robroy:
Apologies in advance if this is a dumb-■■■ question … but I have always wondered how (and why) a firm can afford to pay an hourly rate to an agency which is enough for said agency to pay a third party, and at the same time cream off their own cut, but same co can only pay a driver who they employ direct, a fraction of the rate. I reckon agencies are one of, if not THE, reasons the job has turned to [zb] for the driver.Why not just kick the agencies to [zb], split the rate difference, and pay the driver a decent rate direct?
Not always the case now,alot of agency drivers are now on less than directly employed staff. I have been at Sainsburys at sherburn for 4 years and there own drivers have had a pay rise every year agency drivers have been on same hourly rate all the time
That can’t be right, I thought that the law changed in October 2011 whereby if you were employed along side other employed staff then after 12 weeks you were entitled to the same pay and conditions.
As an aside I got a text from an agency called H and G who said they’d won the contract for Sainsury at Sherburn and did I want any work. I dug a bit further but got nowhere. I’m guessing you work for Transline then?
I work for 3 agencies Transline at Sherburn being one if them. Every so often they give work to other agencies to cover busy times.They get round the 12 week rule by giving regulation 10 contracts. Did H&G say what they was paying?
No they didn’t. It was a text out of the blue asking if I was available for their new contract at Sherburn. I text them back asking how they’d got my number and yes I’d be interested and could they let me know rates etc. Still waiting!
How do you find Transline? I did an induction at Argos at Whitwood for them and I thought they were the biggest shower I’d ever dealt with.
I signed on with Transline along with 2 other agencys… Transline doing milk box trailer from Arla Leeds. anyway they said to come in today at 13.30 for assessment (that was at the interview last week) at which point I told them unable to make it…planned time with visitors. Transline phoned at 13.40 Really snotty girl balled me out… I said “I told so and so that I told them I would not be there” any way she said no probs and hung up…15 minutes later I get a text what my availability for the arla work■■? Ok so desperation and pressure from Arla we will miss out the assessment? I though 2 words.
Winseer:
There’s a shortage of drivers prepared to work for near minimum wages. That’s the only ‘shortage’ there ever has been.
Is there? The way you now see wages advertised I think drivers will work for any amount offered you never see a job offered that nobody takes so the wages go up until someone does
So, what kind of money do you think Agencies could actually afford to pay their drivers (PAYE and Self Employed) ?
I’ve always believed in a basic rate of pay for 8 hrs then overtime at 1.5, the overtime rate would be similar to Saturday rate.
Seems odd that an Agency can pay different rates depending on their customer, one day you can be on a low basic rate straight through, the next day you could be on a better rate then overtime !!
Chas:
Got a phone call today from a new bod in the last agency I worked with on LGV C HIAB, she claimed that there’s a good opportunity for a long term, temp to perm for a man of my calibre starting at the end of the month !
After much poking & prodding for info she really wasn’t very good at keeping from me, it turns out that the job on offer is to cover my weeks holiday with my employer for the last 6mths
Do these bottom feeding oxygen thieve’s think everyone’s as daft as a brush?
yeh m8, nice wee tale that did u let her know that u had rumbled them…?
From experience, I’ve found that those agencies that will give you “overtime after 8 hours” will be used by the client for flat 8 shifts, and then it’s off home. You don’t often actually get the overtime in other words, just flat shifts at a lower rate. Not good.
Those paying a “right through” rate on the other hand, get all the decent length shifts - assuming that these are what you’re after. 10-15 hours suits me, because I’m nearly always commuting to the work, and want to keep my net overhead down, since 9p per mile doesn’t cut it otherwise.
As to what agencies can afford to pay their drivers? - If you have too many competing agencies for the same work, then the rates are going to be lower, and cancellations are going to be rife. This is more down to the client getting a fill at El Cheap agency 2 after they’ve already filled it at Less Desperados agency 1. (Then unreliable cheapo guy doesn’t show for the shift, and agency 1 gets phoned back, only to be told the driver who would have covered it now will not because he’s gone out for the day somewhere else. )
Next time said client firm wants a shift covering, they won’t ■■■■ about agency 1 in the first place, and let the slightly more expensive guy they’ve booked from there stand. That’ll be me of course.
I’ve often wondered if it’s possible for a yard to eventually go under because of lapsed shifts, but I guess all the time insurance companies pay out blind for damage and other mishaps that may well have not occured had they booked the “more expensive cover”, there won’t be much evidence of “yard hardship” so to speak.
“He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing. Only those who don’t give a danm about something have true control over it.”
Chas:
Got a phone call today from a new bod in the last agency I worked with on LGV C HIAB, she claimed that there’s a good opportunity for a long term, temp to perm for a man of my calibre starting at the end of the month !
After much poking & prodding for info she really wasn’t very good at keeping from me, it turns out that the job on offer is to cover my weeks holiday with my employer for the last 6mths
Do these bottom feeding oxygen thieve’s think everyone’s as daft as a brush?
yeh m8, nice wee tale that did u let her know that u had rumbled them…?
Of course I did, I enjoy ‘playing games’ with these people.
Why are all these old threads being resurrected just recently?
Are we employing the services of forum boosters again?
… but I have always wondered how (and why) a firm can afford to pay an hourly rate to an agency which is enough for said agency to pay a third party, and at the same time cream off their own cut, but same co can only pay a driver who they employ direct, a fraction of the rate. I reckon agencies are one of, if not THE, reasons the job has turned to [zb] for the driver.Why not just kick the agencies to [zb], split the rate difference, and pay the driver a decent rate direct?
did u let her know that u had rumbled them…? 
+1
I personlly leand the true meaning of this once