I was thinking about it earlier. There shouldn’t be anyone who is unhappy with it. How do I work that one out then?
Well, it’s so open to abuse that you can make it work in your favour whether you’re the type that wants to work 1000 hours per week just 40 hours per week.
Think about it. Those that want to work max hours per week leave it on POA whenever they’re working, but not driving and those that only want to do minimal hours per week can “fiddle” it in the opposite direction to show you’ve been doing more “work” than you actually have hence having to keep your hours right down so you don’t exceed your average 48hr week.
Hasn’t made a ■■■■ bit of difference to my hours Before it came in there was all the talk about getting time off with pay when you’ve accrued too many hours, (what a joke), but due to the bloody POA when we are tipping or waiting for ferries etc which is deducted from your weekly total to bring it under 48 hours.
I,ve been trying deperately to get more than 48 hours “work” in in a week since it started but as i rarely do more than 48 hours in attendance i just cant do it.
The last 26 week period that has just finished i done 43 hours averasge.
Our lot are unhappy with it. Because the company can’t be arsed to read up about it and work out a proper system for keeping records we have been capped to 48 hours a week. That’s it, full stop. No more than 48 hours on the time sheet. Forget about deducting breaks or POA, 48 hours max on time sheet. Which means I will earn less than I was earning in '97.
Some of us have been in and complained and we have just been given (on Monday) two options the first was a derisory increase in the hourly rate (16p) or there’s the gate!
So it looks like I’ll be looking for a job next week.
I had a chance to call in the UK office a couple of weeks ago.
I was told they were concerned about my working hours.
My average working week was 8 hours other work, most of the other drivers were only doing 4 or 5
So I asked about the circle checks, and If I am doing them, why aren’t they?
I said I have 2.5 hours at least checking my truck, trailer and load security. Apparently that is too much
Sometime during the week we have to load a couple of trailers, book on ferries and actually wait on the road to enter premises.
Maybe I am reading the WTD wrong and these things do not count, but if I was a ministry man and saw a card that went from 0 to 56 mph within seconds of putting it in the tacho, followed ny 4.5,hours, I would be suspicious. especially when they have 2 hours lunch and drive another 4.5 hours
Been good for us…the requirement for a whole extra 5 minutes’ worth of paper work allowed our 2 “driver reps” to “negotiate” a £5 increase in the night out money, £7 bonus for every reload (been trying to get that for the past 15 years, I kid you not), and a shiny new extra pressure wash for the yard so we can get off earlier on a Friday…so that’s up to £50 a week pay rise and home quicker…
…We’re now all following our own interpretations of what we’re supposed to be doing, and waiting for someone to spot the discrepancy so we can “negotiate” again.
penfold:
Robinhood1984, I use the sandwich box or bed for POA, and crossed hammers for other work and driving.
Hi Penfold. Isn’t the sandwich box mode for ‘working’ or ‘duty’ and as such counted towards your 48hrs working time as on the tacho it doesn’t show you as having a break but rather as recorded work?
For 30 years I had to use the square box for other work, now someone in their wisdom has decided that the crossed hammers have to be used for other work and driving.
Robinhood_1984 and Penfold: I’m sure I read somewhere that during a POA it is ok to change mode from “sandwich” to “bed” to register a meal break or rest then back to “sandwich” again if still on POA!
Personaly i dont use the POA, i’m either driving, working or taking a break, i have the mode set on cross hammers while driving, then when i stop it shows other work, get the low down on waiting time or where to tip/load, then either move to rest or open curtains to tip/load, then go to rest mode, back on other work to clip up, and of you go. At the end of the day your card will show driving to other work to rest to other work to driving, or driving to rest when a break is taken. I think that like this i can claim that i make the vehicle ready to tip/load, then make it ready to run again, in between i’m on rest as i’m not physicaly tipping or loading myself, whilst in my cab i have access to food and drink can read or watch TV, and if i want knock the seat back or get on the bunk and inspect my eyelids, i class these as rest period activities, thats my story and i’m sticking to it
Never used POA …Way isee it where i work useing poa would guarantee you being used to cover extra shift’s to cover the people over the average hour’s that are now off work to get the hours into the reg’s
Stupid, ME , never !!!
Devious ■■? maybe …
.
Before it came in there was all the talk about getting time off with pay when you’ve accrued too many hours, (what a joke), but due to the bloody POA when we are tipping or waiting for ferries etc which is deducted from your weekly total to bring it under 48 hours.
