Was chatting to one of the few British agency drivers at our place last night who told me that he only gets the straight 8 hour shifts now because Manpower always dish out the long shifts to the Polish drivers.
Apparently the Polish drivers are employed by a division of Manpower based in Poland and they are paid around £3 per hour less than the UK drivers. Manpower charge Royal Mail the same rate so make more profit on the deal.
He also reckons that the drivers at the Sainsburys depot in Bristol are almost all Polish now!
What hope is there for the bloody future if it continues like this!?
I think you may be right, I just started with another agency who promised me the world just like my last agency did, but just like the other agency i’m only getting 2-3 days here and there
When i do go into work the own account drivers tell me they’ve had east euro’s in all week
It was a good earner being a self employed driver for a while, but i think the days are definately numbered, which is why i going back to being a wage slave, gonna be doing euro work though so not all bad
I really am not one of those “haters” who whinges about the Eastern Europeans but I think this “home office” in whatever country could become a problem.
I’m not convinced, but I think Driver Hire may have something similar running.
A few times recently when they’ve rung me up about a job I’ve said “Ok yes I’ll take that please” and they’ve said “Right I’ll put you down but I can’t confirm it yet as we have to talk to another office first” - and then I end up not getting that job.
Being in an area where there is a significant Polish and Romanian community I’m a bit worried that it could possibly be being run from agencies in other countries - am I just being paranoid?
If people want to come to this country, live here, work here and pay their taxes then good luck to them, thats fine with me, but living here, working here and organising it all through “home base” to undercut the locals, and thus not pay your NI contributions etc simply isn’t on.
Was chatting to one of the few British agency drivers at our place last night who told me that he only gets the straight 8 hour shifts now because Manpower always dish out the long shifts to the Polish drivers.
Apparently the Polish drivers are employed by a division of Manpower based in Poland and they are paid around £3 per hour less than the UK drivers. Manpower charge Royal Mail the same rate so make more profit on the deal.
He also reckons that the drivers at the Sainsburys depot in Bristol are almost all Polish now!
What hope is there for the bloody future if it continues like this!?
Whilst enjoying a pint or two last saturday night, with two of my postie driver mates, they casually let it slip, that, Mr Alan Leighton`s {TOP DOG @ the post office] wife is the BOSS @ Manpower
Surely this stitch up is against “PLC” rules ■■?
One of these drivers paid for her own class 1 licence, she wants to transfer to the EMA trunking operation, as they are “short” of employed drivers, she was promised a transfer, BUT, on applying for the job, was informed that there were no vacancies ■■?
There are more Manpower drivers in there every shift than their own drivers…
I Do not think this is true as I believe Royal Mail dictate to Manpower what the driver will be paid and iam sure that they will not allow polish drivers to be paid any less than anybody else for doing the same job.
My experiance tells me that companies prefer GOOD Brit drivers
burnie1:
I Do not think this is true as I believe Royal Mail dictate to Manpower what the driver will be paid and iam sure that they will not allow polish drivers to be paid any less than anybody else for doing the same job.
My experiance tells me that companies prefer GOOD Brit drivers.
So you’re right and everyone posting before you is wrong?
My experience tells me you’re blowing out your back passage.
burnie1:
My experiance tells me that companies prefer GOOD Brit drivers
Replace the GOOD with CHEAP and I’d agree with you.
POLES are CHEAP so really companies dont give a ■■■■ who they employ!!!
Also the Eastern European Drivers are far less likely to ■■■■■ and moan about each other and the company they are working for and so just get on with the job.
Driver Hire (Fife) was the same, i was one of the main night trunk drivers and get 4 x 10hr shifts a week, Monday to Thursday, and the polish guys that did the same trunks also got Saturday’s on day shift…
burnie1:
I Do not think this is true as I believe Royal Mail dictate to Manpower what the driver will be paid and iam sure that they will not allow polish drivers to be paid any less than anybody else for doing the same job.
My experiance tells me that companies prefer GOOD Brit drivers
Also worth remembering that Royal Snail are one of the few companies (BT is the other one) where the union still have a lot of clout.
One word to the shop steward that agency drivers are doing the job for less than the agreed rate and there’d be hell on.
sorry Hitch, Me and my big mouth!!