XPO would most likely have picked NB off - because all their staff are on a long-term sub-average wage rate.
What better asset for a taking over firm - than to get all the current staff on board for a contract that keeps their pay behind everyone else for years to come…
The staff themselves will be “happy not to lose their jobs” of course, not realising that the thin end of the wedge was “not putting in for a increment to bring them up to XPO’s level of pay elsewhere”.
Being “over efficient” therefore makes a company “more likely to be taken over”.
Now compare this to to prospect of selling something like Royal Mail to Virgin originally - where every private buyer was put off by the “poisoned well” of taking on the Union and the Pension… Hourly rates for working at RM on agency are as close to the top end of what driver’s can get - as anywhere in the NB empire that doesn’t involve Tankers is to the “low end”… You don’t get paid any extra (compared to rival firms) for tramping, having an ADR licence, and wearing red there now do you?
Winseer:
XPO would most likely have picked NB off - because all their staff are on a long-term sub-average wage rate.
Bit of a sweeping generalisation there me old China! I’ll grant that maybe new starters are not on great shakes wage wise, but what you have to bear in mind that as Nobbies historically “acquired” companies such as Salvo’s, Swifts, TDG etc than a lot of the long term workers are on wage agreements more relating to them companies. To Nobbies credit once they bought a Co they never gave everyone x amount of notice and transferred them to their terms, no, they let natural wastage take care of it. Therefore at the depot I work at you have lots of drivers who earned over 50k last year without working the two minute silence, the cold store staff are on a basic of £12 p/h with proper time and a half and double time too, hell, they get over £36 p/h for working Bank holidays ffs!
However the reality is that asking what Nobbies pay is a bit like asking for a generic European weather forecast! It differs from place to place.
TUPE will apply as they took over our transport department 3 years ago and it happened then , keep yer head down and yer arse up and u wont get any hassle , as for trucks weve got daf xfs space cabs 1 motor 1 driver unless your off . Lots off red tape and rules , health n safety bilge but its just the same as any other large company ,
Winseer:
XPO would most likely have picked NB off - because all their staff are on a long-term sub-average wage rate.
What better asset for a taking over firm - than to get all the current staff on board for a contract that keeps their pay behind everyone else for years to come…
The staff themselves will be “happy not to lose their jobs” of course, not realising that the thin end of the wedge was “not putting in for a increment to bring them up to XPO’s level of pay elsewhere”.
Complete garbage, you’re generalising without knowing all the facts and figures from all of ND/XPO’s depots.
I enquired at my local NB which also happens to be the nearest yard to where I live.
I live in the so-called “Prosperous south east”.
I don’t consider £8.75ph (£420pw for 48 hours including paid breaks) to be much cop for these parts.
Ok, so it was 18 months ago - The rates you two are stating seem more like “complete garbage” in that they are not available to new recruits clearly.
I implied that it was the tankers on the decent contract, and ADR holders seemed to be getting short shrift.
Now, if that is a generalization - then I reckon the rest of the country is going to be paying even less rather than a lot more as you two describe.
You’ll be telling me that all the £50k work is ‘up north’ next!
By rights, there should be some of the £50k drivers mentioned at my local depot - but when I talk to the drivers there, they tell me the only ones getting over £35k let alone £50 are the fuel tanker drivers! The basic for nights for the job I was enquiring about was £480 for monday-friday 40 hours paid (45 hours at work?)
The job? - Running double deckers to the new place at Crick. No overtime built into the job.
I had a similiar experience with my enquiry for Stobarts out of Sittingbourne during the same period (early 2014).
The newspaper ad stated £38k… The only ones getting anywhere near this rate were the 11 from 14 eurotrampers.
Midweek nights was £8.10ph. I withdrew my application when they said I needed to attend an assessment at Aveley.
The Modus Operandi of too many yards now is to take on the new recruits as young 'uns and/or immigrants - since what “average driver aged over 50” is going to get out of bed for the rates they are trying to palm off on the working population hmm?
XPO will keep people on their current contract if it pays less than their own staff get. They’ll seek to end the old contract at the earliest opportunity - if it pays significantly more than the new company one for the same kind of work.
TDG workers found this out to their cost when taken over by NB, as did C&H drivers when taken over by Downton. The deal is “take the new contract, or a small exit package”. Many have since jumped ship of course. The senior drivers who are more likely to get a generous exit package - are more likely to walk if the “new deal” isn’t work getting out of bed for eh?
Generalization or not - No new recruit anywhere is getting top dollar these days.
Winseer:
I enquired at my local NB which also happens to be the nearest yard to where I live.
I live in the so-called “Prosperous south east”.
