Marshall TK job contract changes?

[oscar mcgrath]

Hi,I've heard though friends MTK are changing normal working hours(well as normal as it can be) to shifts.
Is this due to lack of work or cost cutting on OT?I was looking at making the move but this is putting me off.Also ive heard standby money is only paid when a call comes though....so does this mean if u get nothing on a weekend you'll get bugger all for babysitting the phone???
Any info greatly appreciated.

[oscar mcgrath]

Hi,i understand people dont want to speak out and their names be on here but it is a big decision for me so please PM or post with any info. many thanks.

[abbsnowman]

Over on this side of the pond, the only stand by pay we have comes from bribes from other mechanics in efford to pawn off the pager.
We are are seing many companys going to 24 hour service. As a buisness owner I understand why. While I personaly do not have my guys work graveyards or anything even close to that for that matter, most customers these days expect 24 hour service with no over time. How can we afford that? This means we can not afford the over head and all costs involved when paying staff over time for call outs. Most also have minimum time paid.
We also have allot of our larger companies that want to supply their own parts.
This is why companies are juggling shifts to try to survive. It sucks but is a fact of life. If you think you are going to tell the market how to react, you would be sadly mistaken. There is always someone willing to do what you won't.
Me? I just have to look at when it's no longer worth it and moving on. Personaly, I respect my people enough to minimize time away from their families.
Hope this helps.
Stepping off soap box now....
Cheers,
Abbs

[oscar mcgrath]

hey cheers for the reply,i've been offered and accepted a position in small truck division.ive been told my standard hours are 39 hours between 7am-6pm mon - fri. im happy with that.But find it a bit worrying the trailer guys are getting shafted at the mo by MTK changing there contract and working hours.
Many thanks for your reply again.Oscar

[cool_one]

ok what do you want to know?
I have worked for MTK for over 10 years, and yes the existing staff have been shafted, the chances are your hourly rate is better than existing staff, yes you do get paid standby and a call out fee on top if you get called out we have have lost approximately a dozen engineers this far and I myself are currently looking for another job, your hours are already better than what existing members have been offered our hours are 6am to 8pm any 5 from 6 days (inc. sat) our hours are supposed to be given to us at least 2 weeks in advance but the company reserve the right to change them as and when they see fit but will pay us a £15 one off payment for the inconvienience, but having said that some of us have had our hours changed and not been paid the money so I guess you can take that with a pinch of salt.... pm me if you want to know any more....

[cool_one]

Over on this side of the pond, the only stand by pay we have comes from bribes from other mechanics in efford to pawn off the pager.
We are are seing many companys going to 24 hour service. As a buisness owner I understand why. While I personaly do not have my guys work graveyards or anything even close to that for that matter, most customers these days expect 24 hour service with no over time. How can we afford that? This means we can not afford the over head and all costs involved when paying staff over time for call outs. Most also have minimum time paid.
We also have allot of our larger companies that want to supply their own parts.
This is why companies are juggling shifts to try to survive. It sucks but is a fact of life. If you think you are going to tell the market how to react, you would be sadly mistaken. There is always someone willing to do what you won't.
Me? I just have to look at when it's no longer worth it and moving on. Personaly, I respect my people enough to minimize time away from their families.
Hope this helps.
Stepping off soap box now....
Cheers,
Abbs

Abbs..... MTK charge £100 per callout yet they wanted to remove this payment from the engineer, they no longer allow us rest time either, so you could work all night and still be expected to show in at 830am the following day, this must be illegal !!

[abbsnowman]

Cool One, I am certain that you would find there are some leagality issues with what you are saying.
We have strict laws on that sort of thing here. Shifts are not to exceed 12 hours or double time apllies and I think there is a max of 13 or 14. The other thing that comes to play is the ability to operate a vehicle for more than 9 hours at a time.
Sounds like you may have an employer that is trying to cut costs at the expense of it's staff. This never works in my opinion. Moral is the worst sacrifice to use to save money.
Always to repect people and they usualy will return the favor. I wonder if they are trying to force some top compensated staff out to replace with cheaper ones.
I don't envy you. Not a nice feeling at all.
Good luck. I hope you find someone who apreciates you like I do my staff!

[tran scot]

Good luck if thats the job you want but remember Mtk tried the small truck line a couple of years ago and couldnt get it up and running wiithout infighting between managers & engineers !! does not look like much has changed!! Please remember that if Marshalls pull off this thing with their hours and call out it will spread throughout the industry god help us!!

