Not touting for sympathy here but last night I had an experience that has stamped on any notion of fair play and moral integrity I ever cherished.
Suffering as I do from a spine-disc issue that’s conspired against me for a few years,I jacked my last container job in Southampton last Xmas when it all got too intolerable,aided by the massive corporate/micro managed upscaling of the aforementioned firm,I’ve been in the arms of the welfare system ever since but with the caveat I would try again at some point on the basis that a long recuperative period may be the clincher for a relaunch following the 7 year slog prior to my ailments fully kicking in.
A small firm,black and green Scanias,finally respond to my routine enquiries for future employment and say a job is now available,bags packed to motorcycle,car ferry booked,I make a phone call to the slightly ambiguous sounding bloke from firm who tells me at the eleventh hour that I would be doing curtain and fridges alongside boxes despite me making it clear that even boxes is all I can manage as I’ve been in that sector for many a year,so I declined the offer (mans got to know his limitations etc) A TEXT arrives the following week announcing their is in fact a purely box based job after all and can I start tmoz ? Affirmative says I and I got the
bike loaded and caught the 9pm ferry to arrive at the truck with the intentions of a few hours kip before commencing at 6 am next day.So far,so good.
The truck keys were to be left,get this,on top of one if the front wheels,looked,no sign,so began a frenzied torchlight search for the places keys could potentially be.Nadda.I phone the tm who thinks the driver has maybe still got them and will “get back to me” an hour goes by and no call from the prick.Its now midnight, the temperatures plummeting and being on a bike and no shelter options I’m getting a tad anxious so piecing it together in the wee hours and still no call or text,I cut my losses and skidaddle back to the ferry terminal with a further 3 hours,outdoor wait for the 3 am boat (no interior waiting options) Finally get home at 5 in a perilous state and hit the hay the only satisfaction knowing that their/my Rochdale delivery would be spectacularly deep-sixed,albeit with a bizarre sting of conscience on my part,Pavlovian response I’m guessing.
There’s a text on my phone this morning…“have you boxed on at Pentalvers”? That won’t be responded to,so I make a call this morning to the truck stop to leave a message for one of the firms drivers to contact me to see what the situation is and it turns out their drivers leave the keys,get this,in the loose R420 bonnet badge on the ■■■■ grill and the geezer whose job I was inheriting had himself only lasted a week before sodding off.
So here I am,benefits claim suspended as is the new order of universal credit mechanisms and with my arse dangling in the breeze on the basis that I was trying to see if I could still actually manage to do what I’ve done for a decade(HGV) and a half as I understand spinal problems aren’t given weighty consideration as a disability and,unlike more humane nations like Poland for instance,who give 6 months mandated full-pay,gradually levelling down the following 6 months so penuary can be avoided,I have to re-convince the DPW that I’m just trying things out and if I only get the 3 month trial squared away,at least I’ll be in a stronger financial position than just suckling from the welfare teat.Okay a bit Tolstoy but potentially a warning to the unwary.Caveat emptor an all that.
