Lane had collapsed twice, including once into a diabetic coma while at the wheel of his DPD van during deliveries, when the company fined him in July after he went to see a specialist about eye damage caused by diabetes.
I’m sorry, but this man shouldn’t have been driving, he would have had had his license revoked (and probably still been alive) if he had followed the DVLA guidelines and reported any change in his condition.
Franglais:
I doubt he realised how ill he was. Of course not. Wouldn’t we admire someone who chooses to work on when a “bit rough” to support their family rather than skive on the sick?
Being type 1 myself I am under no illusions that he must have known how ill he was, each time he collapsed he would have had to see a Dr about it and I would like to think that his Dr would have told him to stop driving and notify DVLA. As a diabetic he would have known that he needed to see a specialist at least twice a year and also attend eye screening once a year, (which probably flagged up the eye problems) so when he was taking on the contract with DPD should have taken into consideration that he would need to supply cover for those appointments and follow ups as well.
I am in no way in DPD’s corner about this btw.
I think Scottie is exactly where I am on this. The July eye appointment was also going to be my opening quote.
A sad situation all round, but I agree that companies are now a shallow imitation of what perhaps many once were
I didn’t realise that bit about his previous history until now.
But if he DID know how ill he was, how desperately worried was he to carry on working? I’m sure I don’t know.
Things are bad if you KNOW your health is poor, yet still you decide to keep your nose firmly up against the grindstone
I’m quite fortunate with regards to my finances and I’m guilty sometimes of assuming everyone else is
For me, health & family are king. A job is just a job.
eagerbeaver:
Yeah, you both raise a pertinent point.
Things are bad if you KNOW your health is poor, yet still you decide to keep your nose firmly up against the grindstone
I’m quite fortunate with regards to my finances and I’m guilty sometimes of assuming everyone else is
For me, health & family are king. A job is just a job.
Same as you, I can only imagine what was going through his mind. Self employed means no pay plus get fined, right? Payments still due on the van?
Like that old song?
“Another day worked and I’m deeper in debt,
I owe my soul to the company store.”
This ain’t just a self employed issue,
I know a lad who lets his gaffer just completely abuse him to the extent he is exhausted,but I only have so much sympathy as he won’t say anything,
Gaffer texts him at 7-8pm on a Sunday telling him to be in for 3am.
Pushes him to the limit on hours and try’s for more,
Moans and groans at him if he wants time off for doctors,
He ask to be home Friday and got back at 2pm on Saturday,just through the boss getting him job after job…
But he won’t say anything and I believe that the job will kill him
it would be worse if he had to wash the truck when he should be home on a sat or have to carry a fire extinguisher in his cab…you couldnt make that up,but ive heard of a guy in that situation myself.
looks like theres one born every minute…
dieseldog999:
it would be worse if he had to wash the truck when he should be home on a sat or have to carry a fire extinguisher in his cab…you couldnt make that up,but ive heard of a guy in that situation myself.
looks like theres one born every minute…
Yes sadly you can’t help blokes who won’t help themselves…
If I were going to race about all day I’d work on the bread or something at least you go home and at a decent hour after working like a lunatic,not sat in a lay by for 9 hours counting down to the minute to race off and do it all again.
Lane had collapsed twice, including once into a diabetic coma while at the wheel of his DPD van during deliveries, when the company fined him in July after he went to see a specialist about eye damage caused by diabetes.
I’m sorry, but this man shouldn’t have been driving, he would have had had his license revoked (and probably still been alive) if he had followed the DVLA guidelines and reported any change in his condition.
Franglais:
I doubt he realised how ill he was. Of course not. Wouldn’t we admire someone who chooses to work on when a “bit rough” to support their family rather than skive on the sick?
Being type 1 myself I am under no illusions that he must have known how ill he was, each time he collapsed he would have had to see a Dr about it and I would like to think that his Dr would have told him to stop driving and notify DVLA. As a diabetic he would have known that he needed to see a specialist at least twice a year and also attend eye screening once a year, (which probably flagged up the eye problems) so when he was taking on the contract with DPD should have taken into consideration that he would need to supply cover for those appointments and follow ups as well.
I am in no way in DPD’s corner about this btw.
I think Scottie is exactly where I am on this. The July eye appointment was also going to be my opening quote.
A sad situation all round, but I agree that companies are now a shallow imitation of what perhaps many once were
When will people realise that the whole “gig” economy is based on jobs that are on the whole NOT profitable. If it was profitable DPD would run their own vans and pay a driver minimum wage and take the profit. It is to drive costs down by not having to pay proper wages that the company uses “contractors” to get round its obligations. DPD is far from the only one to do this.
I don’t know anything beyond the basics but think the post by the moaster regards redundancy could be very close to the mark
Although I feel sorry for him and his family, I find it hard to sympathise with this bloke working 'til he dropped. He must have been diagnosed with diabetes (I’m type 2) and he’s had eye trouble and conked out before, so had to be treated. The first thing I did with my last two jobs was told the boss I have diabetes and would be stopping for meals and so on. I eventually had my HGV licence taken away, but left with my car licence (other health factors here). That’s the difference between me and him. I’ll admit it was hard to get used to not having that licence, but I’d sooner live.
kcrussell25:
When will people realise that the whole “gig” economy is based on jobs that are on the whole NOT profitable. If it was profitable DPD would run their own vans and pay a driver minimum wage and take the profit. It is to drive costs down by not having to pay proper wages that the company uses “contractors” to get round its obligations. DPD is far from the only one to do this.
Spot on. Courier firms that deal with online commerce are not going to start employing all these drivers on proper full time contracts with benefits & holiday pay anytime soon, not because they are tight fisted but just because people simply don’t pay enough for their parcel deliveries to make it viable. The drivers that complain about the terrible working conditions associated with being a ‘self employed’ courier, will also no doubt also complain about being expected to pay a couple of quid for P&P when they buy an item online for delivery.
People want everything delivered quick and for very little/if anything at all & unfortunately there is always going to be a consequence of this for the poor buggers that have to bring the stuff to your house.
kcrussell25:
When will people realise that the whole “gig” economy is based on jobs that are on the whole NOT profitable. If it was profitable DPD would run their own vans and pay a driver minimum wage and take the profit. It is to drive costs down by not having to pay proper wages that the company uses “contractors” to get round its obligations. DPD is far from the only one to do this.
Spot on. Courier firms that deal with online commerce are not going to start employing all these drivers on proper full time contracts with benefits & holiday pay anytime soon, not because they are tight fisted but just because people simply don’t pay enough for their parcel deliveries to make it viable. The drivers that complain about the terrible working conditions associated with being a ‘self employed’ courier, will also no doubt also complain about being expected to pay a couple of quid for P&P when they buy an item online for delivery.
People want everything delivered quick and for very little/if anything at all & unfortunately there is always going to be a consequence of this for the poor buggers that have to bring the stuff to your house.
Why do people pay less for delivery? Because it’s an option.
Who gives this option? Large companies using “self-employed” gig economy drivers.
How can they offer this? Because the law on self employment is ill enforced, and companies evade their responsibilities. Companies can undercut responsible employers and still turn a profit.
Why work for them? Because they are better than the dole. Because people want the best they can give. Maybe only taken on as a stop gap, but soon this’ll be the only type of gig going.
Excuse the cliché: the race to the bottom.
The system is being exploited, and needs changing.
