to think that those that work for royal mail should just get a new job if they not happy

[jaspersslave]

anyone agree

[orangehead]

maybe they might deserve a payrise if there service wasnt so crap at normal times (had some major probs with royal mail, they compensated me a book of stamps, wow.)

[CountTo10]

Two of my brothers both work for Royal Mail and have done since leaving school. They were never going to get above min wage so it suited them - they choose the shifts they do - one does the early and then sits around for the rest of the day doing nothing. He could do allsorts of overtime or other jobs that would get him higher allowances but chooses not to cause he can't be arsed. The other one does a bit of a better role and takes avantage of his shifts by spending lots of time in the pub before going home to his wife and 3 kids and 2 bed home. They both went on strike and I couldn't understand it cause they choose to work there as what they do is minumum amount of work needed so why do they deservemore money than the woman I know that has 3 cleaning jobs working her fingers to the bone whilst studying for nvqs that will allow her to go into business mgt.

There are lots of jobs that involve low or minimum wage - they do not all go on strike. These type of jobs are not always about childcare or the only thing people can do. My other brother chooses to wait in a restaurant for £5 an hour cause he has no qualifications but doesn't want to train up, can't be arsed to work in an office and building is too much hard work as well so do I sympathise with his low wages?? No I don't cause he chose it. I work my arse off part time whilst studying and juggling childcare - I do it to provide a better life for my family and it's worth it.

It's not that I don't agree with employee rights etc as I do but actually I believe people have a lot more choice about their lives than they give themselves credit for. I'd rather campaign for better money and rights for our NHS staff than postal workers - especially ours!!!!

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

"they choose the shifts they do -"

Lucky them - by brother was GIVEN the cr*p shifts that he worked - no choice in the matter

"hey were never going to get above min wage" and "I do but actually I believe people have a lot more choice about their lives than they give themselves credit for."

So - your brothers never had a hope in hell of earning anything more than the minimum wage.....but others do????

[onetiredmummy]

I'm very angry, Auntie Mabel & Pippin have lied to me, they made it look such fun to be a postie.

[southeastastra]

my dp doesn't earn the minimum wage, he isn't on deliveries anymore (thank god) but he works 9am until 9pm.

you make working for the royal mail sound like a job for numpties countto10.

[southeastastra]

aw my dp also did a few talks at the nursery onetiredmummy, though that was in 1995, they all thought he was postman pat.

[Peachy]

Well if its so fab at RM, how come most of sh's colleagues at TNT are ex- RM?

they didnt move for a larf did they.

The posties I now of have qualifications actually. Even if it were about pay only


which

it

isn't

[berolina]

'There are lots of jobs that involve low or minimum wage - they do not all go on strike.'
Maybe more of the people on exploitation wages should go on strike. Reckon things would get very uncomfortable very quickly.

[Drinkypops]

'I work my arse off part time whilst studying and juggling childcare - I do it to provide a better life for my family and it's worth it.'

Counttoten, I find your post offensive, I also work my arse off part time (as an NHS worker) and so does my dp. He is a qualified carpenter, but chooses to be a postie as it fits in well with family life.

[onetiredmummy]

Southeastastra - sooo cute

Although even after all these years I can only remember the rude version of the Postman Pat song.

[southeastastra]

my dp went to royal mail after being made redundant, loads of his co-workers were ex-teachers, solicitors etc also victims of redundancies.

at 48 too what other job can he just jump into?

[Frizbe]

B&Q?

[southeastastra]

48 not 78

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

Drinky - I'm with you there - although I'm currently on Maternity leave, DH and I work "opposite" shifts just to pay the bills.

He works 37.5hrs a week (usualuly a few more to get the sales needed to qualify for his bonus), from "lunchtime" (12-1pm) through until 9pm. He has lots of extra paperwork which he has to do at home (based at home but actual work is outdoors) which DOESN'T count towards his hours. His basic is £12,000pa. I work 3 nights a week (sometimes 4 and on odd occasions 5!) 9.45pm-7am in a care home for a "staggering" £5.70hr.......(so I do 28hrs approx a week)

We (somehow) manage to fit the childcare around each others shifts. Even with us both working those hours it's still a struggle - but it doesn't mean I'm bitter about the posties striking.

[cousinsandra]

my postie is super lovely - I see him struggling with that ridiculous bag in pouring rain and beating sun. Why would he bother putting a 'you were out' slip through the door just so he could carry your package all round his route and back to the depo - it's much better for them if you're there, durrrr. I don't know the ins and outs of the strike, but people have to have some kind of bartering or it's a total dictatorship. I used to be self employed and had staff and it was the biggest responsibility ever - just like kids! Except they didn't have the luxury of not working/finding something better/etc... So yes, I think YABU. Strikers don't just do it for the press coverage and free sandwiches - they want to be able to buy crocs too!

[macmama73]

Don't quite get the argument that lots of other jobs are low paid and they don't go on strike. And? Does that make it ok for the RM to treat their workers like shite?

Am pretty that anyone would say that the posties have brought it on themselves, that they are too dim and lazy to get another job. Pretty sweeping comment that.

[sugarmatches]

The pay scales are not far off from nurses and teachers when they enter the job and they have to go to University.
This is a complicated issue, but as the postman are doing pretty basic manual labour then I'm not sure what they expect.
Unions are an outdated necessity. They were created in the days before labour laws when workers were treated horribly. The law now protects workers, hence making the Unions obsolete. But there are still some unions going strong and it is unfair considering that the rest of the non-union working population cannot use this kind of leverage.

[sugarmatches]

But I do have to add that I live in London and the last postman we had was done for keeping our undelivered letters (25,000!!!) in his flat.
So I don't really have the sweet postie to be sympathetic with.

[TillyBeany]

unions are obsolete?workers are protected by law?hmm..of course thst's right and the Equal Pay Act of the 70's has ensured that women earn the same as men hasn't it?!personally am glad the union is there for my postie dp and his co-workers.It's not just about pay, I'm sure there'll be plenty of people complaining when you post is arriving as late as 4 in the afternoon, one of the initiatives RM are trying to bring in...

[tjacksonpfc]

im sorry but you are being v unresanobale i think most posties took the job to fit in around family life it used to be start at 5 finish at 1 to have the rest of the day to yourself and spent with your family now its more like start at 5 finishe between2-3 get home to knackered to do anything other than sit down have dinner kids go to bed then the postie is in bed for 8pm aswell not really the good job they promised that meant they would be able to have more family time is it and as for the 2.8% pay rise which they want to cap for the next 3 years are they trying to say that there will be no inflation for the next 3 years?. im sorry but the rm are taking the piss now and its about time its sourted and as southseastrata said a lot of the rm employies are ex other jobs so all older anyway so how could they walk into another job. im sure though if the op has a magic plan to sort this all rm familys would be only to greatful to hear and get some sort of what resembales a normal family life back. sorry about the rant but it really winds me up

[Peachy]

Sugar

I start my PGCE in 2009 and the minimum I will get on qualifying is £20000- assure you that is very different indeed from £242 a week!

[Peachy]

And I think its unfair to judge most good Posties by a few idiots, ours is a bit of an idiot (not delivering to you any more because of your nasty dog- er we don't have a dog, do you mean the 4 year old who tried to take the letters once and makes yapping nopises LOL) but they are in the minority i think and can't be allowed to diminish waht the rest achieve- posties for many epolpe, especially the elderly, are a lifeline

Dh's palce (under prvious owners must specify) had a very effective union that helped a lot but the boss mysteriously ahd cause to sack all the union reps over a few years (there was only one walkout, for an hour over a racist issue). Things got a lot worse after that.