All the time that drivers rush around “to get the job done” and operators are happy to have their vehicles ■■■■■■■ for hours, for so called “good” customers to dictate the price, the industry will continue to decline. If you go into a supermarket and offer 10% less than the marked price you are unlikely to be able to buy that item. However, supermarkets seem to think it is the way that they should do business, so hauliers and suppliers appear happy accept it.
Until the day when common sense prevails in the haulage industry, and I will be long gone if it ever does, there will always be those who think it is intelligent to undercut the competition and work for nothing. This industry must be the biggest, unregistered, charity in the country.
I really am earning less than 20 years ago but so is every body else,only the ones at the top are any better off. Take a look what ‘Tradesmen’ are being offered,time served highly skilled workers, CNC operators,toolmakers,bricklayers all well paid jobs at one time now offered £7 -£8.50 per hour.If thats all on offer what do you do? take it or go hungry.
HGV driving is not what it was in any way but it is better than working in a factory or warehouse for even less money.
I have two sons 17 and 12 year old,they are the biggest worry…what the heck are they going to do ?
del949:
Don’t go down the usual road similar threads on here do. Blaming the unions and claiming that all strikes are useless.
The thing is that most of the union knockers would say in the next breath…“if we all stuck together…”, the very people who always look after number 1 and would never stand up for a mate against a chit employer.
Bum lickers.
Bum lickers.
[/quote]
You’ve hit the nail on the head there , thats the type of people that companies want now-[zb] ‘YES’ -men & a major factor of why the job is [zb]!
del949:
Don’t go down the usual road similar threads on here do. Blaming the unions and claiming that all strikes are useless.
The thing is that most of the union knockers would say in the next breath…“if we all stuck together…”, the very people who always look after number 1 and would never stand up for a mate against a chit employer.
Bum lickers.
The transport strike was January 1979. Drivers in this area were out for almost a month, it would have been done and dusted in a week if it wasn’t for the scabby b******s who carried on working. Regards to all ( especially those who stuck together all those years ago ) Haddy.
mick palmer:
I really am earning less than 20 years ago but so is every body else,only the ones at the top are any better off. Take a look what ‘Tradesmen’ are being offered,time served highly skilled workers, CNC operators,toolmakers,bricklayers all well paid jobs at one time now offered £7 -£8.50 per hour.If thats all on offer what do you do? take it or go hungry.
HGV driving is not what it was in any way but it is better than working in a factory or warehouse for even less money.
I have two sons 17 and 12 year old,they are the biggest worry…what the heck are they going to do ?
I was working for BRS over thirty years ago and the money was poor then compared with other jobs in London. I stopped driving full time then and resumed on a part-time basis a few years back.
The hourly rate has always been poor, it was only the hours and nights out that made the money acceptable. With BRS it was day work with no overtime.
del949:
Don’t go down the usual road similar threads on here do. Blaming the unions and claiming that all strikes are useless.
The thing is that most of the union knockers would say in the next breath…“if we all stuck together…”, the very people who always look after number 1 and would never stand up for a mate against a chit employer.
Bum lickers.
Well said Mick.
Fair point, very fair point,
But I have learnt to look after number 1, cant see many colleagues wanting to pay my mortgage when ive dropped myself in it helping them out, I will say my piece if I think its worth saying, but I will only do it to suit me first and foremost,
I go to work for me and my family, not for my colleagues.
I’m not old enough to know about the strikes, but over the years, and through my working life so far that was not all driving (factory / labourer / manual),
I’ve found in my opinion that unions don’t work any more . One of them where I used to work was in the managements pocket so to speak. Pay had never improved since it was privatised, and so everything else went down hill FAST (bonuses stopped & hours lengthened)!
The government has since put the ‘goal posts’ on wheels, there has been sooo many law / rule / contract changes that, you go to work, do your bit and go home, that’s it!! We’ve been ground down to a ‘head down - arse up - shut up and put up - ‘there’s always someone else’ work force/culture’
I think it’s not just the transport industry that needs to ‘down tools’, it’s the whole country.
This country’s finished! I don’t think we will ever ‘recover’ this time, we’re an ‘island’ so have to bow/kiss ■■■■ more and more to Europe!
I’m happy where I am now compared to the other company I used to work for.
It’s a better wage here, but it’s the cost of living that makes it look crap, I think that’s what the problem is with this country.
