At the yard yesterday there were a few machine drivers lurking about with not much to do, I brought back a couple of machines in a right ■■■■ state and one of the drivers immediately got stuck in to cleaning them whilst the others continued watching the fitter do some welding.
As I was sorting my paperwork in the office I heard the boss say “Tomorrow Mick you can stay at home - with pay, you’ve worked bloody hard today” Old Mick is a funny old chap and said that he hadn’t finished cleaning the machines, he was reassured that there would be spare bodies in the yard today who could do it but he didn’t seem keen. In the end the boss said “well if you’re happy to come in…” I campaigned for the day at home but it didn’t seem to be transferable, and Mick was in the yard today. I even heard him saying that he struggled to get up this morning.
If things are that quiet I’ll bet he’s wondering about his job and would rather be seen as a willing worker in case the axe falls on someone.
It sounds grim there.
Some blokes just can’t stay away, I’m sure we’ve all met the sad cases who have nothing better do but spend all Saturday in the yard polishing the wheels and the guvnor’s chocolate starfish.
Things aren’t too desperate, one week there will be a few blokes in and two later the yard is empty and all the drivers are working. Nearly all the drivers have been there forever and for all his faults the boss is old school who has kept blokes on when really he shouldn’t have.
This particular driver is not a brown noser just a bloke who wants to come to work and work when he gets there. None of our blokes are workshy but I’m not sure anyone else would have dragged themselves in.