| Posties…. 23:18 - Aug 9 with 14440 views | colinallcars |
Four days strike action in Aug and Sept. We should really get behind them on this issue.
They are an integral part of all our lives and, I feel, somewhat taken for granted.
Give them a good pay rise to show how much we appreciate them. |  | | |  |
| Posties…. on 12:38 - Aug 11 with 1265 views | stowmarketrange |
| Posties…. on 12:31 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
I'm glad I'm at the start of my working life where boring manual monotonous tasks are being automated in favour of people doing work that is actually rewarding.
If the best part of being a postman is the caring for the community aspect, why not drop the postal part and just become a full-time carer? |
I don’t work in Royal Mail any more,but I guess the workforce has been cut to the bone already,and the only posties left will be delivery staff or people to empty the machines once the letters have been automatically read by machines.So how would modernise it any more?
Do you think that we should all collect our own post from the delivery office,or have bigger rounds for the existing delivery posties?
Answers on a postcard please. |  | | |
| Posties…. on 12:41 - Aug 11 with 1242 views | Hayesender |
| Posties…. on 12:31 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
I'm glad I'm at the start of my working life where boring manual monotonous tasks are being automated in favour of people doing work that is actually rewarding.
If the best part of being a postman is the caring for the community aspect, why not drop the postal part and just become a full-time carer? |
Trust me, you wouldn't want me or any of my work colleagues wiping your elderly relatives arse 😉 |  |
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| Posties…. on 12:57 - Aug 11 with 1177 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 12:38 - Aug 11 by stowmarketrange |
I don’t work in Royal Mail any more,but I guess the workforce has been cut to the bone already,and the only posties left will be delivery staff or people to empty the machines once the letters have been automatically read by machines.So how would modernise it any more?
Do you think that we should all collect our own post from the delivery office,or have bigger rounds for the existing delivery posties?
Answers on a postcard please. |
I've lived in countries where you have to go and get your mail from the mailbox. It's really not that big a deal. In many cases, it actually works better as it reduces the risk of things going missing.
Tbh pre-covid I was at work all day, so that's basically how royal mail worked for me anyway, if someone sent stuff through Royal Mail I'd have to remember to go up to the sorting office and get it after work the next day (But not today, cos it won't be ready yet).
Maybe I'm just too young to have ever really experienced this wholesome postal service you all speak of. |  |
| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 13:00 - Aug 11 with 1166 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 12:41 - Aug 11 by Hayesender |
Trust me, you wouldn't want me or any of my work colleagues wiping your elderly relatives arse 😉 |
Given the vacancies in the care sector, actually, I think I might, given the alternative is to have nobody do it.
And actually, we really need to get away from the idea that care work = cleaning up elderly people's shit. A lot of it is just checking up on people, making them a cup of tea, maybe pushing the hoover around for them.....I've done many years of care work and I reckon I've had to clean up shit twice. Granted, I was lucky with my clients, but it is what it is. [Post edited 11 Aug 2022 13:16]
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| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 13:04 - Aug 11 with 1168 views | LazyFan |
| Posties…. on 21:28 - Aug 10 by Hayesender |
The reality is, if royal mail doesn't deliver your letters no one else will as its a loss making part of the company, ie, there's no profit in it.
TNT tried it a few years ago. It didn't last long.
You'll end up having to go to collect your mail from a hub in the middle of some shite industrial estate miles from civilisation |
My own business did some work for TNT last year, I had to chase them for 6 months to get paid.
We withheld some of our services which ended in bad reviews for us as of course their workers don't care about us as a service provider getting paid by their company.
Now they are owned by FedEx and the general feeling was they were going to lose their jobs and so no one cared (hence me having to chase).
This shows what happens when the corps get a hold of the workers, quality goes down.
Postman Pat is what makes us British, but I notice the right whingers are not supporting British jobs this time, funny that. |  |
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| Posties…. on 13:06 - Aug 11 with 1152 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 13:04 - Aug 11 by LazyFan |
My own business did some work for TNT last year, I had to chase them for 6 months to get paid.
