i find it very disheartening that a lot of firms are going down the temp/casual contract road at the moment. freightliner have just set on 7 drivers in leeds on a 6 month temp contracts. i know downtons, stobarts, widdowsons and roadways new drivers on temp or casual contracts. where is this going to leave us on permanent contracts are we stuck in the same jobs weather we like them or not cos we cant leave due to going from a permanent to a casual.
its crap
whats the vision for the future and has your firms introduced temp/casual contracts for new starters.
It’s a sad fact JD, that since the eastern european invasion over the past few years, the wages have gone downhill fast. It’s now the same to employ an agency driver on todays rates, as it is to employ a full time driver who has to be paid on par with existing drivers. Factor in holiday, sick pay, employers n.i contributions and the fact they can lay drivers off for the day when it’s quiet, as opposed to paying you a flat day for one local job. And the fact it’s one invoice to pay instead of 7 lots of wages. The only ones losing out are the drivers themselves, who will be at least a pound an hour worse off than full time drivers. Tesco use 60 agency drivers over a 24 hr period, do you think I can get on there? Can I heck
I have been on the agency for over a year now with mainly one client although said client could take on 20+ drivers they don’t for the reasons already mentioned this is very dis-heartening when I started out 20 odd years ago the agency was a way for a potential employer to have a look at you and see if you were worth offering a job to. Now it seems that agency staff make up a high percentage of the workforce all year round and not just at busy periods. When I see a truck with with L plates on I think to myself you have no chance mate, if I can’t get a start after twenty years what hope have you got.
Its not just the haulage industry that does this - My last project managers job was on a 6 month temporary contract. They lost out in the end though as I was offered a permanent job by another firm so I left before the end of the 6 months leaving them to sort out another project manager They weren’t very pleased but hey they should have given me a full time job
its not just haulage most office jobs are run like that I work in a london university and we have a vacancy and it has been advertised internally and is only a 1 year contract this has never happened before a sign of the times
are these contacts a temp contract for say 6 months as a trial or are they temp contacts forever if they are then the employers are seeing the financial benifits for now but give it a little while and see how they feel when they a bunch of drivers that dont give a ■■■■ because they know when work goes quiet they are out on there ear.
i think part of it is that it is harder to dismiss someone after a year’s employment, so if you are on a short -term contract it can never be an issue.
Speaking to an employment solicitor last year, he had been to a tribunal because the emplyer had sacked a driver for stealing diesel, but he had just finished them not gone through the proper procedure and had been done for that, even though the evidence was there for the theft.
We only take on, on a full contract - i don’t see how you can expect someone to have faith in you if you don’t show faith in someone else.
jessicas dad:
i find it very disheartening that a lot of firms are going down the temp/casual contract road at the moment. freightliner have just set on 7 drivers in leeds on a 6 month temp contracts. i know downtons, stobarts, widdowsons and roadways new drivers on temp or casual contracts. where is this going to leave us on permanent contracts are we stuck in the same jobs weather we like them or not cos we cant leave due to going from a permanent to a casual.
its crap
whats the vision for the future and has your firms introduced temp/casual contracts for new starters.
a.f.a.i.k most of the new ones at our place are full time,the catch is its fri-tues,thurs-mon or any combination that has sat/sun as part of your working week, no chance of mon-fri .
the few casuals ones are quite happy with there lot , mon and fri casual,rest of week window cleaning,sun casual,rest of week some sort of copper.
never heard them moan, they get set start times and within reason set jobs.
but i know what you mean,ive been looking on p.c and all i can find is 99% temporary agency
When you get to a certain age you take what is on offer. If it’s casual then it is better than nothing. There is always the possibility that as a casual who has proved themselves, they might have a better chance of a permanent post when one arises.
As has been said in other posts, it is common throughout most trades. The employment legislation over the years has helped create this situation. If you take on someone that is useless then you have one hell of a job to get rid of them. It is like much that parliament introduces, it soon loses its advantages and becomes a burden.
They weren’t very pleased but hey they should have given me a full time job