Pete39

Anybody moved down under and continued to be or changed jobs to become a postman or woman? If so what is it like compared to doing the job in the UK?

renth

I used to be a postie in the UK. Not here though, you have to be under 100 kilos for deliveries here because that's the weight limit for the little motorbikes they use.

Pete39

Thanks for the reply do you mean 100kg including your post or you are limited by how heavy you weigh?

renth

I believe that's 100Kg fully clothed. But that's just for deliveries I don't think this would apply to work as a driver or at a mail centre.

Swerv-o

I thought they were subcontracting deliveries out and trying to make as many of the traditional posties redundant as they could?


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renth

We need ozzieeagle's input, paging ozzieeagle!

Swerv-o

Yup. Has to be the first place to ask.

A friend of mine moved to Adelaide with grand plans of becoming a Postie. He never did achieve it though.


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GarryP

Indeed, though I doubt he's going to be suggesting it's a good idea - since he is looking for a pay off and out.

From what I've seen postie is NOT a job to try and get here (or the UK for that matter). Contractorisation, low pay and lots of stress seem to mean its the the kind of job for illegal migrants etc.

Dorothy

Oh, I don't know about that. Just the sheer joy of riding around on those little motorbikes tearing up peoples' front lawns just because you can sounds very inviting.

Amazulu

Postal services are dying and what is left is, quite rightly, slowly being privatised everywhere

Not a good career choice IMO

Good luck

astera

Not that I have very strong feelings about this, but shouldn't certain services like national post, trains, power, utilities remain in gov't hands?

I'd also not want to see the likes of the ASX or Qantas sold off completely to foreign investors.

The only drawback I see is strike action and political pressure on the gov't to make such entities less effective. But overall I don't see why the country shouldn't be the sole or main shareholder.

ozzieeagle

Into my 20th Year at Aus Post now. Basically it's dying, being phased out, we have a chairmen that is actively trying to kill it off. If you can get a job as a postie it will only be as a Part timer most likely. They are switching to electric bicycles nation wide at present and doing a recast of rounds around the whole country as well... which I think means there will be far more delivery points on a round with far less letters but more small parcels.

10 years and I'd say the majority of the rounds will be contract and you don't want to work as a contractor down the lower end of the scale in this country.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, your 30 years too late to have been through the good times. Which included hanging out in pubs, drinking whilst on the round out of a 6 pack on the bike and piissing on in the office when you got back to the post office/depot..... Plus a half decent wage, (most fulltimers made the nationwide average wage with overtime) good conditions and superannuation as good as any in the public service. Those times have all but gone now.

Lots of interesting folk law tales about old posties....my favourite and I know the bloke, in fact he is a good mate of mine.

Brian loved his booze and drank 7 days a week.... One hot day in Glenroy he finished early as per usual and was hanging out for a mealy (thats a cash meal allowance for 1 hours worth of OT) So he pulled up by the grain silos near the station and settled himself down for a couple of cans in the long grass between the silos and the railway line. After a couple of swigs he looked around and noticed a blokes feet hanging out of the grass nearby.... So he called out "you ok mate" ? No response... So he got up and tapped him on the feet with his foot.... again no response... So he bent down and shook him.... turned out the bloke was dead !! Cue Cops, Ambulances, weeks of investigations and a hell of a lot of questions. "The postie that hung out with the dead body"

Brians never lived that one down.... nor has he lived down knocking over a row of "bikies" bikes in the 80's, they are still looking for the "dead man walking" till this day.... he still goes pale when he hears a load of bikes.

Pete39

Thanks all for the replies - not really what I wanted to hear but there you go! Thanks ozzieeagle - always good to have it from the horse's mouth.

ozzieeagle

I would have thought the same or similar outlook applied to the UK ?

How long have you been a postie over there ? I know very little about the UK system.

Pete39

No not a postie always been stuck indoors in an office but think exercise fresh air and not having boss peering over my shoulder the whole day might suit me. I couldn't see me getting up here at 4am on a freezing cold January morning but I could be tempted out of bed in a warmer climate!