We withheld some of our services which ended in bad reviews for us as of course their workers don't care about us as a service provider getting paid by their company.
Now they are owned by FedEx and the general feeling was they were going to lose their jobs and so no one cared (hence me having to chase).
This shows what happens when the corps get a hold of the workers, quality goes down.
Postman Pat is what makes us British, but I notice the right whingers are not supporting British jobs this time, funny that. |
Looking after the elderly on the other hand is non-British work for non-British people, according to you. Let's import some cheap Lithuanians to do that bit. | |
| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 13:12 - Aug 11 with 1144 views | DavieQPR |
So far this year I've had no deliveries all of January, first 2 weeks of Feb, 3 weeks in March.1 week April and May. Until the 2nd week of this month we were only getting letter deliveries 3 days a week at 4pm or later and parcel deliveries twice a week. That's for London outskirts. If they go on strike don't think anyone in my area would notice. |  | | |
| Posties…. on 13:25 - Aug 11 with 1120 views | Superhoops2808 |
| Posties…. on 20:09 - Aug 10 by Hayesender |
This is about a lot more than our wages, it's also about our working hours and conditions.
They're trying to turn us into another Amazon/DHL/Hermies type of company with no sick pay, and zero hour contract type of working, not knowing our shifts week to week.
Good luck getting tickets, passports, debit cards etc delivered when that happens |
We've had our postman for 20 years delivering to us and just like Dave he's gobby git and worst still he is a Charlton supporter so this week he's been a nightmare 
But if I am at home, he always takes 5 minutes to grab a chat and if we had no postman we would really be lost without him. If not in, knows where to leave parcels and I can tell you now, if he saw anything suspicious when we are at work, he wouldnt hesitate to report it.
He explained to me the strike situation today. He said he's not bothered about the money side of it but the their T&C's being changed are wrong. If I got the right end of the stick, they wont get PAID hours to do overtime, just given the hours back. So where is the incentive to do any overtime?
Now, I dont agree with strikes/unions etc but thats a personal thing, I hope that they get to sit down and resolve the issues. Being a private company suggests that there is often more movement than when its the government.
Good luck Dave and others, hope you get it resolved because I would hate to lose our postman |  | | |
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| Posties…. on 13:38 - Aug 11 with 1101 views | LazyFan |
| Posties…. on 13:06 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
Looking after the elderly on the other hand is non-British work for non-British people, according to you. Let's import some cheap Lithuanians to do that bit. |
No that would be scum like New Labour who wind up people with their corporate capitalism divide and fuel the right by doing so.
I said it was British jobs and use Postman Pat to prove we are known around the world for our wonderful Posties as that show has been shown everywhere. So, that's how they see one aspect of us, yes not all aspects, but one useful aspect of being British.
Who does the job and where they are from, I made no comment about as I don't really care as long as they do it well. I dont care if the postie turns up in a mankini and has a MAGA hat on. As long gas they do they job and are supported to continue to do that job properly (that's the sustainability and leadership part I never see on the right of politics).
I think care workers should be paid way more as well as the evidence has shown that these so-called 'manual' worker jobs are actually super key to our nation. Truck drivers, care workers, posties, cleaners and so on, were critical during Covid, meaning they are critical all the time. Along with scientists who broke corporate capitalist copyright law to work together to get the vaccines out quicker than ever before to save lives. BTW I am scientist too, but in a different field and I support all the workers above as that is what the empirical evidence (facts) has shown me.
As for magic money tree's to pay for all this, well the money was there to save the Banks in 2008, it was there to bribe the DUP with $1bn to hold a govt together, it was there for Covid and it will be there for Energy. It seems there is a whole Forest of magic money trees to bailout capitalism with our taxes (wage payments).
But these do not put Energy, Water, Trains and so on, under British citizenship control (owning is not enough we need full active control) so, once they make money, it goes back to the few at the expense of the many who we now know are key to this nation's success no matter where those workers come from. We sold off our British assets and so now they are no longer an asset to us, they are an asset to those who own them, which is not us. Watch out Police, Army, NHS, Schools will be next, after all the capitliasts see no difference for them.