[cadwaladr]

i worked for mtk so long ago,they were a good family firm to work for they looked after me very well,however a certain manager who shall remain nameless took over my working control he was a two faced rectum and was also in lueage with other fool managers so i left after a dispute with him and took some customers with me,paul edmundson roland gibson tom casey peter whitbread were good guys they all looked after me while i was there,but as abbs says its tough out there so i suppose the trucks operate 24/7 so they want service 24/7 what are the holidays when i left my entitlement was 22 days/4 weeks 2 days[blame the supermarkets/contract hire ] i bet the customers wont like it when they get to hear £100 callout and the engineer on 0 looks to me upset engineers equals bad engineers bad workmanship glad they dont look after my precious load,what say you clive mtk are you still with mtk?

[djbe]

Good luck if thats the job you want but remember Mtk tried the small truck line a couple of years ago and couldnt get it up and running wiithout infighting between managers & engineers !! does not look like much has changed!! Please remember that if Marshalls pull off this thing with their hours and call out it will spread throughout the industry god help us!!

I remember them trying the small truck thing previously. A big fanfare in the trade mags, pictures of vans "equipped to repair units at customer site".

Back then I just thought this is what the rest of us have been doing for years already.

Then it disappeared as fast as it arrived.

I have never worked for them but the impression I get is that they are always (in recent years) grasping at ideas in a misguided attempt to be, or seem to be innovative, rather than concentrate on the core basics.

[tran scot]

I think they just want a piece of the supermarket home delivery cake! As I said be aware!! the supermarkets are the most demanding and have the "how long" attitude before you have even pulled in the gate! enjoy!!!

[cool_one]

I think they just want a piece of the supermarket home delivery cake! As I said be aware!! the supermarkets are the most demanding and have the "how long" attitude before you have even pulled in the gate! enjoy!!!

They did originally want that when the original "small truck division" was set up... the phrase we all need to swim together else we will sink was used :-D
this time its anything small truck, most of the supermarkets appear to be tied into other contracts with Hubbard and GAH so not sure but I think they can believe they can crack that with the "new managers" that have been employed !!

[djbe]

They did originally want that when the original "small truck division" was set up... the phrase we all need to swim together else we will sink was used :-D
this time its anything small truck, most of the supermarkets appear to be tied into other contracts with Hubbard and GAH so not sure but I think they can believe they can crack that with the "new managers" that have been employed !!


Reminds me of magic roundabout:confused:

[frankyfridge]

i looked at the contract several times and after being with marshalls for 11 years decided that i was being taken advantage off and needed to move on,i have lost count of the MD S/CEOS that i have seen and go after making changes.fortunatly i was lucky to find a job straight away and what i wanted,after that i had 3 other job offers.i believe that the contract was resonable if you were out of work but a step backwards if you actually worked in the new marshall group [marshall fleet solutions]there are a few good people in marshalls still but i will not be going back even if i end up out of work,however some people may like what they are offering,dont knock it until you find out.thanks to john jim and albert and best of luck to all and thier customers.

[oscar mcgrath]

hey thanks for replys.......got a cushdy job doing chillers to cool UPS systems!working within a very small team.Thanks again.

[djbe]

hey thanks for replys.......got a cushdy job doing chillers to cool UPS systems!working within a very small team.Thanks again.

Glad you have got yourself sorted. :)

Regards,
djbe.

[cool_one]

hey thanks for replys.......got a cushdy job doing chillers to cool UPS systems!working within a very small team.Thanks again.

Glad you got sorted, The more that gets said the worse Marshalls is looking engineers have started talking to one another now and everyone is realising that different engineers are on different rates and contracts.. the word harmonising was banded about but with the new contract, but the management seen to be taking it further from harmony than it was originally.
A conversation this week with the head of small truck went something like this
Do you want a job? (head)
will I be on the same contract? (eng)
yes (head)
are the new guys on same contract? (eng)
I cant discuss that with you (head)
more BS !!!!

[The Fox]

what a shame some of the MTK engineers are unhappy. most people if honest would have to admit that working as a MTK engineer was a licence to print money, it could never last. get over it and hang in there, in these hard times you will have a better level of job security than with most other service providers.

[segrub]

the shame is the way the change in contracts was handled .lost engineers that they should and could have kept and are now worried of loosing engineers they didnt want to keep.

[Absolute Zero]

I personally would not go to MTK on the current contract offer, however as the grass always seems greener on the other side, engineers are leaving their jobs to join the new "Small Truck Division". Any current MTK engineer who isn't happy with the changes in their contracts, only need to see where the new engineers are coming from and speak to the right people. ;)

[cool_ice_0]

I would not work for Marshalls, i know Morris refrigeration and CTRS are looking for new engineers. Bad time of year to be moving really

[Reeferjon]

Frankie, glad to see things working out for you, will apss on your regards......