So, I’m in need of some advice before I open a can of worms and put some nose’s out of joint. I work for a medium sized family firm (2 depots running 75 motors), and at our yard are 5 rigids and 5 units. Now my problem is this, the 5 of us on rigids all do the odd night out now and then but we all keep requesting more. The drivers length of service is:
Driver A - 12yrs
Driver B - 6yrs
Driver C - 5yrs (me)
Driver D - 15mths
Driver E - 2mths
So, my beef is this. Driver D throws a strop saying he is gonna leave cos he cant get the nights out in that he’s used to (tough in my opinion cos you knew what you were signing up for). Now he aint anyone special for the job unlike drivers A, B, & C who are all ADR trained. But the other week the gaffer decides he is gonna create a tramping position and he is gonna give it to driver D to stop him leaving Now this new job wasn’t advertised or offered to anybody else, we were just told this is whats happening so deal with it.
Now before some of you think I’m just having a whinge and a moan, let me say this…this guy is now taking home on average £125 a week more than the rest of us
Seems quite a strange set of circumstances given the current national surplus of those of us who would give a limb or internal organ for a full time job nights out or not.
Why shut someone up and roll out the red carpet to “stop them leaving” if there is a queue of drivers on the dole or agency more than willing to step into his boots?
My last boss at my old coach firm used say “Stay as long as you want but if you don’t like it the gate is over there and I won’t stop you going through it”
as I see it…
as long as driver D wasn’t given the job because of his age , race, ■■■■■■ orientation etc etc , the boss has done nothing wrong that you can take action against.
Possibly unfair, but thats life.
Same happened to me, albeit the opposite way around, I was leaving until boss came up with a job that tempted me to stay. The other drivers didn’t like it (or me!) but none had the gumption to challenge it, they just whinged and whined.
Perhaps if drivers A,B,C,E, had the balls to say they would leave then the job may have been offered around.
Same thing happens in my place too. I’m personally not to fussed about it myself cos I’m happy doing the job I do. I like the monday to friday and home every night side of it. But we started a tramper in our place last week and the job was never advertised internally first. It happens with any tramping job that comes up. It either doesn’t get advertised, or it does but nobody internally ever gets it. Many drivers have questioned this, only to be told there is no chance you will get it because it will be too hard to get a good replacement driver that can do multi drop in an artic. Its better for them just to start a tramper off the street in their eyes. I don’t agree with it myself, but nobody has ever taken it further with management yet.
del949:
as I see it…
as long as driver D wasn’t given the job because of his age , race, ■■■■■■ orientation etc etc , the boss has done nothing wrong that you can take action against.
Possibly unfair, but thats life.
Same happened to me, albeit the opposite way around, I was leaving until boss came up with a job that tempted me to stay. The other drivers didn’t like it (or me!) but none had the gumption to challenge it, they just whinged and whined.
Perhaps if drivers A,B,C,E, had the balls to say they would leave then the job may have been offered around.
Dont know something is telling me any new position has to be offered either externally or internally. This is a new position its not like the boss is purposely giving this guy extra nights out to keep him sweet he has created a tramper contract!
There is a wee whizz kid on here that knows the the rights and wrongs about law cannae mind his username hopefully he’ll see this!
del949:
as I see it…
as long as driver D wasn’t given the job because of his age , race, ■■■■■■ orientation etc etc , the boss has done nothing wrong that you can take action against.
Possibly unfair, but thats life.
Same happened to me, albeit the opposite way around, I was leaving until boss came up with a job that tempted me to stay. The other drivers didn’t like it (or me!) but none had the gumption to challenge it, they just whinged and whined.
Perhaps if drivers A,B,C,E, had the balls to say they would leave then the job may have been offered around.
Dont know something is telling me any new position has to be offered either externally or internally. This is a new position its not like the boss is purposely giving this guy extra nights out to keep him sweet he has created a tramper contract!