I don’t consider £8.75ph (£420pw for 48 hours including paid breaks) to be much cop for these parts.
Ok, so it was 18 months ago - The rates you two are stating seem more like “complete garbage” in that they are not available to new recruits clearly.
I implied that it was the tankers on the decent contract, and ADR holders seemed to be getting short shrift.
Now, if that is a generalization - then I reckon the rest of the country is going to be paying even less rather than a lot more as you two describe.
You’ll be telling me that all the £50k work is ‘up north’ next!
By rights, there should be some of the £50k drivers mentioned at my local depot - but when I talk to the drivers there, they tell me the only ones getting over £35k let alone £50 are the fuel tanker drivers! The basic for nights for the job I was enquiring about was £480 for monday-friday 40 hours paid (45 hours at work?)
The job? - Running double deckers to the new place at Crick. No overtime built into the job.
I had a similiar experience with my enquiry for Stobarts out of Sittingbourne during the same period (early 2014).
The newspaper ad stated £38k… The only ones getting anywhere near this rate were the 11 from 14 eurotrampers.
Midweek nights was £8.10ph. I withdrew my application when they said I needed to attend an assessment at Aveley.
The Modus Operandi of too many yards now is to take on the new recruits as young 'uns and/or immigrants - since what “average driver aged over 50” is going to get out of bed for the rates they are trying to palm off on the working population hmm?
XPO will keep people on their current contract if it pays less than their own staff get. They’ll seek to end the old contract at the earliest opportunity - if it pays significantly more than the new company one for the same kind of work.
TDG workers found this out to their cost when taken over by NB, as did C&H drivers when taken over by Downton. The deal is “take the new contract, or a small exit package”. Many have since jumped ship of course. The senior drivers who are more likely to get a generous exit package - are more likely to walk if the “new deal” isn’t work getting out of bed for eh?
Generalization or not - No new recruit anywhere is getting top dollar these days.
Thank you for the reply and very interesting reading… Not looking good then… Might be time to look for a new job in the next couple of months…
Thruxton:
Thank you for the reply and very interesting reading… Not looking good then… Might be time to look for a new job in the next couple of months…
Perhaps you would be better to actually see what happens first, rather than approach it with such negativity based on the mostly incorrect ramblings of one poster. Two people with actual experience have given you vastly more accurate information.
Thanks for the Reply… It is not sounding good at the moment… They take over the contact in two months… So that gives me time to find out what is about… NB should be in our Yard in the next couple of weeks. So I guess they will want to talk to staff and I guess it won’t take long to find out what the new wages will be…
Thruxton:
Thanks for the Reply… It is not sounding good at the moment… They take over the contact in two months… So that gives me time to find out what is about… NB should be in our Yard in the next couple of weeks. So I guess they will want to talk to staff and I guess it won’t take long to find out what the new wages will be…
Wages, benefits, holidays etc all have to remain the same for at least a year after takeover. It’s part of tupe regs.
Thruxton:
Thanks for the Reply… It is not sounding good at the moment… They take over the contact in two months… So that gives me time to find out what is about… NB should be in our Yard in the next couple of weeks. So I guess they will want to talk to staff and I guess it won’t take long to find out what the new wages will be…
It’s not sounding good because you’re believing someone who only ever compares wages to those on Royal Mail, whereas in the real world companies have to actually balance the books and not just ■■■■■ out public money, therefore they pay a more realistic wage. Wait until ND/XPO visit and see what the deal is and if you’re not happy then look elsewhere.
ND trampers around here (North West) are earning £35-£40k a year and day/night men are around £24/£26k basic, your contract may be different though if you come under TUPE.
Thruxton:
Thanks for the Reply… It is not sounding good at the moment… They take over the contact in two months… So that gives me time to find out what is about… NB should be in our Yard in the next couple of weeks. So I guess they will want to talk to staff and I guess it won’t take long to find out what the new wages will be…
It’s not sounding good because you’re believing someone who only ever compares wages to those on Royal Mail, whereas in the real world companies have to actually balance the books and not just ■■■■■ out public money, therefore they pay a more realistic wage. Wait until ND/XPO visit and see what the deal is and if you’re not happy then look elsewhere.
ND trampers around here (North West) are earning £35-£40k a year and day/night men are around £24/£26k basic, your contract may be different though if you come under TUPE.
There you go again… surely I’m no more wrong for my remarks than you are for remarks based on a royal mail before it was privatized at best…
As far as “balancing the books” is concerned… How much extra are hauliers making THIS full year after the drop in fuel prices compared to the previous 5 years for example?
Who’s passing on that windfall in lower overheads AND increased workload - to their drivers?
The media talks of “in line with inflation pay rises” returning to the private sector… Hardly any “catch-up” wage rises in progress though eh?
