As I’m unemployed I went racing after a bunch of jobs. Turns out it was the same old agency bollocks. One of the jobs, which would have been ideal (06.00 start, Mon-Fri!) sounded too good to be true. It was. I rang the mobile number they gave every day for a week, straight to voicemail. I emailed a CV, ignored.
I’ve heard of the Jobcentre posting fake jobs so they can sanction people for not getting them, I guess that was one of them.
Another agency was advertising long term contracts in Warrington and Widnes. I jumped through a million hoops to get on their books, they offered me the odd day 30+ miles away. Couldn’t be bothered.
Another agency I signed with were offering day shift Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs doing supermarket deliveries. They have the contract for Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s. They were waiting for an induction day at Sainsbury’s so they asked would I do ‘days’ at Tesco’s.
Day’s being midnight to 04.00 start. Usually about 02.00. That’s nights in my book.
And Stobarts have the contract for Tesco’s.
I asked straight away what sort of shift length it was. They said about 10 hours. I’ve worked for Stobarts before and they wanted 12+, up to 15 and running out of hours so having to sleep in my cab.
I gave it a go. 02.30 start first day, 11.30 hours shift.
Second day, 02.15 start, finished my run after 8.30 hours, they said to wait while they sorted me out a second run, nearly 14 hours.
Screw that. You’ve literally only got time to work and try to sleep, nothing else.
10 hours my arse!
I told the agency not to send me back.
So that’s been it. 2 day’s work in 3 weeks. The Sainsbury’s induction was supposed to be “in 2 weeks” which would have been this weekend. No sign. But that is a FTE job, and while I was at the agency I overheard a driver saying to them that he loved it there. That is something to behold. Drivers are known for whinging about everything and calling ever job shit.
If I can get into a decent FTE job I’d be happy.
Whilst I was chasing up contacts for my CV (the up to date one having been wiped when I killed the computer, *sigh*) I noticed that the agency that ran the Walkers Crisps contract were recruiting again, but days! A world of win! That was my best job to date. I rang up and asked about it, roughly how many shifts they thought I’d be able to get a week (I left because of scarcity of work and hating night shift) but they wouldn’t commit to any shifts and said it was mainly just weekends on days.
I would do it, but I don’t want to go through the day long induction and assessment if I’m only going to get a few days and be leaving again as soon as I can get a FTE job. It’s not worth the hassle and it’s not fair on them.
I went to the huge Asda warehouse/ DC they have just finished building to see who they were recruiting drivers through, the security guard said it was going to be all robotised inside, which they were still fitting, and they weren’t opening until June.
2016!
Oh, maybe not then.
So all is on hold at the moment. I keep on looking for jobs, keep on applying for them, but the jobcentre is just agency spam nowadays.
The one job that is always available (other than the Stobarts one) is Hermes. I’m holding out until things get desperate before taking that though. I’ve worked for them twice. There is a reason they are constantly advertising for more drivers.
I am never working for Stobarts again. Two attempts, same culture. The desk jockey’s are paid to screw you over, the drivers are dicks. Last time when I dropped my digicard (without which you can’t drive, so lose 2 week’s pay waiting for a new one) I found it in a bin. Someone had seen it and rather than hand it in, deliberately chucked it in a bin. There was another driver’s digicard in the same bin, so it wasn’t an accident. This time I was there for 2 days, on the second day I got my truck, 02.15, bit bloody nippy, some arsehole had left the sunroof open just to freeze the next driver. That’s what they are like there. Utter arseholes.
On the plus side I’ve had plenty of time for karate. I’ve bought a cheap pair of martial art trainers (6.5, kids range, so £11 not £16! Ker-ching!) and put my punch bag back up. I have stretching exercises, warm up kicks, (which are not to my eyebrow height for side and turning kicks) the out onto the heavy bag to practise putting some power into the blows.
Right, I’m off. I’m tired and got a headache.
More news when I get it.
Later,
Buck.