I remember the good old days of 1977 .The first time that I was laid off was in 77 last 65 men in were the first 65 out then in 79 was made redundant .Happy days to look back on.
the problem is were[including me] arnt prepared to stand up and do anything and managment know it, we got a calendar for xmas,nothing else.
one of our drivers was telling me about memo on board at another depot about xmas bonuse,i didnt believe him iniatly but when i went there it was on board plain to see.
if you work these daysyoull get a xtra xmas bonus of
dec 25 th -£75.00
dec 26 th- £75.00
dec 27 th-£50.00
jan 1st----£75.00
jan 3rd-£50.00
so theyve got[according to what day they work] a minium £50.00 xmas bonus or a max xmas bonus of £315.00,whilst weve had a calendar,what have we done other than moan amongst ourselves,jack ■■■■,you reap what you sow
frankly i couldnt be asked with reading every reply, but here is my tupenny worth
If we all decided enough was enough and went on strike, we’d soon find our way to the dole que, and some other halfwit, doing our jobs for half the money again. so i think we all just ■■■■ it up, and hope for better times
Pat Hasler:
in 1994 when a lot of us were made redundant from Fed Ex we all made more than that a week.
Think about the above bit of your opening post and tell me why you think the daft money you were obviously on was sustainable in the long term, then?
not made redundant because of high pay. Fed Ex pulled out of most domestic deliveries in the UK because of so much competition, TNT, Elan, United Carriers etc.
The contract I worked on was with Matchbox toys who were taken over by Tyco who then proceeded to shut the place down.
Never wanting to gloat,but,had a successful meeting with senior management today and walked away with a new leather coat,brand new Peterbuilt and substantial pay increase,oh and lunch at Moxys.Gotta love this country.
Pat Hasler:
1977 national transport strike … two weeks of almost total stoppage and flying pickets. The biggest hauler in the east midlands was Swifts and I worked for them, they caved in after two weeks and gave us 10% increase on our basic pay and doubled the holidays.
I was driving in 1977 and don’t remember a “National Transport Strike” it must have missed London and the rest of southern England. Come to think of it I cannot recall a strike at any time, that’s why we are in the situation we are today. We never stick together.
There were two national strikes in the 70’s, the first one originated in Scotland, at that time standard rate was sixty pence per hour, we wanted one pound per hour.
There was no flying pickets as such, but we did protect our jobs, this was done by “camping” on the doorstep of other haulage companies yards, that is company A drivers would picket company B, company B would picket company A, with this method no trucks were able to leave their yards.
Result we got our pound per hour, although they did try to screw us on bonus payments.
We also got what we wanted in the second strike, which I think was in 1979.
I was driving in 1977 and don’t remember a “National Transport Strike” it must have missed London and the rest of southern England. Come to think of it I cannot recall a strike at any time, that’s why we are in the situation we are today. We never stick together.
You must have been wearing blinkers then.
To be honest I thought it was '79 but probably wrong.
4 weeks on strike, got everything we asked for.
Supermarket shelves empty, special dispensations for animal feed etc.
I may have blinkers on but I am not stupid enough to go on strike, for four weeks, over pay. How many years did it take to make up for all the money you lost whilst on strike?
Make up your mind Waddy,first you say the situation we are in is because “we never stick together” then you say you are not stupid enough to go on strike!!!
I was driving in 1977 and don’t remember a “National Transport Strike” it must have missed London and the rest of southern England. Come to think of it I cannot recall a strike at any time, that’s why we are in the situation we are today. We never stick together.
You must have been wearing blinkers then.
To be honest I thought it was '79 but probably wrong.
4 weeks on strike, got everything we asked for.
Supermarket shelves empty, special dispensations for animal feed etc.
I may have blinkers on but I am not stupid enough to go on strike, for four weeks, over pay. How many years did it take to make up for all the money you lost whilst on strike?
Make up your mind Waddy,first you say the situation we are in is because “we never stick together” then you say you are not stupid enough to go on strike!!!
Unity and strikes don’t always go hand in hand.
I stopped driving HGV’s for a living in 1978 because I could earn more money elsewhere. I would have rather carried on but money was the governing factor.
flat to the mat:
Never wanting to gloat,but,had a successful meeting with senior management today and walked away with a new leather coat,brand new Peterbuilt and substantial pay increase,oh and lunch at Moxys.Gotta love this country.
Moxys? Hope their food’s better than their dumptrucks…
flat to the mat:
Never wanting to gloat,but,had a successful meeting with senior management today and walked away with a new leather coat,brand new Peterbuilt and substantial pay increase,oh and lunch at Moxys.Gotta love this country.
Is it -30degrees there yet
From 1/1/10 to 31/12/10 how many nights did you sleep in your own bed, rather than a 6’x6’ tin box for 10/14 days at a time
. One of them where I used to work was in the managements pocket so to speak. Pay had never improved since it was privatised, and so everything else went down hill FAST (bonuses stopped & hours lengthened)!
