desypete:
i made my stand along with many others who have been in the game for many years, we had enough and we took the decision to find other ways to make a crust instead of driving
That’s not ‘making a stand’, that’s ‘giving up and going away’ and why on earth would you think that anyone would even notice (apart from your constant ■■■■■■■■ on) let alone pay it any mind?
OVLOV JAY:
You didn’t say anything about 6 days a week. I can earn over 700 if I do 6 days including a full one on Saturday. But I’m happy slumming it on high 5’s for 60-65 hrs and 1 or 2 nights out. If I need £650 I’ll run in on a Saturday morning. But well done you, you managed a post without slagging off the dcpc
you miss the point i was making i was earning that much almost 20 years ago and you can only make it today almost 20 years on ?
can you imagine how it should of been ? if drivers would of stuck together and never let the industry do away with over time rates ?
drivers hourly rates should be well over 13 quid an hour and if we still had time and half and double time sun etc how much more you would be earning ?
bills have gone up every years in the past 20 years so my wages were mega bucks compared to today’s wages which many struggle to pay there mortgages with let alone have money left over for a holiday or treat the kids
yet you seem to think your on good money yet from where i have come from it might seem ok but we got paid a hell of a lot more years ago
this is because drivers have let this happen, they have not stood up for pay and condtions like the train drivers have done. so the bosses have saved themselves a lot of money that they now pocket as the job is getting done today for wages that are almost 20 years old
You were actually on a lot less years ago, for the fact that the operators costs were a lot less than now, so there was a lot more spare cash than now. My best mates dad owned Curtis international doing Italy in the 80s for hellmans and ferry freighting. They had 110 scanias and got £1500 a trip. George said there was a grand left after he paid the driver and fuel. He paid about 5 grand a pop for his motors and had 5 of them. He retired a very rich very happy man. Plus it’s all about what you want out of a work balance life. My mate did 15 years at tesco Harlow, on 50k a year. But he was rostered 36 weekends a year. Plus all bank hols except Christmas, or if it fell on your rest day, where you didn’t get paid. Yes they got 11 weeks holidays a year with their week 7s, but mind numbing work, and even tesco realised they were on a loser, hence the depot closure and the drivers at Dagenham are now on 35k for the same T’s and c’s. I don’t want to work weekends. I’m only working today because I’m on holiday in 3 weeks so want some spending money. But if you see that elusive £18 an hour fork truck job, you let me know. Pm of course, wouldn’t want other people seeing it 
There is another angle DP on what you are saying. You tell us that you used to work EVERY weekend and got paid overtime after 8 hours. Considering the huge increase in wagons and other traffic on today’s roads, the crashes would increase drastically if drivers hours were not controlled. Just because we drive less hours these days, that does not mean that the wages MUST be ramped up to compensate.
That’s apart from some peoples opinion(including mine), that working every hour God sends, is a bit sad. What about a family life?
desypete:
BillyHunt:
Ah DP back on his favourite subject, ranting about the unfairness of it all. All those rules & regs stopping him from working 100 hrs a week, it’s just not fair.
My experiences of unions are pretty poor, from back in the 70s where I was offered a job in engineering, only to be told I couldn’t be taken on because I wasn’t in the union, I was 18, went to the union to join only to be told I couldn’t join as I wasn’t working!
To working for asda, joined the gmb, the only Union they will allow in, only to find that, when redundancies came around it all went on how long you’d worked there. 75% of that workforce weren’t in the union but managed to be kept on.
The rail unions are always cited as one that works for its members, and they do, but what about all the others, the other jobs where if they walked out they couldn’t be replaced. Nurses, teachers, police, fire fighters, government staff, all on relatively low pay for what they do.
I think workers turned away from unions because of all the striking in the 70s & 80s for stupid petty things and are reluctant to go back.
