LOST IN FRANCE

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
181

daidog:
Of course, I am on the side of the underdog and have fought for fairness all my life.
I have always believed that anyone doing the same job - Black, white, yellow, man, woman, homo, lesbian, handicapped, toothless, wimp, should be treated the same.

Except part timers eh :wink:

daidog:
part time driver? I started Pro life as a wholetime fireman, we hated sh*t shovellers and as a driver for the last 39 years, part timers, or temps. . . We have enough trouble with professionals without any Tom, ■■■■ or Harry thinking because he has a HGV, and knows how to point a truck, that he is a driver, dream on kid!

Happy new year everyone, even your good self daidog :laughing:

182

No I didn’t get Champagne !! there was a do organised for the kids and staff, the older staff come out of it quite well we all got 60euros worth of cheques cadeau the ones with kids get a xmas present from Father Christmas from one of those Jouer club type catalogues. Also attended by the big bosses (but they don’t stay long :wink: ) A buffet and punch. the last day of work there was another drinky session! coupled with the prime de Noel and then the prime fin d’annee, we didn’t too bad.

End of this month is the Assembly General and being a SCOP company we should also get a very healthy cheque :slight_smile: (I need a couple more years in to start getting the big handouts but it is better than a kick up the jacksee!)

183

Hope you all had a nice Christmas and i wish you all a super 2015.
My firm give us 90 Euro in cheque cadhoc and a very nice gift box of wine,4 bottles, and foie gras etc.
End of November bonus for prime d’traffic.This year 630 euro.
Mid December 14 th month salary.13th month paid mid June.
CE pay for all sorts of school trips and rentree for kids.
Top quality mutuel 50-50 between firm and employees.
2014-8 weeks Rtt,and already 40 hours carried forward to this year,and 22 day’s cp before the end of May.
We will be off for a very unsober lunch soon.
Regards
Owen

184

For a few years I loaded Trelleborg, Carquefou, daily at 7.30 prompt. I would arrive and within a few seconds a chap would come out for his 7.30 ■■■ break. As one does I would say hello and after a while got to know him quite well. One day I arrived and he didn’t come out, I asked after him and was told that he hadn’t turned up for work. After a week, or two, I asked the traffic manager, she told me that he was in hospital with lung cancer and was dying. I asked if there was a whip round for him? No! she said. "He is only an “Interimaire”. I had trouble getting my head around this as he had told me that he had worked there for 17 years! “True” she said “But, most people here are the same”. I asked which hospital he was in - no-one knew!, what was his surname? no-one knew! I still don’t know if he survived, Trelleborg did survive, but not as I knew it!
The problem with France and its employment laws is that when you work for a large company you get everything. When you are a donkey, or monkey, working for a PME, you get nowt!!! But don’t worry, when they want you out, big or small - out you’ll go!
I wish you a (1/8 - 1/4 - 1/2 - 100% without benefits - 100% with benefits or Interimaire with sod all benefits) Happy New Year! Just raise a glass to those who have less than you?

185

I often tell the story of Bernard and I get the impression that people don’t believe me. Bernard was blind and a driver! He worked for a company in Llanelli, SW Wales, Barrie Williams Transport. He shunted in the Delta Enfield cable factory. His glasses were so thick you could shoot a Colt 45 at them and they wouldn’t even scratch (I never tried). He passed his medical every 3 years or so by memorising the chart. I once sat next to him in the pub and said hello and he asked me who I was! Working for the same company we saw each other almost everyday (at least I saw him) and regularly shared a pint. Whenever he took a truck on the road, everyone heaved a great sigh of relief when he got to his destination - never further than the yard, about a mile away across sea marshes. He was a great shunter and, as long as he liked you nothing was too much trouble, if he took a dislike to you he made your life a misery! Imagine my pleasure when on another thread I saw this “your so right about Bernard the shunter always missing trailer pins and knocking into things.”
They don’t make them like that anymore - Do they? The boss was a bit of a character also, but that is another story


186

Who got up at 3.15 this morning to start work at 4.00 and discovered he doesn’t actually have to go back until Wednesday at 05.00 GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! When will communications arrive here in France ? FFS!

187

Tim85:
Who got up at 3.15 this morning to start work at 4.00 and discovered he doesn’t actually have to go back until Wednesday at 05.00 GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! When will communications arrive here in France ? FFS!

What, poor communications in France . . . mais oui!

