News 14% pay rise?

[rynnor]

I'm not a fan of unions but I dont think the Truck drivers got an un-reasonable deal - sounds ok to me.

I dont think its fair to attack people doing real jobs - all the most disgusting raises/pay deals happen at board level and no-one ever says that these will wreck the economy

When prices go up people want more pay just to stand still - this is ok as long as the economy as a whole keeps going.

I must say I'm becoming a little concerned though - the circumstances for a really bad recession seem to be lining up again...

The really bad recessions are always provoked by the Bank of England setting the interest rates high just as the economy is going into slowdown which seems to be happening now.

I personally think it should be cutting the rates - it has no impact on inflation either way at the moment as this is caused by fuel/food commodity rises globally so is beyond its control.

On a more personal level we know 3 people who have been made redundant since the start of the year which makes me even more nervous.

 

[dysfunction]

What concerns me is that fuel prices are on the rise...so they increase the wages of the fuel workers which will in turn increase the cost of fuel...making everything else more expensive...nice one!

 

[rynnor]

What concerns me is that fuel prices are on the rise...so they increase the wages of the fuel workers which will in turn increase the cost of fuel...making everything else more expensive...nice one!

This will add bugger all per litre to the cost of fuel in reality - any one of the board members probably gets a bigger bonus than this whole award.

 

[Chilly]

Lowering of demand for fuel accross the west will change the balance of supply and demand the price will drop significantly in reponse. Faced with a 20-30% increase in fuel price over a year or two would you actually travel the the same or would you cut out those "questionable" journies you really did not need to take?

Obviously not everyone has the ability to reduce their fuel usage in a meaningful way but there are enough people with enough leeway there to make a real difference, especially when summed accross affected countries.

I believe the fuel price correction will happen within a year or two and put off a full scale recession. ~prays to king Abdullah~

 

[dysfunction]

This will add bugger all per litre to the cost of fuel in reality - any one of the board members probably gets a bigger bonus than this whole award.

I seriously doubt the fuel companies are just going to absorb the extra wage costs...they will most certainly be passed onto the consumer.

 

[Trem]

Crappy job with shit hours and bad working environment that is detrimental to health (posture, lack of movement, etc).

I think it's a decent wage to be honest. Its not the increase in the salary that's the point, perhaps they have not had a rise for 5 years? It would then be totally in line. Its so easy to say "14% zomallah rip off merchants!" but you need to consider the whole picture.

I agree.

It is a bloody hard job, even driving back from holiday knackers me and I am sure it does most of you. Imagine doing that everyday sometimes 6/7 days a week.

I also thought that the fuel tanker drivers needed to have more qualifications because they are carrying explosive liquid or something, and also don't forget the tanker drivers have to do all the pipe in the ground stuff at forecourts.

A fair wage rise indeed and personally I think they should be on more (so should nurses).

 

[bob269]

I agree.

It is a bloody hard job, even driving back from holiday knackers me and I am sure it does most of you. Imagine doing that everyday sometimes 6/7 days a week.

If they are abiding by the new laws then they have restricted driving speed, restricted daily & weekly driving hours

 

[Chilly]

eu working hours are toothless in the UK due to us being a nation of slaves

 

[Tom]

If they are abiding by the new laws then they have restricted driving speed, restricted daily & weekly driving hours

Unfortunately driving at 56mph is extremely boring, difficult to keep your concentration levels up at that speed.


I heard on R5live the other day that there isn't actually any economic evidence that wage inflation adds to the overall level of inflation anyway - anyone else heard that?

I have noticed fewer vehicles on the road of late. Even myself I drove like a mouse over the weekend, I got 580 miles on a full tank as opposed to the usual 450, which was nice. Even nicer was that vegetable oil still costs about £0.85 at costco, 1/3rd a tank of that and 2/3rds DERV makes things a bit cheaper

 

[00dave]

I agree.

It is a bloody hard job, even driving back from holiday knackers me and I am sure it does most of you. Imagine doing that everyday sometimes 6/7 days a week.

I also thought that the fuel tanker drivers needed to have more qualifications because they are carrying explosive liquid or something, and also don't forget the tanker drivers have to do all the pipe in the ground stuff at forecourts.

A fair wage rise indeed and personally I think they should be on more (so should nurses).

Are any of you paying attention to what I say? It is not a hard job, just boring.