I’ve not been in unions that often, I prefer to sort my own pay rises out, it’s not that hard when try it.oh its billy no back bone hunt who always does what his boss wants no matter how little pay he gets got your cpc card handy billy ?
sadly with people like you in transport its no wonder its such a crap job, oh i forgot your doing ok in the game, are you one of the boys who have one of those contracts that protects your pay and conditions ? or are you a zero hours contract man like most of the rest of the workforce around these days ?
the contracts today offer nothing, not even a fixed hourly rate that will go up with inflation, if your lucky a contract might say wages will be reviewed once a year, and that means pay freezes
hell billy even the torys are more smarter than you, there first job is to make sure they get 10% wages rise lol while the rest of the workforce will get what ?
just face it billy you would of been one of the workers who would never of stood shoulder to shoulder with others as your only interest is you and no interest in the future or a future for the up and coming lads
your in the right game billy thats for sure being a driver is just the sort of job you and your attitude will do well in. no wonder your boss loves you so much that he wouldnt dream of replaceing you with a polish guy
why the hell should he as you will work for peanuts and not complain, oh i forgot your in the northeast and you earn as much as an mp does driving a truck
the problem is drivers like you billy but your not on your own as there are plenty of them in the game
Well that’s very impressive earning all that cash, good for you. I can see why you’re all bitter & twisted though, fancy not being allowed to work every hour of every day, it’s a bloody Liberty. Surely you don’t need to work these days due to all that cash you have stacked up. I prefer to have a special clause inserted into my contracts, it simply states I don’t have to work more than 45 hrs a week, that’s work not drive, any more & they have to ask me, if I agree it’s time & half. I never work weekends but if, for any reason, I should end up nighting out on a Friday I just drive in Saturday morning, usually 2 hrs max, getting time & half for full shift of 9.5 hrs. Yes DP I’m getting bent over & all thanks to the non Union place I work in, in fact some guys have said if they get one in they would rather quit than join.
If you think you were well looked after for working every hour possible, and a few not possible, and your think your boss wasn’t stiffing you then good for you.
A job on the trains! Good grief!
Thruxton:
Drivers Union? Worth joining or not? Which Union? Advice Please…
This question has been asked before.
I’m in Unite and there are some “add-ons” in the union subs for drivers ref accident/sick insurance etc.
They backed me to the hilt ref a dispute over breach of TUPE regs against Grafton Agency and Tesco couple of yrs ago.
After a complaint was lodged with the Industrial Tribunal and after the 1st case management “pow-wow” Grafton offered £3500 to settle 
They are DIRT cheap for the likes of house insurance etc. 
For £3.30per week subs as a HGV driver its a no brainer for
employment law protection alone.
If you want a union for national issues then forget it but if you want one to represent you personally then I recommend URTU
OVLOV JAY:
When I was at maritime, John Williams prided himself on knowing all 700 drivers by name. The bloke is like rainman. He would turn up in a depot and make a beeline for any driver and ask him how the job was going. One of the best blokes I’ve ever worked for. One of ours stood up at a drivers meeting and said he wanted a union. A few people grunted some support to which John replied “if you want a union it’s fine, but I’ll deal with the depot rep and I’ll never speak to another driver, or have a drivers meeting ever again”
That is a perfect reason why joining a union is a good idea to deal with thick bosses, who resort to blackmail.
Almost every other week there is a post from someone who has: been injured at work, thinks he has been unfairly dismissed, not been paid his holiday entitlement, unfairly treated, bullied into doing something, etc,etc. The replies to the post often ask: Are you in a Union?
Think of it as an insurance policy.
In my experience I’d say no, any union I’ve experienced is only interested in the union agenda not the interest of the workers. I would say employment laws are so robust these days unions will soon be a thing of the past.
Be interesting to know the demographic of unions nowadays,I’d guess most members are from the age when unions had a purpose ie the 70 80s
mjallby:
In my experience I’d say no, any union I’ve experienced is only interested in the union agenda not the interest of the workers. I would say employment laws are so robust these days unions will soon be a thing of the past.
Ref my post earlier,
I simply wouldn’t have proceeded to Tribunal if I wasn’t backed by the Union solicitors.
The solicitor advice on the end of a 24/7 phonecall is well worth it too.
The problem with unions is that most people associate them with all the militancy that went on in the 70s, that is how and why they lost popularity.