It’s amazing that a people who love to tak so much have such difficulty actually communicating. Hope your week went well Tim :wink:

188

Shall we say WET!! the clay pits are like trying to drive in soup. first trip at 5am I managed to firmly plant the lorry in a soggy bit!! no fancy 4 wheel drive crossover boxes was going to get me out of that :slight_smile: I got myself out with the help of the steel cable that most of the lorries carry and the digger! I was very wet, very muddy and very grumpy :imp: anyway t’is the weekend and I don’t start back until 13h00 Monday have a good weekend all

189

Bl**dy freezing! Just in after spending the day taking soup, coffee and sarnies to the boys on strike, I will benefit from any result, so it’s normal to fight - anyone not participating is free to refuse the eventual pay rise! We are in a very similar situation to the early '80’s - low pay, but lots of bonuses (Primes). Basically turn your tongue into toilet paper and you can feed your family, but not your self respect! A little known fact is that under Hollande the bosses charges have been drastically reduced (-40% I believe), not a penny has been passed on in wages. I was on strike in the early '80’s when we were paid the SMIC (around 2000 Francs a month “300 Euros”) and a thousand bonuses, good boys were paid well. Really good ar*rse lickers were given best jobs, Christmas boxes and even best holidays. Some companies paid better, but included overtime and nights out - it would be normal to be away 3-4 weeks doing the rounds of the "Bureaux des FrĂȘts, for around 5000 francs brut (750 Euros) per month. I am not sure how it works these days, but not so long ago, the SMIC was raised in January and drivers wages in July, so it was feasable that drivers were working for the SMIC of the year gone by for 6 months extra. SMIC to January this year was 9,53 Euros. Bosses are very clever with their approach and we hear all the time drivers spouting, words such as - Me and I. Winning is about - Us and Ours!
Just for information, participation in profits and CE are the direct result of laws passes by the much mal-aligned François Mitterand, father of many!
In Belgium drivers are paid around 33% more than French drivers. We are rapidly becoming the lowest paid drivers in the 5th strongest economy in the World (True). Before anyone points out that Polish drivers are paid less remember that a doctor in Poland is paid 450 Euros a month and lives very well.

190

As if you haven’t got enough to keep you busy Dave look what I spotted this week on our ‘Bourse d’emploi’ . . . of course you may not want to work for a firm whose drivers didn’t support that ‘strike’, no matter how reasonable the pay and conditions are :unamused:

191

Thank you Craig, very kind of you to think of me. Unfortunately I will not be applying. My replacement on the farm is on “Stage Obligitoire 1,000hrs” until October when he will, hopefully, put together a financial package, with 200K from me, and buy the farm. This will allow me to take my retirement. Until then, I have put aside enough to live on and should the co-op need me this year I will carry on with them. I have just refused a full time union position, as I think that the "MoiJe :frowning: " attitude is far too imbedded in transport. I am sure that STEF is a wonderful company, but there are a load of “Shi*te” companies that need a good kick up the “Derriere”. A lot of the crumbs you get today came from the militancy of Canal Froid back in the dark ages.
After retirement, I hope to spend 2 years on some form of VSO. I have a BSc Econ, farming experience, logistics exp. (ex Owner driver), I can ride and shoot, I speak some French, English, Welsh and Arabic and even have a PPL. Whilst I care about people I have strong beliefs about the way things should be. E.G. I don’t believe in feeding Africans, everytime we give food to Africa the local farmers find themselves with grain that they can’t sell - the next year they grow crops like cannabis, opium or tobacco. The West then pays them a pittance and therefore increases the poverty levels. I do believe in digging wells, improving transport systems and improving education, particularly contraception. I will probably do this with some catholic organisation as they are the most structured. I already drive a bus occasionally on a voluntary basis, for them. I give some of my lambs to them and also to the Muslim equivelent. I am neither RC or Muslim!
I see that “BOMEX” in Ancenis has gone bottom up (Several hundred trucks) - I went past there the other day and they now call themselves “Moreau Agencement”, this is probably the Bulgarian company they set up to employ 40+ Bulgarians at slave wages. The company was founded by Jean François Moreau (The pere) before becoming BOMEX after the kids took over and bust it within two years. I don’t know if JF is still alive, but a long time ago he was in the same cycle club as myself, a true gent! This is what happens when you cut wages, to cut rates!
Well, lambing en-route so busy few weeks ahead and with my employee on “stage” a difficult time for me.
I was surprised to see our friend from the HĂ©rault in agreement with me, on another thread, about commie block drivers.
Oh well, back out in the rain. . . :wink:
Keep your elbows in

192

daidog:
I was surprised to see our friend from the HĂ©rault in agreement with me, on another thread, about commie block drivers.

