Working for the first agency I signed up with, in the second week I turned up to the customer to be told there was no shift for me this was at 5:36 I might add. So I called the agency and they said sorry about that we will compensate you with 2 hours pay at £7.17 per hour. Okay I thought these things happen. Then it happened again 4 days later so having registered with several other agencies for this eventuality I called the other agencies up to try and get work for that day. It succeeded and I got a long haul for that night so I text the original agency and said I was not available the following day. After this episode I went back to my original agency and continued with that contract work but then 3 days later it happened again and I was told by the customer to tell the agency to read their f****ing emails as they wanted a class 1 for that day. So I called around again and got another job night trunking tyres up to Glasgow on a better rate of pay. I have taken that work and the “other” agency has offered me this work every week 3 nights a week. So I did the decent thing and told my original agency that I am not available for these days. Do you have anything for Monday and Friday for me.
That is the background here is the childish part. My original agency says yeah can you do a 5:30 start (on my original contract) on Monday? So I agreed and turned up Monday (yesterday) at 05:30 for a 6 am start. I clocked in and the guys behind the counter who Ihave got to know now said what are you doing here mate? There is no shift for you. So I left a voicemail on the agency guys mobile to say the shift is not there. He calls back and says sorry it was his fault could I do an easy contract start a 4pm finish at 10:30 min 8 hours. He will pull the other driver off and give it to me as I have been mucked about. So I said ok thanks. At 9am he calls back and says will I travel 40 mile to pick up a 7.5 tonner to do 20 drops as the driver had let them down! Knowing I would not be finished until 10pm at night and it would be a low pay crappy shift I politely refused and said have I still got my 4pm shift to do tonight? Yes no problem he said turn up at 3:45. At 3pm he calls to say the job has been cancelled! then at 3:50 called to say it is back on again. I said sorry I am not available!
I have done 3 05:30 starts for the original agency to be told the shifts did not exist and that the agency can’t organise a p155 up in a brewery. 2 hours pay for losing a days work is disgusting!
The odd mistake is one thing but three times is just incompetence, after the first time I would have been asking for 8 hours pay for the days I lost work, try the other local agencies for the days that you need work.
Can’t the agency you’re doing the three days a week for fix you up with work for the other days, at the end of the day they are your best option because any other agency, knowing that you’re not available full time, will have you at the bottom of the list.
First off, the two hours is completely ridiculous, to the point I’m struggling to make sense of it.
Either, he’s trying to do the honourable thing because it’s a pain-in-the-arse client that won’t pay for cancellations and the agency won’t deal with for fear of losing their business.
Or, he’s charging them for the shift, and only paying you two hours when he could pay you 8 (or however much they charge, 8 is standard), still making the same profit - because he’s just spotted an opportunity for profiteering, albeit rather immorally.
I’m pleased that you’ve found a different agency that are keeping you busy for three nights at least - I think tachograph is spot on when he suggests that you should be asking them for a couple of extra days. Are you strictly not available weekends? Or would you rather not work weekends?
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to offer yourself up for the odd Saturday or Sunday if you’re able, chances are you’ll be pulling them out of the proverbial once in a while and they’ll be more likely to find something to supplement your Tues-Thurs run.
The agency was at fault which is why the customer told me to tell the agency to read their emails. He admitted to cocking it up the last two times and then reassured me they will pay me two hours as if he was doing me a favour. I think he got fed up because each time I found work elsewhere for other agencies. It is clear to me now that he was trying to manipulate me to do the really crap stuff which the agency has a lot of and no one wants to do. They are also paying a very poor rate and have twice paid me 2 hours short and then knocking off breaks.
The good news is that they have lost their contracts for this customer to Ocean Recruitment as Ocean have approached me to do the night run to Stoke for the same customer! I wonder how Ocean got my number LOL Can’t say anymore but I have been getting on well with the planners in the office The thing is the Monday to Friday trunk down to Stoke is a doddle and you can do it with your eyes shut in 4.5 hours but you get minimum 8 hours for the job at £8 per hour. Thing is I am doing the 3 nights to Glasgow for this other agency and they are paying me 9.75 an hour but it is a long run, I start at 1900 tonight and will get back in the yard at 06:30 tomorrow morning. The 3 nights of that equal the pay for the 5 nights doing the Stoke run. I have decided to keep the 3 nights trunking tyres up to Glasgow as Monday and Fridays are then free for other work or Saturdays and Sundays etc.
I have made it clear to all agencies I prefer nights and weekends for the better rate of pay and don’t mind what I do. I did phone the guy that Fred give me the number for to do Stobart weekend trucking but the guy has not bothered coming back to me. So any weekend shifts I am up for it.
alder:
The agency was at fault which is why the customer told me to tell the agency to read their emails. He admitted to cocking it up the last two times and then reassured me they will pay me two hours as if he was doing me a favour. I think he got fed up because each time I found work elsewhere for other agencies. It is clear to me now that he was trying to manipulate me to do the really crap stuff which the agency has a lot of and no one wants to do. They are also paying a very poor rate and have twice paid me 2 hours short and then knocking off breaks.
The good news is that they have lost their contracts for this customer to Ocean Recruitment as Ocean have approached me to do the night run to Stoke for the same customer! I wonder how Ocean got my number LOL Can’t say anymore but I have been getting on well with the planners in the office The thing is the Monday to Friday trunk down to Stoke is a doddle and you can do it with your eyes shut in 4.5 hours but you get minimum 8 hours for the job at £8 per hour. Thing is I am doing the 3 nights to Glasgow for this other agency and they are paying me 9.75 an hour but it is a long run, I start at 1900 tonight and will get back in the yard at 06:30 tomorrow morning. The 3 nights of that equal the pay for the 5 nights doing the Stoke run. I have decided to keep the 3 nights trunking tyres up to Glasgow as Monday and Fridays are then free for other work or Saturdays and Sundays etc.
I have made it clear to all agencies I prefer nights and weekends for the better rate of pay and don’t mind what I do. I did phone the guy that Fred give me the number for to do Stobart weekend trucking but the guy has not bothered coming back to me. So any weekend shifts I am up for it.
Cat C + E 102 restriction
It wasn’t Fred that gave you the number… but it doesn’t surprise me that you haven’t been called back. I did try…
this was at 5:36 I might add. So I called the agency and they said sorry about that we will compensate you with 2 hours pay at £7.17 per hour. Okay I thought these things happen. Then it happened again 4 days later so having registered with several other agencies for this eventuality I called the other agencies up to try and get work for that day. It succeeded and I got a long haul for that night so I text the original agency and said I was not available the following day. After this episode I went back to my original agency and continued with that contract work but then 3 days later it happened again and I was told by the customer to tell the agency to read their f****ing emails as they wanted a class 1 for that day. So I called around again and got another job night trunking tyres up to Glasgow on a better rate of pay. I have taken that work and the “other” agency has offered me this work every week 3 nights a week. So I did the decent thing and told my original agency that I am not available for these days. Do you have anything for Monday and Friday for me.
The thing is the Monday to Friday trunk down to Stoke is a doddle and you can do it with your eyes shut in 4.5 hours but you get minimum 8 hours for the job at £8 per hour. Thing is I am doing the 3 nights to Glasgow for this other agency and they are paying me 9.75 an hour but it is a long run, I start at 1900 tonight and will get back in the yard at 06:30 tomorrow morning. The 3 nights of that equal the pay for the 5 nights doing the Stoke run. I have decided to keep the 3 nights trunking tyres up to Glasgow as Monday and Fridays are then free for other work or Saturdays and Sundays etc.
but it doesn’t surprise me that you haven’t been called back. I did try…