However, unions are the reason that we get holidays, we are paid holidays, sick pay, and every other social aspect in work but the problem is every thing our previous generations fought for are being dwindled away.
As for striking or any real solidarity it won’t happen, most people have mortgages these days so they can not afford to…, that was part of Maggie’s agenda when she sold the workers their council houses, 
, love her or hate her, she was a clever and devious woman.
To answer Jay’s point, nobody wants to go back to the ridiculous ott pedantic rules of old that the unions once practiced, but if the unions represent us in the intended and original format, they are a good thing for a working man, but again with an element of drivers sticking together up to a point.
As for dessypete’s post, a lot of what he says is true, but it is met with ridicule because of his constant rants about the dcpc. Most of us agree that the dcpc is complete ■■■■■■■■, an excercise seeing to be doing things the ‘Professional way’ but with no real substance.
I like DP totally disagree with it, but going on a pointless one man crusade where the only outcome is cutting off your nose to spite your face, to the point of losing any chance of getting a driving job, is maybe not the best way of dealing with it. (I ain’t entirely convinced that is why he didn’t do it, more like the get out opportunity he was looking for to jack)
As for slagging drivers off that have got the dcpc, let’s say 20, 50, or 1000 drivers had done the same as him, wtf would that achieve in real terms.
If you felt that bad about it Pete, why not go down the route my mate did, and get the dcpc through the back door, at least then you would still have been able to stay in transport
. I got good advice as a young lad… The best way to win when confronted with b/s, is pretend to conform, but do it your own way and win, that way you do win whilst APPEARING to lose… so everybody’s happy. .
I personally have always listened to that, kept my head down, and looked after no1, and it has always worked for me in this industry especially. If that is selfish so be it, but if there was a chance of genuine solidarity between drivers, I would be up at the front, but I am also a realist.
sweepster:
Black people are only allowed to sit at the back of the bus. Women can’t vote. We can change thing’s … Oh and if you’re in a Union, you’re usually on a better wage and term’s and conditions.
So racism in the 1960’s America and latter day South Africa was resolved by being in a union? Sexism in the early part of 20th century Britain was resolved by being in a union? Oh and of course then,without any irony, if you are in a union you are treated better and indeed differently to the rest who are doing the same thing.
What a load of utter rubbish, you moron, first class brain washed tripe.
Keep donating your wage to some wannabe politician so he can think for you.
Sorry, but care to explain how someone in this day and age can legally get such amazing preferential treatment in the same job role? Or are you just some wannabe shop steward looking for yet another muppet to give you some money every week so they can be controlled and brainwashed believing the union will succeed over modern day employment law, both UK and European.
These Union idiots make my ■■■■ boil. The laziest most arrogant idiots in my workplace are the union members, no interest whatsoever in doing the job they are paid to do, only interested in trying to do the very least work they possibly can and happy when they force others to do more. They all have no backbone what so ever, coincidentally they are all pretty far down the IQ list too. Oh and yep, I earn more than them (much more as they pay tax, sorry subs) with the same conditions etc
Still, who am I to have a go at unions, I’m sure they work really well, just to make sure lets ask the people who work in the steel, no maybe not, how about rail…nope maybe ship building. Never mind, try miners…oops, well there’s always the mills…post…fishing…nursing…power stations…
Unions are for the weak,for people too afraid to think and happy to be lead by lazy backward thinking dinosaurs only interested in themselves and not the greater good of the company or industry they are in. In the modern world they are out dated and serve no purpose other than thier own, they know it and are desperate.
Drivers come on here banging on about getting together to protest about pay and conditions, pointless, totally pointless. You think a union will change things… You’re wrong. So long as we are part of a free movement of labour within Europe and have a minimum wage set so low for here but high against certain euro countries the nothing will change.
Introduce a realistic living wage as a minimum, leave the EU or at best introduce a vastly improved restriction on employment rights for non British people then maybe. Ban anyone from being able do drive a HGV in a UK based job role,full time or agency, without being resident in the UK for at least a year then maybe. Introduce GPS mileage tagging for overseas hauliers at very high rates then maybe. Think a union will do this for you…good luck.