The OP like myself is going to want to know "What do I get if I sign up with this company now, jump through all the hoops, have all the required entry tickets, etc.
What some long-term bod who’s been there years on either an old original contract or a taken over TUPE leaning one - is of no relevance at all - IF it’s not avaiable to a new recruit upon entry…
Although not much has been said to us in the Tupe Meetings, they have stated that nothing in our contract will change and also B&Q have insisted that XPO match whatever Pension we are currently on with DHL.
This is a across all B&Q depots nationally! Wait and see time for us but I’m sure there main goal isn’t to ■■■■ off there new customers.
bigjohn78:
We are due too be XPO as from the 1st August!
Although not much has been said to us in the Tupe Meetings, they have stated that nothing in our contract will change and also B&Q have insisted that XPO match whatever Pension we are currently on with DHL.
This is a across all B&Q depots nationally! Wait and see time for us but I’m sure there main goal isn’t to ■■■■ off there new customers.
Winseer:
As far as “balancing the books” is concerned… How much extra are hauliers making THIS full year after the drop in fuel prices compared to the previous 5 years for example?
Who’s passing on that windfall in lower overheads AND increased workload - to their drivers?
The media talks of “in line with inflation pay rises” returning to the private sector… Hardly any “catch-up” wage rises in progress though eh?
ND/XPO have just had a pay rise, although I don’t think it had anything to do with fuel prices as I doubt any company would pay a driver more just because fuel prices have come down, would you agree to them dropping your pay the next time fuel goes up again?
Winseer:
The OP like myself is going to want to know "What do I get if I sign up with this company now, jump through all the hoops, have all the required entry tickets, etc.
What some long-term bod who’s been there years on either an old original contract or a taken over TUPE leaning one - is of no relevance at all - IF it’s not avaiable to a new recruit upon entry…
What a new recruit at ND/XPO gets is exactly the same as any other driver at that depot or on that contract, why would you think that a new starter would earn less, it isn’t some jobs for the boys or dead mans shoes type of company, it’s just logistics.
What hoops do you think you need to jump through, and what entry tickets do you require? A driving licence and current CPC is all you need, both of which you should have already, hardly asking for the world are they?
As already stated before, the OP ‘should’ be TUPE’d onto a ND/XPO contract so nothing will change for at least 12 months, if things then change and he’s not happy with the arrangement then he’s under no obligation to stay.
I’ve already stated roughly how much an ND/XPO driver earns, this isn’t guessing or hearsay, its FACT, my hourly rate is double figures.
Can’t vouch for what ND are like in the Uk, but can tell you they are one of if not the worst offender in France for Concurrence Déloyale ie bringing in cheap EE labour (literally bussing them in) from their bases in Poland.
Winseer:
As far as “balancing the books” is concerned… How much extra are hauliers making THIS full year after the drop in fuel prices compared to the previous 5 years for example?
Who’s passing on that windfall in lower overheads AND increased workload - to their drivers?
The media talks of “in line with inflation pay rises” returning to the private sector… Hardly any “catch-up” wage rises in progress though eh?
ND/XPO have just had a pay rise, although I don’t think it had anything to do with fuel prices as I doubt any company would pay a driver more just because fuel prices have come down, would you agree to them dropping your pay the next time fuel goes up again?
Winseer:
The OP like myself is going to want to know "What do I get if I sign up with this company now, jump through all the hoops, have all the required entry tickets, etc.
What some long-term bod who’s been there years on either an old original contract or a taken over TUPE leaning one - is of no relevance at all - IF it’s not avaiable to a new recruit upon entry…
What a new recruit at ND/XPO gets is exactly the same as any other driver at that depot or on that contract, why would you think that a new starter would earn less, it isn’t some jobs for the boys or dead mans shoes type of company, it’s just logistics.
What hoops do you think you need to jump through, and what entry tickets do you require? A driving licence and current CPC is all you need, both of which you should have already, hardly asking for the world are they?
As already stated before, the OP ‘should’ be TUPE’d onto a ND/XPO contract so nothing will change for at least 12 months, if things then change and he’s not happy with the arrangement then he’s under no obligation to stay.
I’ve already stated roughly how much an ND/XPO driver earns, this isn’t guessing or hearsay, its FACT, my hourly rate is double figures.
No we wouldn’t agree to “cut pay” pretty much at any time - but rates collapsed anyway during the period 2008-2014 didn’t they? Who’s to say that this was more about fuel prices than it was about “immigrants flooding the labour market” which is what we’re all led to believe?
If a new driver got exactly the same as one that had been there over a decade - that old hand would be looking for another job at the slightest provocation - surely?