There is a wee whizz kid on here that knows the the rights and wrongs about law cannae mind his username hopefully he’ll see this!
It’s the gaffers place so he’s intitled to make poor decisions if he wants to.
The rest of you have a choice put up or threaten to jump that’ll really ■■■■ him up!
There is nothing to say that every driver must have the same contract and each driver’s contract is his own business.
If your boss decided to pay you twice as much as the other drivers , he can.
Yes, there would be hard feelings but it’s not illegal.
I take it that driver D is £125 better off due to 5 nights out at £25 each?
It may look like the boss has done this to keep him happy, maybe… or maybe it suited
some plan that he had in any case.
It looks like he considers driver D to be worth keeping, even if you don’t.
I can see no grievance other than you being envious of someone else’s perceived good fortune.
That won’t run at a tribunal.
This is a new position its not like the boss is purposely giving this guy extra nights out to keep him sweet he has created a tramper contract!
In a unionised workplace there may be an agreement that all new vacancies are offered to existing staff first, but I am not aware of any law that says so.
I think, going back to my own case which I quoted, although most of the other drivers just grumbled, there were a couple who would have sought union advice and acted if able to.
ncooper:
It looks like he considers driver D to be worth keeping.
Or he just fiures that if driver D goes out on monday morning and get’s back friday night or saturday morning he won’t have to spend the whole working week listning to his whining and moaning.
I shouldn’t worry about it - It would seem that your boss for what ever reason is trying to appease this driver, BUT if this driver complained about one thing he will definitely complain about something else!
At which point your boss will probably sack his moaning arse
If you have a union and it is recognised by your employer then I would assume that there would be an equal opportunities policy? Go and see your rep. Other than that I’d say you were on a hiding to nothing!
i know how you may feel but i don,t think you have a case, if driver C got the job (you) drivers A, B D,E would be moaning, as in if driver A got it b,c,d,e would probably be moaning,
does the new job need ADR? perhaps your boss is thinking the job maybe beneath you? maybe thinks you would,nt want to loose ADR work, ticket ect…
really think it is just a bad case of poor communication on both sides, boss thinks your happy doing occasional nights so does,nt want to rock the boat, do you and colleaques want more nights out ect but havent asked??
dle1uk:
i know how you may feel but i don,t think you have a case, if driver C got the job (you) drivers A, B D,E would be moaning, as in if driver A got it b,c,d,e would probably be moaning,
does the new job need ADR? perhaps your boss is thinking the job maybe beneath you? maybe thinks you would,nt want to loose ADR work, ticket ect…
really think it is just a bad case of poor communication on both sides, boss thinks your happy doing occasional nights so does,nt want to rock the boat, do you and colleaques want more nights out ect but havent asked??
At one time you couldnt get on without ADR. As for being beneath me…we get £2 extra a day for having ADR !!! And yeah he knows we all want the nights out.
Well if I aint got a case I might just have to knee-cap the knob on to sick leave for a bit
ncooper:
It looks like he considers driver D to be worth keeping.
Or he just fiures that if driver D goes out on monday morning and get’s back friday night or saturday morning he won’t have to spend the whole working week listning to his whining and moaning.
I reckon you’re closest with the correct answer but its not the driver thats moaning.
I reckon its his missus that getting a good seeing too by the boss and therefore she is the one that will be moaning, send the old man tramping, the boss knows where he is and when he’ll be home, no chance of getting caught.
The missus gets more money to spend and drive thinks he’s great cos he’s out 5 nights a week.
ncooper:
It looks like he considers driver D to be worth keeping.
Or he just fiures that if driver D goes out on monday morning and get’s back friday night or saturday morning he won’t have to spend the whole working week listning to his whining and moaning.
Correct regarding advertising internally: I’ve been asked to do the shovel drivers job full time but strangely, HR say it has to be advertised.
They’ve put “must have loading shovel experience” on the advert though which is understandable.
, he can.