The problem isn't the immigrants, the problem isn't even that the powerful (so not us) that have created evil conditions abroad so, they are forced to come here or as close as for a better life, nor is it that those same powerful people start to create the same conditions here too as these problems will always be there.
No, the problem is when people deflect AWAY from the rich and powerful doing this with a view of "I don't care about strikes, but write a lot about how they don't care" and mention Lithuanians which I know nothing about except when I worked at a UK Bank which had outsourced a site there and the bosses were complaining they could not get the staff as there were hardly any Lithuanians in the country at all. They only have just over 2m people. Hence why I know nothing about em, we couldn't find em to give em the jobs!!!!
Forget about "cheap" Lithuanians, can you find "any" Lithuanians that would be more to the point?
Answer is NO as there are too few of em. | |
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| Posties…. on 13:53 - Aug 11 with 1061 views | Hayesender |
| Posties…. on 13:25 - Aug 11 by Superhoops2808 |
We've had our postman for 20 years delivering to us and just like Dave he's gobby git and worst still he is a Charlton supporter so this week he's been a nightmare
But if I am at home, he always takes 5 minutes to grab a chat and if we had no postman we would really be lost without him. If not in, knows where to leave parcels and I can tell you now, if he saw anything suspicious when we are at work, he wouldnt hesitate to report it.
He explained to me the strike situation today. He said he's not bothered about the money side of it but the their T&C's being changed are wrong. If I got the right end of the stick, they wont get PAID hours to do overtime, just given the hours back. So where is the incentive to do any overtime?
Now, I dont agree with strikes/unions etc but thats a personal thing, I hope that they get to sit down and resolve the issues. Being a private company suggests that there is often more movement than when its the government.
Good luck Dave and others, hope you get it resolved because I would hate to lose our postman |
Cheers Brian. I'll sort you out that pint soon | |
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| Posties…. on 14:09 - Aug 11 with 1041 views | daveB |
| Posties…. on 11:44 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
I'm under 30, so I get most of my letters electronically. All my bills, all my statements, payslips, everything is electronic, either sent to me via email or held on a portal. The only things I get from Royal mail are "You've been pre-selected for a credit card, please apply now" & Birthday/Christmas cards. Or occasionally, junk mail is still sent to my dad, who died over 3 years ago.
We're also being told all the time that we're in a climate emergency - Is having the thick end of 50k vans driving around delivering mail - which in many cases is a complete waste of paper - really that necessary? A big part of "going green" is reducing how much paper we use.
Like the trains, Royal mail is in desperate need of modernisation. Also like the trains, they can strike whenever they want for all I care, I've got the technology to work around it. |
Just becasue you don't need the post or trains to get on with your life perhaps worth considering that other people do need these services.
The issue isn't really do we need Royal Mail it's more about working conditions that may not affect you today but probably will in the future if these companies are able to change contracts to zero hours, get rid of over time, cut benefits etc, if they are able to get away with that now see how much they try and get away with in years to comes.
Look across the pond to America where some people are paid peanuts and have to rely on customers giving them money on top of what they pay for a service to ensure they have a living wage. They get what 10 days holiday a year compared to us getting at least 4 weeks in most jobs and they have to pay for all their medical needs. That shit would be here already if unions had not stood up to various govertments of both main parties as well as leaders of a varity of industries and fought for our rights.
It may only be the postman today and well i can live without the post so who cares but if they lose it will snowball into other industries. |  | | |
| Posties…. on 14:10 - Aug 11 with 1028 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 13:38 - Aug 11 by LazyFan |
No that would be scum like New Labour who wind up people with their corporate capitalism divide and fuel the right by doing so.
I said it was British jobs and use Postman Pat to prove we are known around the world for our wonderful Posties as that show has been shown everywhere. So, that's how they see one aspect of us, yes not all aspects, but one useful aspect of being British.
