the pay and conditions are quite simply s**t.

So long as there is an endless supply of future ex-employees, the company will not reverse course.

[nuisance]

RM seem to think that they can run the operation staffing it with anyone desperate for work. They underestimate the necessary personality types, mindsets and physical attributes of capable, enduring posties. Or they don't really underestimate them at all, and are literally on a quest to destroy the business from within for some underhand, corporate BS reason, and there is plenty of evidence to support that possibility.

[RTP]

Letters are down so don't need much experience for IPS because it's nearly all sequenced and only a tad comes unsequeced anyway, because there's hardly any mail,
don't you know.

AI sorts the parcel routes so alls good. Easy this.

Oh wait....

[Checkerfinch]

RM seem to think that they can run the operation staffing it with anyone desperate for work. They underestimate the necessary personality types, mindsets and physical attributes of capable, enduring posties.

As much as RM and even some members of the public think, not everyone can be a postie. Most people, actually, are not suitable for the job. This made retention rates poor in the first place.

I remember an ex-air hostess who was a new starter alongside me (Christmas time) asked me how do I cope? She was having nightmares about the job! I just said 'I don't think about it'. I think you have to be capable of putting up with chaos and disorganisation to make a long-term postie.

Ironically I've thought about the job more after I left than while I was there. It did have its good bits which makes it hard but the way the company sees its posties would never have me back as one. Leaving was my final act of protest.

[ted_e_bear]

Some interesting comments on here that echo what I've thought for a while in that although it's obviously not a skilled job it requires a certain mindset and contrary to what RM seem to think not everyone can manage it, for example from our last five new starters one is great the other four weren't, one appeared to be ok but delivering mail to the same address that was on it was an obvious challenge, other three were pretty hopeless at everything, the upshot is only two are still with us,the decent one and the other who is being 'carried' by an increasingly pissed off duty partner.

[Beanyjazz]

It is atrocious, one day last week and Monday this week, some of our delivery staff were sent to Burnley from Oldham to do parcels. So now Oldham is further behind than usual. Is this going to be the new norm? A 'floating workforce' always behind?!

Did RM provide them either with vans or transport to Burnley and back? If no then some or maybe all of them will have been driving illegally as most insurance policies I believe to drive between two locations of the same firm needs business use

Yeah they did this time! The delivery managers gave them some vans and nicked the only massive collection van we have because they could fit 3 posties in, so 1 of our collections left loads on his duty! Really is a good company.

[twoloops]

Are these new afternoon parcel drivers joining the union? Not in our office & RM will love it

[barcajr]

Most rounds are unachievable, but at the end of the day, people have a start and finish time, at least in my office, those who want the OT stay out until the round is achieved, those who don't want the OT simply leave maili in their frame or bring back mail, as long as the specials, tracks and PCs are done, management doesn't care, so I don't why people leave because of unachievable workloads

[menditsa]

Because when bad line managers start threatning new people with wilful delay of delay of the kings mail if they don't complete it's the final straw for them.

I'd say 80% of the new starts I've seen this year have left because of threats like this.