Above all though, if you want to join a union, then go ahead, just be prepared to be out on the line if they change to semi skimmed, it matters brother…
And count to 10
Breathe…
Relax…
Norfolkinclue1:
sweepster:
Black people are only allowed to sit at the back of the bus. Women can’t vote. We can change thing’s … Oh and if you’re in a Union, you’re usually on a better wage and term’s and conditions.So racism in the 1960’s America and latter day South Africa was resolved by being in a union? Sexism in the early part of 20th century Britain was resolved by being in a union? Oh and of course then,without any irony, if you are in a union you are treated better and indeed differently to the rest who are doing the same thing.
What a load of utter rubbish, you moron, first class brain washed tripe.
Keep donating your wage to some wannabe politician so he can think for you.
Sorry, but care to explain how someone in this day and age can legally get such amazing preferential treatment in the same job role? Or are you just some wannabe shop steward looking for yet another muppet to give you some money every week so they can be controlled and brainwashed believing the union will succeed over modern day employment law, both UK and European.
These Union idiots make my ■■■■ boil. The laziest most arrogant idiots in my workplace are the union members, no interest whatsoever in doing the job they are paid to do, only interested in trying to do the very least work they possibly can and happy when they force others to do more. They all have no backbone what so ever, coincidentally they are all pretty far down the IQ list too. Oh and yep, I earn more than them (much more as they pay tax, sorry subs) with the same conditions etc
Still, who am I to have a go at unions, I’m sure they work really well, just to make sure lets ask the people who work in the steel, no maybe not, how about rail…nope maybe ship building. Never mind, try miners…oops, well there’s always the mills…post…fishing…nursing…power stations…
Unions are for the weak,for people too afraid to think and happy to be lead by lazy backward thinking dinosaurs only interested in themselves and not the greater good of the company or industry they are in. In the modern world they are out dated and serve no purpose other than thier own, they know it and are desperate.
Drivers come on here banging on about getting together to protest about pay and conditions, pointless, totally pointless. You think a union will change things… You’re wrong. So long as we are part of a free movement of labour within Europe and have a minimum wage set so low for here but high against certain euro countries the nothing will change.
Introduce a realistic living wage as a minimum, leave the EU or at best introduce a vastly improved restriction on employment rights for non British people then maybe. Ban anyone from being able do drive a HGV in a UK based job role,full time or agency, without being resident in the UK for at least a year then maybe. Introduce GPS mileage tagging for overseas hauliers at very high rates then maybe. Think a union will do this for you…good luck.
Above all though, if you want to join a union, then go ahead, just be prepared to be out on the line if they change to semi skimmed, it matters brother…And count to 10
Breathe…
Relax…
Two different sentences, read it again… The first sentence is not connected to the second.
You’re not in the union at your work, but you’re happy to accept the deals the union negotiates with the employer, you are a leach. The word Union means a collective of people, so how is that being selfish.
The Unionised people at Asda who work in the warehouse’s are on more money than the workers in store, yet the worker’s in store expect the same pay but are not willing to pay their Union fee’s.
I am in a Union and we do have a backbone. We most probably have the highest hourly rate and best terms and conditions within the industry for pulling boxes and double decks.
We’ve been out on strike that many times I’ve forgotten.
I agree with you about the minimum wage and a living wage.
Worth joining for the legal cover and help if you loose your licence etc. As others have said unless you work for a big firm that deals with a union don’t expect much help changing your job conditions.
I’m in one even though my firm don’t deal with a union or know I’m in it it’s just a insurance policy for me even though I bin most of the Arthur Scargill type carp they send out for me and I opt out of contributing to the Labour party.
BillyHunt:
Ah DP back on his favourite subject, ranting about the unfairness of it all. All those rules & regs stopping him from working 100 hrs a week, it’s just not fair.
My experiences of unions are pretty poor, from back in the 70s where I was offered a job in engineering, only to be told I couldn’t be taken on because I wasn’t in the union, I was 18, went to the union to join only to be told I couldn’t join as I wasn’t working!
To working for asda, joined the gmb, the only Union they will allow in, only to find that, when redundancies came around it all went on how long you’d worked there. 75% of that workforce weren’t in the union but managed to be kept on.
