Working for British Gas these days

[nickso]

im actually starting to give a **** about performance now. dropping 4.5k in wages tends to make me focus a bit better.

the problem with cutting numbers "naturally" is they lose all the best guys.

 

[ollski]

I phone ahead, our phone bills are checked and it helps withe the qdos quality payments, just wish the company would realize its a pointless activity on 2 jobs at a time before they plaster promises all over the tv

I'm 20k down on last year and its fantastic...4 days a week instead of 6/7, I won't be touching a radical or ot again.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

I've read these pages with interest and as I still speak to some of my old ex bg workmates I've asked what they think and they said it's worse now then ever and several have asked for me to put a word about with my boss for a start. Fact is it's an employers market now and I'll always said and beleive that the best tend to leave ****ish gas and go elsewhere; there are exceptions to that rule but generally its very true.

Those who moan on here who constantly moan how crap their employer is should grow a pair and leave; talk is cheap. Fact is most are scared that anywhere else and they'd be found out as useless ****'s. . . .

 

[nickso]

I've read these pages with interest and as I still speak to some of my old ex bg workmates I've asked what they think and they said it's worse now then ever and several have asked for me to put a word about with my boss for a start. Fact is it's an employers market now and I'll always said and beleive that the best tend to leave ****ish gas and go elsewhere; there are exceptions to that rule but generally its very true.

Those who moan on here who constantly moan how crap their employer is should grow a pair and leave; talk is cheap. Fact is most are scared that anywhere else and they'd be found out as useless ****'s. . . .

depends on your area and what opportunties are out there. round here BG pay and benefits are difficult to beat, the manufacturers certainly arent near it. having said that i doubt ill be seeing another summer shift, depends how bad the winter is.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

nickso when I left years ago most of the patch were talking of doing the same and alot of militants were on work to rule. Most are still there as miserable as ever constantly moaning to the union who do sweet f.a. Manufacturers pay varies regionally much more so than ****ish gas, northern area's (especially NE, where regional pay is alot lower on average) are on alot less than the south and midlands as a general rule.

 

[ollski]

The majority here are only still here because of the sharesave schemes and final salary pensions, most guys are long term and have a lot tied up in these. That said if ever bg said the words 'voluntary redundancy' it would be an absolute stampede and that is even before they turn the screw at the start of winter. I honestly don't think the management have a clue how their workforce feel, they have annual surveys which are doctored by tsm / coms to make it appear employees are happy and bump up their bonuses.

 

[nickso]

nickso when I left years ago most of the patch were talking of doing the same and alot of militants were on work to rule. Most are still there as miserable as ever constantly moaning to the union who do sweet f.a. Manufacturers pay varies regionally much more so than ****ish gas, northern area's (especially NE, where regional pay is alot lower on average) are on alot less than the south and midlands as a general rule.

plenty of the long term militants here too. most of them have been there too long to leave now. i certainly havent and theres no way ill be BG at 65....jesus just the thought of it.

most of the manufacturers that i have seen are paying far less basic and most engineers make up the shortfall on bonuses, i believe you yourself do that. im told that wont work round here by the manufacturers reps that ive spoken to.

 

[nickso]

The majority here are only still here because of the sharesave schemes and final salary pensions, most guys are long term and have a lot tied up in these. That said if ever bg said the words 'voluntary redundancy' it would be an absolute stampede and that is even before they turn the screw at the start of winter. I honestly don't think the management have a clue how their workforce feel, they have annual surveys which are doctored by tsm / coms to make it appear employees are happy and bump up their bonuses.

you can leave and still get your sharesave/pension money back, thats hardly a reason to be miserable for 40 years IMO.

they did the voluntary redundancy in the early 90's and let so many walk that they shouldnt have. plenty came back after a while. i cant see how a voluntary redundancy would get them anywhere, they are so short round here anyway.

the annual survey is a joke, an exercise in corporate ****ing. iirc they got something like 4.6 out of 5 one year, i almost fell of my chair laughing at the TT when they announced that.

 

[mickyg]

I think DM, ,your missing the bigger picture. In some areas of the country, working for BG works out as a reasonable choice. There are plenty areas in the country where you'll find lots of engineers and not a lot of work and jobs, especially at the moment. I feel rather privileged to live in area where there's still companies struggling to recruit engineers. Leaving BG I had a choice of 4 manufacturers jobs, 2 without an interview. Going self employed was an easy decision, as I knew if anything went wrong I could go back to a job fairly quickly. However for some guys working for BG in areas such as the north east, parts of scotland, the south west and wales, there isn't much of a choice. No one else are recruiting and jobs for independants are few and far between with prices being driven down to crazy money, going self employed for some of these people would be very brave or very stupid.

 

[ollski]

i cant see how a voluntary redundancy would get them anywhere, they are so short round here anyway.

the annual survey is a joke, an exercise in corporate ****. iirc they got something like 4.6 out of 5 one year, i almost fell of my chair laughing at the TT when they announced that.

It would clear a massive commitment in the final salary pension scheme even if guys walk out and return. The picture is so different countrywide, I think our workforce is 5% up on last year and workload 30% down, really struggling for work and other neighbouring patches are short too so no loan of labour. Even the London and Scotland labour moves have finished.

If you have maxxed out contributions on both share schemes early termination can cost you a lot of money, not a deciding factor certainly but a contributing one.

 

[nickso]

that just goes to show the difference in areas then. i doubt they have an adequate workforce to even see them through half of the winter round here. if folk leave it will be a lot worse.

cashing in your sharesave only loses your interest not your capital, i did it when i left the first time, the hefty lump sum when i left was a bonus.

 

[Mr Smyth]

I actually think that to headline £1500 in the new scheme for each of the Workload/Quality and Sales is probably achievable.

An extra £3K...... thank you very much

I think they will use the tracker to get rid of the people that really take the p*ss

 

[namsag]

GMB is absolute joke they allow BG to sh~te all over you .
Its really quite simple people will always need boiler repairs and installs and millions choose BG because of past reputation and will always call them out as opposed to an independant.
Without the engineers all these other people would not be in a job they need you far more than you need them .
It even spreads into the sale of gas as people look on it as a whole package and without that whole package people would desert in droves costing them a fortune in lost profits.
New and stronger union would be the best thing that could ever happen but with everyone being split up it will never happen

 

[mickyg]

It even spreads into the sale of gas as people look on it as a whole package and without that whole package people would desert in droves costing them a fortune in lost profits.

Thats the key though. British Gas Services is just a public front for British Gas Residential. Giving the brand a public face and recognition. Its no secret that the service side has a dismal operating profit, and always has done. As a stand alone business it would not survive and would be broken up and sold off. They're constantly trying to drive profit out of it, fruitlessly, but I wonder in the current economical climate how much value centrica puts on this marketing machine. The fact that the public needs and wants BG services is irrelvant while its not making a useful profit.

 

[namsag]

Mickey do you class a £688 million turn over and a £112 profit dismal