Why so surprised? I started a thread on here sometime ago about this very subject. It needs all the western European countries to follow the likes of Germany and make it law that anyone working in a country, regardless of where they are based, has to be paid at least that countries minimum wage. Most of the problems would then disappear overnight. Easy to say I know, but if the will power exists


193

The biggest problem is getting drivers to stick together! United we stand, etc. I would like to see a complete abolition of interim workers, except in a short term replacement case and the eradication of CDD contracts. Those that have to take them have; no right of credit, cannot sign a lease and cannot buy a house, at the end have lower unemployment benefit and for a shorter term. Their retirement fund also takes a whack! International frieght in the Uk is, for the most part undertaken by Polish drivers on rubbish wages. OK, a bottle of fizzy pop (Champagne was 8,50 in Metro this year) and a sandwich at Christmas and an imagined 13th month sounds good (Absolutely no-one believes in the 14th month, except the severe brain dead, avoid these idiots!!!), but, trust me, bosses move figures around and the less well off (CDD & Interim) pay for any advantage. Did you know that people on a CDD contribute to the CE? The basic salary was won by us in the early '80’s by striking together, we realised that while we took home a fair amount, when the job ended, as all transport jobs ultimately do, unemployment benefits were based on the basic wage, which was crap! On top of that we had to stop work at a certain time on Friday night (or Sat?) and I was very often stuck in Angers, one hour from home!
Anyway, all that is behind me now - I wish you all the best, but with a bunch of spineless, self centred lot we have today, I don’t see much hope!!!
I was amused last year to see drivers on strike because their bosses said the price of diesel was too high! When the price of bread goes up do they give a monkies? The price of diesel is the lowest for a number of years, but bosses don’t want higher wages or a strike!

194

Sorry, I should have passed on the following;

Two companies near Nantes looking for drivers (True);

1/. Transport Pollono
Thouare, next to Nantes
CDD 5 months - probably CDI after

I have worked several times for this company it can be OK, they really need drivers! The work is varied, the pay correct (the minimum) and the trucks sort of OK.
Problems;
The office is run by women (If you have no problem with this read on)
The women take all their times and distances from Google Earth, say no more
They are uncouth and lacking in social graces
They work things so that you get the minimum nights out and other “Frais” e.g. You will often start at 5.05 a.m. and finish at 13.55 - No breakfast, no nightime, no lunch, just 7 1/4 hours wages. Great, until Bank Holidays and the eternal / infernal question? Who works? You do sucker! This because you will never do the 185 hours they pay every month!
Otherwise the participation in profits is for those who have worked over 6 months, so, wait on!
Otherwise it is a good job - as long as you realise that with a CDD you cannot be sacked without them paying the whole of the contract, then you can take it - Because; 5 months at say, 2300 (11,500, inc.10%) with exp. and 5 months unemployment 1,200 based on minimum wage) + holidays = (6,000) +(11,500) = 17,500 - 3 500 per month worked (or 1458 per month annual).

Next company;
Charpentier
Le Pallet ( 15 K south of Nantes)

They are looking for drivers on CDI. I have also worked several times for them. Great company! good wages, good trucks, good work. The office staff are all ex drivers and know the job inside out. The head honcho is Yannick, what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing. He will supply you with work as long as you are willing to take it and never phones or gets on your back, great guy! They pay a minimum of 195 hours, but 235 is possible.

Downside:
The formateur is a royal pain in the “derriere”, he is a bit like Mr Bean, very ponctual, but totally inefficient, he makes everyones lives a misery! He is omnipresent. He had ambitions to be a “Grand Routier” but spent his entire life driving to Paris, Lyon and Orleans, he told me that he once went to Marseilles! He has a lot of influence in the company.
The work is extremely repetative; Paris, Lyon and Orleans - load back ND - very boring! All trucks followed by satelite though never any interference.

Wages;
Very well paid! Yannick makes sure that all the drivers get a fair crack of the whip and if you want 5 nights out, you get 5 nights out - with exp. (and 10% in a CDD case), holidays, participation, etc. the salary can be up to 4,000 per month, with no stress
Using the same formula as Pollono - 5 months @ 2800 exp. inc = 14 000, 5 months unemployment @ 1200 = 6 000
so, 20 000 a year, or 4 000 per month worked or 1,666 per month.

I would recommend Charpentier, but both are not bad (I am also a farmer so don’t get dole otherwise I would be there!)

Contact:
Charpentier - Pascaline
Pollono - Pauline (Call the Pornic depot first)

195

Heard on the radio news this morning that they have or a going to introduce the regulation that all foreign drivers working for a french company will have to be paid the minimum wage SMIC to help protect french lorry drivers jobs

196

Too little too late! Very difficult to prove as the workplace is very mobile - not like Ryan Air who closed down operations in Marseilles when they were told the same thing.
Changing chickens this week - anyone want to buy one year old boilers for 2 Euros? (I only have 3000 for sale , so first come first served!)