Dangerous goods including fuel require a dangerous goods licence or ADR licence, ADR stands for something French that I can't remember, it lasts 4 years before you have to renew it, I have a year left on mine although I intend not to renew it. Filling the tanks at the forecourt is a piece of piss, step one connect earthing cable, step two connect hose, step three switch pump on, step four go for a coffee. I used to refuel harriers, tornadoes, hercules, c130s, sea kings and pumas and often I did it while the engines were still running but it's all the same principle.

As far as the driving goes it depends where you are. Here in Lincolnshire there are no decent roads so getting back to the depot is shit, but down south or west it's mostly motorway driving which is cruise control on mode. But hours are regulated, 9.5 hours a day but you can push it up to 10 twice a week and only 6 days a week. However this only affects driving hours, loading and unloading hours don't normally count. I have personally spent 15 hours behind the wheel, but that was in the military and we were exempt from tachographs, but still illegal.

 

[Tom]

What kind of engine limiters were on your truck dave, exhaust brakes or something?

 

[00dave]

Usually they were electronic limiters because we had a habit of unplugging them

I drove a few of these 1982 Bedford MK 4 Ton and they don't have limiters, they just wont go faster than 50mph

 

[Pfy]

My last pay deal was a 3 year joby. This march coming I'll get R.P.I + 0.5%.

With regards to the truckers I agree with Tom.

 

[throdgrain]

.

A fair wage rise indeed and personally I think they should be on more (so should nurses).

Hang on mate, you think lorry drivers should be on 40 grand a year? Are you mad? It's this kind of theory that will get inflation going

 

[Trem]

Hang on mate, you think lorry drivers should be on 40 grand a year? Are you mad? It's this kind of theory that will get inflation going

I also took my LGV theory test not long ago and passed

I think if the tube drivers are on what they are on then lorry drivers should be on similar, as said earlier in this thread there is lots more people on lots more than the LGV drivers and no one moans about them.

Isn't the head of Royal Mail that has just had something like £1 million bonus for basically fucking up the countries postal system and shutting down any post office he lays eyes on?

Good on the drivers for getting it.

 

[throdgrain]

No the tube drivers are overpaid too, this is a recipe for inflation

 

[Faeldawn]

No the tube drivers are overpaid too, this is a recipe for inflation

Inflation is at it's highest in 11 years, if it continues it'll outstrip anything we have seen in the UK in modern memory.

Fuel prices will continue to rise, thats a fact. So will the price of food, gas and electric.

We in the UK are facing a potentially massive recession in the next few years. It's almost inevitable. If you have a good secure job, now is certainly not the time to be thinking of changing it.

 

[DaGaffer]

If you have a good secure job, ...

No such thing.

 

[Chilly]

lies - brewing beer or running a casino. Two most rock solid jobs I know of and I'm in one of them

 

[ECA]

lies - brewing beer or running a casino. Two most rock solid jobs I know of and I'm in one of them

Actually vegas is going through a downturn and quite a few builds have been halted.

 

[dysfunction]

Law is also quite secure...funnily enough Solicitors become more in demand when an economy downturns as there is more litigation to get money out of people...

 

[DaGaffer]

lies - brewing beer or running a casino. Two most rock solid jobs I know of and I'm in one of them

Until the govmint of the day turns up the screws on booze licences (inevitable) and all the casinos start to get bought out by Crown or the Chinese. There are safeguards to stop concentration of ownership in the gambling bill, but money always talks...

Law is also quite secure...funnily enough Solicitors become more in demand when an economy downturns as there is more litigation to get money out of people...

OK, I'll grant you that one; but there was an intersting article in the Grauniad a few weeks back about legal services being commoditised by Tesco etc. and that the middle class professions are now under the same kind of threat that skilled workers faced back in the eighties.

 

[Chilly]

Actually vegas is going through a downturn and quite a few builds have been halted.

Halting new builds is not the same as a dying industry - although its not a very good sign. Mugs will always gamble and people will always drink. Just look at Scandinavia where it costs a shitload to drink, they just spend more!

 

[old.user4556]

Midwifery.

I'd imagine that would be fairly secure.

 

[Raven]

Plumbers too. Well, the emergency call out type anyway.

 

[00dave]

funeral services, always work for them.

 

[old.user4556]

funeral services, always work for them.

People are dying to get into that job though.

 

[TdC]

badum-tish! 3/10

 

[old.user4556]

I thought that was a fair effort

 

[TdC]

4/10 then