I find it a real shame that in dear old blighty only "marginalised" groups are seen as looking after normal working class peoples' basic rights, AND FAILING.
I, personally would love to see someone jump over the "hand-to-mouth" hurdle and bother to do something about the way we are treated in this industry.
The way I see it. The present position of the same-day industry is untenable under EC law, in the sense that you must attend work every day or be fired "at will", this "at-will" system is legal in the USA, the Third World and virtually nowhere else.
If any knowledgeable reader could shed any light on how this situation could be legally challenged I would be most grateful.
there is a huge hurdle in that the vast majority of riders are off the books and hence understandably unwilling to put their name to anything that could land them in the shit. courier companies are using the "piece work" model to pay a courier per delivery while ignoring the statutory minimum wage, this model was set up for seasonal workers and anyone who works for a company for 18 months is entitled to (in fact i believe the employer is obliged to offer) full employment and all the benefits that brings.
how to put it right? fuck knows, questions in parliament? letters to your politician? you'd sure as shit be pretty unpopular and that's just with the riders! i'm all for it but i have the benefit of currently being outside the industry.
"the vast majority of riders are off the books", yeah agreed, been there. But they're off the books because thay can't find a way in.
The fact remains that we all got our jobs in the first place by being freely hired muppets (no exceptions), as a result we have a mistrust of a system that might restrict "free-hiring" rather than "free-firing".
Surely the laws are all in place and it would only take a committed campaign to give the City Sprint et al a dose of "Social Democracy".
I strongly and honestly believe that it would not damage the industry at the rider's end at all. I would like to explain why I think this... The big same-day companies are always vociferously explaining that any financial relaxation on their part would only harm their company's employees through an inevitable knock-on effect, such as...
"By getting the staff to pay for their costs reduces company overheads, if the company took on this cost as well as anything that was described as aperishable item with the company logo then this could mean a reduction in rider fees, or less riders on circuit." (Gregory Potatoe)
This, and arguements like it are deliberately and transparently calculated to deceive. Bus drivers do not pay for their buses and be thankful that there are MORE bus drivers because they are subsidising the system.
Basically, in a cut-throat financial system, people will get fucking shafted and the shafter will tell the shaftee that it is in everyone's best interests that they go home penniless.
..back to my point. Ultimately, there is a bare minimum of people who like cycling around in the rain being treated like shit by pretty girls behind huge mahogany desks. We think that there is a lot of competition but there isn't.
The people that we fear will take our jobs are here today and gone tomorrow, like Catweazle they have been fired illegally because they are "slow". We need to look beyond the same-day industry's present (exploitative) business model and demand that these companies get in line with everyone else.
Anyone who has had a normal job long enough will know that if you are shit at your job, you will either be taught to do it properly or you will feel unwelcome enough to think about trying something else.
The only upshot could possibly be that we would have some RIGHTS.
I love it being Carter-Ruck and Co. being City Sprint's lawyers. They're the most expensive libel firm there is. When Peter Carter-Ruck was still alive, he got pissed off with "Private Eye" calling him and his firm "Farter-Ruck". Suing Private Eye over something as trivial and childish as that would have been bad form, even for a lawyer, so Peter Carter-Ruck wrote them a letter, demanding they stop mis-printing his name. Private Eye printed an apology on page 3 in huge letters that went something like: "It has been brought to out attention that we have persistently been mis-spelling the name of a prominent libel lawyer in Fetter Lane as "Peter Farter-Ruck" and his company as "Farter-Ruck and Co." The name of the company is, in point of fact, "Carter-Fuck and Co." and its senior partner is Mr. Peter Carter-Fuck. We sincerely apologise for our error and any embarrassment it has caused to Mr. Carter-Fuck, or any employees of Carter-Fuck and Co. We undertake not to mis-spell Mr. Carter-Fuck's name as "Farter-Ruck" in any further issues." Carter-Ruck gave up and Private Eye still calls the firm "Carter-Fuck" to this day.
"By getting the staff to pay for their costs reduces company overheads, if the company took on this cost as well as anything that was described as aperishable item with the company logo then this could mean a reduction in rider fees, or less riders on circuit." (Gregory Potatoe)
This, and arguements like it are deliberately and transparently calculated to deceive. Bus drivers do not pay for their buses and be thankful that there are MORE bus drivers because they are subsidising the system.
and what about Airline pilots and Oil Ship cargo captains, they dont have to pay for their equipment. They must have good union reps.
I think theres a bit of a price difference between the jolly red bus and the CS livery.
Apart from the fact that CS are a complete bunch of bastards, the pay as you go employment can be a good system. It worked for Reuters and probably just as well at most of the other ok companies. CS are idiots though, if a change in the law happened tomorrow where as all riders were on the books, taxed and insured. CS would go bankrupt, they are dependent on these riders and they are biting the hand that feeds them. There is no way that they would be able to cover their circuits when the price of employment doubles. And sacking Cat weazle for not working on xmas eve....I mean, what is it, fucking scrooge time. But its a good thing we have a Labour goverment, they are a party for the people.
I suppose we could print off a few(100)magazines with this expensive libel firm as a subject of a libelous and false article in amongst some ads and genuine industry articles, give it a front cover, post around a few firms as a genuine mag, hopefully carter Fuck and co get a hold of it and then let the expensive fun begin. muhahahahaha
I am a CS van driver but I have worked for large companies.
When we had contractors they were only employed on 6 month contracts. After a year they were entitled to certain employment rights.
After 2 years they had to be made permanent or leave as you are only allowed 4 x 6 month contracts, so in 99% of the cases the temp left.
Also, if you only contract to 1 company during the financial year you are classified by HM Customs as employed (IR35) and therefore you will be taxed as a normal person and not as self employed.
We are basically employed but their business model is to keep costs to a minimum.
Although we have a contract which is the agreement between ourselves and CS to provide them with a service every time we accept a job we are entering into a contract to deliver the goods from A to B and when the POD is signed the contract is finsihed,.
IF you are injured during the time you have acccepted the job and the POB you are/should be covered by CS insurance. At all other times it is at your rsk.
edit: not letting me post the image but it's on page 30, basically the comparisons between a stripper who got sacked from stringfellows and private hire drivers employment deals