Who does the job and where they are from, I made no comment about as I don't really care as long as they do it well. I dont care if the postie turns up in a mankini and has a MAGA hat on. As long gas they do they job and are supported to continue to do that job properly (that's the sustainability and leadership part I never see on the right of politics).
I think care workers should be paid way more as well as the evidence has shown that these so-called 'manual' worker jobs are actually super key to our nation. Truck drivers, care workers, posties, cleaners and so on, were critical during Covid, meaning they are critical all the time. Along with scientists who broke corporate capitalist copyright law to work together to get the vaccines out quicker than ever before to save lives. BTW I am scientist too, but in a different field and I support all the workers above as that is what the empirical evidence (facts) has shown me.
As for magic money tree's to pay for all this, well the money was there to save the Banks in 2008, it was there to bribe the DUP with $1bn to hold a govt together, it was there for Covid and it will be there for Energy. It seems there is a whole Forest of magic money trees to bailout capitalism with our taxes (wage payments).
But these do not put Energy, Water, Trains and so on, under British citizenship control (owning is not enough we need full active control) so, once they make money, it goes back to the few at the expense of the many who we now know are key to this nation's success no matter where those workers come from. We sold off our British assets and so now they are no longer an asset to us, they are an asset to those who own them, which is not us. Watch out Police, Army, NHS, Schools will be next, after all the capitliasts see no difference for them.
The problem isn't the immigrants, the problem isn't even that the powerful (so not us) that have created evil conditions abroad so, they are forced to come here or as close as for a better life, nor is it that those same powerful people start to create the same conditions here too as these problems will always be there.
No, the problem is when people deflect AWAY from the rich and powerful doing this with a view of "I don't care about strikes, but write a lot about how they don't care" and mention Lithuanians which I know nothing about except when I worked at a UK Bank which had outsourced a site there and the bosses were complaining they could not get the staff as there were hardly any Lithuanians in the country at all. They only have just over 2m people. Hence why I know nothing about em, we couldn't find em to give em the jobs!!!!
Forget about "cheap" Lithuanians, can you find "any" Lithuanians that would be more to the point?
Answer is NO as there are too few of em. |
What is your actual point? That 50 thousand vans idling all day is sustainable? That we need to pay postmen the same as doctors because Postman Pat (Long since discredited by the woke crowd) is popular on German kids TV? Cos it seems like you're just ranting without making any actual points. | |
| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 14:14 - Aug 11 with 1016 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 14:09 - Aug 11 by daveB |
Just becasue you don't need the post or trains to get on with your life perhaps worth considering that other people do need these services.
The issue isn't really do we need Royal Mail it's more about working conditions that may not affect you today but probably will in the future if these companies are able to change contracts to zero hours, get rid of over time, cut benefits etc, if they are able to get away with that now see how much they try and get away with in years to comes.
Look across the pond to America where some people are paid peanuts and have to rely on customers giving them money on top of what they pay for a service to ensure they have a living wage. They get what 10 days holiday a year compared to us getting at least 4 weeks in most jobs and they have to pay for all their medical needs. That shit would be here already if unions had not stood up to various govertments of both main parties as well as leaders of a varity of industries and fought for our rights.
It may only be the postman today and well i can live without the post so who cares but if they lose it will snowball into other industries. |
People in America are paid peanuts? That's just not true. The average US salary is knocking on towards double the average UK salary.
The UK has some of the strongest employment laws in the world. Strong to the point that companies find it cheaper and easier to outsource operations to agencies & abroad than actually employ people and run it themselves. Where are you getting all this from? [Post edited 11 Aug 2022 14:18]
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| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 14:32 - Aug 11 with 972 views | daveB |
| Posties…. on 14:14 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
People in America are paid peanuts? That's just not true. The average US salary is knocking on towards double the average UK salary.