The rail unions are always cited as one that works for its members, and they do, but what about all the others, the other jobs where if they walked out they couldn’t be replaced. Nurses, teachers, police, fire fighters, government staff, all on relatively low pay for what they do.
I think workers turned away from unions because of all the striking in the 70s & 80s for stupid petty things and are reluctant to go back.
I’ve not been in unions that often, I prefer to sort my own pay rises out, it’s not that hard when try it.
Usual practice in any company Union member or not LAST in FIRST out when redundancies occur
lolipop:
BillyHunt:
Ah DP back on his favourite subject, ranting about the unfairness of it all. All those rules & regs stopping him from working 100 hrs a week, it’s just not fair.
My experiences of unions are pretty poor, from back in the 70s where I was offered a job in engineering, only to be told I couldn’t be taken on because I wasn’t in the union, I was 18, went to the union to join only to be told I couldn’t join as I wasn’t working!
To working for asda, joined the gmb, the only Union they will allow in, only to find that, when redundancies came around it all went on how long you’d worked there. 75% of that workforce weren’t in the union but managed to be kept on.
The rail unions are always cited as one that works for its members, and they do, but what about all the others, the other jobs where if they walked out they couldn’t be replaced. Nurses, teachers, police, fire fighters, government staff, all on relatively low pay for what they do.
I think workers turned away from unions because of all the striking in the 70s & 80s for stupid petty things and are reluctant to go back.
I’ve not been in unions that often, I prefer to sort my own pay rises out, it’s not that hard when try it.Usual practice in any company Union member or not LAST in FIRST out when redundancies occur
Yes I’m aware it’s the usual practice, but not law. They told us we would get priority, that’s my point about how good they are. 25% of the workforce were union members, only Union members were allowed to vote on wether to accept a new contract offer, they turned it down by 51% to 49%, thereby triggering redundancies causing 260 workers to lose their jobs. Fair practice? I think not. At Union meetings leading up to the final days of redundancy it wasn’t even mentioned. We even went out on strike a couple of times, not long enough to get Union payments of course, the gmb wouldn’t back us that much obviously despite suggesting it in the first place. As a matter of interest the gmb Union head office is in ASDA house in Leeds, coincidence?
If you want legal advice save your cash & if you have a problem contact an employment solicitor, they will usually give you 30 mins free to listen to your grievance and advise you accordingly.
kr79:
Worth joining for the legal cover and help if you loose your licence etc. As others have said unless you work for a big firm that deals with a union don’t expect much help changing your job conditions.
I’m in one even though my firm don’t deal with a union or know I’m in it it’s just a insurance policy for me even though I bin most of the Arthur Scargill type carp they send out for me and I opt out of contributing to the Labour party.
But the Labour party was founded by unions and socialists so your subs are a kind of contribution.
All you anti union types ( and I can see your point in a lot of cases) should remember that their main reason for existence was to stop working people being exploited by employers (that should ring a bell for some on this forum judging by past posts and comments) and to achieve fair conditions …which they did in many cases.
However both the Trade unions and the Labour party lost their way, the unions gained far too much power, and the Labour party is ran by middle and upper class ex Public schoolboys that have no real working experience so therefore no empathy with guys like you and me.
So we have nobody representing us politically, and very little is being achieved by unions today, due to dissatisfaction with unions by workers, and general apathy, but after saying that you are all the first to moan (to everybody other than you should be 
) when your bosses try (and mostly achieve) to take the ■■■■.
ANY Solicitor will give you free advice for 30mins on employment matters,
its when you need to proceed to an Industrial Tribunal that being a union member helps.
It would be a BIG headache funds wise to go “on your todd” with a Solicitor in tow into a Tribunal!!!
Big Truck:
ANY Solicitor will give you free advice for 30mins on employment matters,
its when you need to proceed to an Industrial Tribunal that being a union member helps.
It would be a BIG headache funds wise to go “on your todd” with a Solicitor in tow into a Tribunal!!!
I would agree, but that’s why you get advice on wether you have a case to take forward. If they said no but you still wanted to go forward who’s at fault?