The UK has some of the strongest employment laws in the world. Strong to the point that companies find it cheaper and easier to outsource operations to agencies & abroad than actually employ people and run it themselves. Where are you getting all this from? [Post edited 11 Aug 2022 14:18]
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I did say some people are paid peanuts, mostly in the service and retail industries who rely on tips to take home a living wage, of course wasn't suggesting everyone in America is paid peanuts
The strong employment laws in the UK come from unions fighting for them which is what they are doing now with these strikes and it's why the govertment want to ban strikes to ensure they can make significant changes without challenge. [Post edited 11 Aug 2022 14:33]
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| Posties…. on 14:33 - Aug 11 with 966 views | stowmarketrange |
| Posties…. on 12:57 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
I've lived in countries where you have to go and get your mail from the mailbox. It's really not that big a deal. In many cases, it actually works better as it reduces the risk of things going missing.
Tbh pre-covid I was at work all day, so that's basically how royal mail worked for me anyway, if someone sent stuff through Royal Mail I'd have to remember to go up to the sorting office and get it after work the next day (But not today, cos it won't be ready yet).
Maybe I'm just too young to have ever really experienced this wholesome postal service you all speak of. |
That is a very selfish and impractical solution to the problem.Obviously you are young and fit enough to collect your own post,but what about people that aren’t able to do so?The elderly,the infirm,those people who have to rely on a daily/weekly bus to take them to their nearest delivery office?Or those that might be at work for 12 hour shifts during the day?
And it’s impractical because you would get everyone turning up on the off chance that they’ve had a letter that day,or would the postie drop a card through the door to tell you that you had mail to collect?
My first delivery office was SW1,and at a rough guess that had 100,000+ delivery addresses in their location.Could your local office cope with 100,000 people turning up everyday in case they have mail to pick up?Or would you have to book a time slot to pick up your junk mail?
And how many more staff would they have to employ with 100,000 people turning up each day?And imagine the length of the queues.And that’s without the Christmas rush. | | | |
| Posties…. on 14:43 - Aug 11 with 943 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 14:33 - Aug 11 by stowmarketrange |
That is a very selfish and impractical solution to the problem.Obviously you are young and fit enough to collect your own post,but what about people that aren’t able to do so?The elderly,the infirm,those people who have to rely on a daily/weekly bus to take them to their nearest delivery office?Or those that might be at work for 12 hour shifts during the day?
And it’s impractical because you would get everyone turning up on the off chance that they’ve had a letter that day,or would the postie drop a card through the door to tell you that you had mail to collect?
My first delivery office was SW1,and at a rough guess that had 100,000+ delivery addresses in their location.Could your local office cope with 100,000 people turning up everyday in case they have mail to pick up?Or would you have to book a time slot to pick up your junk mail?
And how many more staff would they have to employ with 100,000 people turning up each day?And imagine the length of the queues.And that’s without the Christmas rush. |
How do mailboxes in those countries cope when 100,000 people rock up for their mail? Oh, they don't do that, because most people don't bother paying for a mailbox. How do they get their junk mail then? They don't - Junk mail literally does not exist in those places from my experience, certainly not in the way it does here, because it's not effective.
FWIW today's post consisted of x1 catalog for a shop called Lakeland. | |
| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 14:54 - Aug 11 with 913 views | stowmarketrange |
| Posties…. on 14:43 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
How do mailboxes in those countries cope when 100,000 people rock up for their mail? Oh, they don't do that, because most people don't bother paying for a mailbox. How do they get their junk mail then? They don't - Junk mail literally does not exist in those places from my experience, certainly not in the way it does here, because it's not effective.
FWIW today's post consisted of x1 catalog for a shop called Lakeland. |
I don’t know mate because I’ve never lived anywhere else but the uk,but I regularly get post that I wasn’t expecting,so how would I know that I have any to pick up?
And if you couldn’t afford a mailbox,how would you get any Mail? | | | |
| Posties…. on 14:56 - Aug 11 with 901 views | SheffieldHoop |
| Posties…. on 14:32 - Aug 11 by daveB |
I did say some people are paid peanuts, mostly in the service and retail industries who rely on tips to take home a living wage, of course wasn't suggesting everyone in America is paid peanuts
The strong employment laws in the UK come from unions fighting for them which is what they are doing now with these strikes and it's why the govertment want to ban strikes to ensure they can make significant changes without challenge. [Post edited 11 Aug 2022 14:33]
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Some people here are paid peanuts relative to the Americans who are paid peanuts - So not sure what your point is there. America also has Unions, so again, I'm not entirely sure what your point is.
I disagree, I think the strong employment laws come from democracy, not unions. If it was up to Unions, I would be down the pit. | |
| "Someone despises me. That's their problem." Marcus Aurelius |
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| Posties…. on 14:56 - Aug 11 with 904 views | denhamhoop2 |
| Posties…. on 23:57 - Aug 10 by Boston |
If you blame one political party over another, you'll be taking your eye off the ball. |
Think you can add "New Labour" Blair and Brown to your successive Tory Governments as both of them listed Maggie Thatcher as their Political Hero |  | | |
| Posties…. on 14:57 - Aug 11 with 901 views | Northernr |
This is going to go 12 pages, and you're all going to think the same as you thought at the start. |  | | |
| Posties…. on 14:59 - Aug 11 with 873 views | denhamhoop2 |
| Posties…. on 07:10 - Aug 11 by Ranger_Things |
The energy companies are making profits on a scale never before seen. In France the government reacted by capping prices at 4 % to stop profiteering and protect the customer. Over here the Tory’s gave the energy companies huge new tax cuts which they didn’t need and means we are not only paying through the nose but further subsidising them with our taxes. |
The French Government are able to use the Tax raised against EDF a French company who just so happen to provide a large proportion of the Electric companies in the UK. Hence we the British people are subsidising lower fuel bills for the French sheer madness | | | |
| Posties…. on 15:01 - Aug 11 with 858 views | stowmarketrange |
| Posties…. on 14:57 - Aug 11 by Northernr |
This is going to go 12 pages, and you're all going to think the same as you thought at the start. |
Only 12? | | | |
| Posties…. on 15:02 - Aug 11 with 850 views | Benny_the_Ball |
| Posties…. on 20:09 - Aug 10 by Hayesender |
This is about a lot more than our wages, it's also about our working hours and conditions.
They're trying to turn us into another Amazon/DHL/Hermies type of company with no sick pay, and zero hour contract type of working, not knowing our shifts week to week.
Good luck getting tickets, passports, debit cards etc delivered when that happens |
Generally speaking I've little time for the basic argument that wages should automatically rise with inflation. Every case is different and requires due consideration of all the facts.
In this case, the argument made by workers is compelling and gets my support. Royal Mail made record profits during the pandemic and in April 2022 raised its prices in anticipation of rising energy costs and higher wage demands. It's only fair then that it shares this with its workers and preserves decent working conditions. |  | | |
| Posties…. on 15:04 - Aug 11 with 837 views | DannytheR |
| Posties…. on 14:57 - Aug 11 by Northernr |
This is going to go 12 pages, and you're all going to think the same as you thought at the start. |
To be honest, most people here are in agreement - even people with very different opinions in other areas.
The exception is your mate, who clearly *yet again* has nothing better to do than spend the afternoon telling grown men with families and responsibilities that they don't understand the world, and if they disagree with him they're middle class elitists.
Spare us the both sides stuff. |  | | |
| Posties…. on 15:07 - Aug 11 with 822 views | denhamhoop2 |
| Posties…. on 12:31 - Aug 11 by SheffieldHoop |
I'm glad I'm at the start of my working life where boring manual monotonous tasks are being automated in favour of people doing work that is actually rewarding.
If the best part of being a postman is the caring for the community aspect, why not drop the postal part and just become a full-time carer? |
Probably because full time care work is so little regarded by those in power that the average wage in the industry is 16k-20k which for a 40 hour week works out somewhere around 9 pph to 10pph which is just about above the minimum wage. If you don't mind me asking what is your actual way of earning a living | | | |
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