The story of the Big Red Lorries and the Smaller Yellow Trucks
Back in 2001 there was a delivery company which provided a wide range of services to industry and the public. For the sake of this story, we will call the company “Newtonshire Community Company” or “NCC” for short.
Among their many NCC employees were some drivers; these valuable employees drove big red lorries and smaller, yellow trucks.
Drivers of the big red lorries thought they were most important because they provided a strategic service, delivering large “strategic” stuff in specific parts of Newtonshire.
Drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks thought they were equally important as their red-vehicle-colleagues because the stuff they delivered was very important to the NCC customers. In fact, they were so committed to delivering NCC services that the yellow truck drivers spent many evenings away from home delivering to NCC customers; this even extended to weekends.
Now, NCC was a fair employer, and they decided that drivers should be rewarded a fair pay for their work. So the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks got a reasonable salary for providing the delivery services for NCC; furthermore, these drivers were given some extra holidays because they did not receive any overtime payments.
Drivers of the big red lorries were also rewarded a fair pay for their work; however, because they were delivering “strategic” stuff from larger vehicles, they were paid more than their yellow-vehicle-colleagues.
Having different pay scales was seen to be fair by Newtonshire Community Company; after all, why should drivers of different sized vehicles be all paid the same amount?
Now this pay differential created a little tension between the drivers, but this didn’t stop the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks supporting the drivers of the big red lorries to deliver the large “strategic” stuff. Occasionally the favour would reciprocated, and the drivers of the big red lorries would help the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks; but this didn’t happen very often.
A year later, in 2002, NCC was strongly encouraged to look at their employees’ salaries because of how some of the lowest paid workers rewarded for their toil. Most of the NCC employees were happy about this; after all, NCC was a fair employer, and their employees were generally rewarded with a fair pay for their work. The drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks were happy for salaries to be examined because they believed that the pay differential would be spotted, and that they would eventually be given the same pay as their red-vehicle-colleagues.
Five years later on, in 2007, the results of Job Examination were published, and the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks were shocked to find that their salaries were considered to be far too high. In fact, NCC planned to reduce their salaries so much that there could be as much as £18,000 difference between the pay of the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks and the drivers of the big red lorries.
Why was this? No-one could adequately explain why drivers of the big red lorries were regarded with such high regard, whilst the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks appeared to be scorned by their employer, even though the NCC service that their deliveries were of excellent quality, and highly regarded by the people of Newtonshire.
A couple of weeks after the results of Job Examination were published, one of the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks was told that he would have to deliver some of the large “strategic” stuff. However, there would be no additional payment for this.
“Hey, why should I be delivering some of the large strategic stuff?” thought our driver. “Surely this means that I will be doing some of the work of a big red lorry driver? When my red-vehicle-colleagues had their jobs examined it was seen that delivery of “strategic” stuff was worth more than my deliveries. But I am now being expected to do some of their deliveries but for no more money; so how can this be fair?”
[to be continued]
Among their many NCC employees were some drivers; these valuable employees drove big red lorries and smaller, yellow trucks.
Drivers of the big red lorries thought they were most important because they provided a strategic service, delivering large “strategic” stuff in specific parts of Newtonshire.
Drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks thought they were equally important as their red-vehicle-colleagues because the stuff they delivered was very important to the NCC customers. In fact, they were so committed to delivering NCC services that the yellow truck drivers spent many evenings away from home delivering to NCC customers; this even extended to weekends.
Now, NCC was a fair employer, and they decided that drivers should be rewarded a fair pay for their work. So the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks got a reasonable salary for providing the delivery services for NCC; furthermore, these drivers were given some extra holidays because they did not receive any overtime payments.
Drivers of the big red lorries were also rewarded a fair pay for their work; however, because they were delivering “strategic” stuff from larger vehicles, they were paid more than their yellow-vehicle-colleagues.
Having different pay scales was seen to be fair by Newtonshire Community Company; after all, why should drivers of different sized vehicles be all paid the same amount?
Now this pay differential created a little tension between the drivers, but this didn’t stop the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks supporting the drivers of the big red lorries to deliver the large “strategic” stuff. Occasionally the favour would reciprocated, and the drivers of the big red lorries would help the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks; but this didn’t happen very often.
A year later, in 2002, NCC was strongly encouraged to look at their employees’ salaries because of how some of the lowest paid workers rewarded for their toil. Most of the NCC employees were happy about this; after all, NCC was a fair employer, and their employees were generally rewarded with a fair pay for their work. The drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks were happy for salaries to be examined because they believed that the pay differential would be spotted, and that they would eventually be given the same pay as their red-vehicle-colleagues.
Five years later on, in 2007, the results of Job Examination were published, and the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks were shocked to find that their salaries were considered to be far too high. In fact, NCC planned to reduce their salaries so much that there could be as much as £18,000 difference between the pay of the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks and the drivers of the big red lorries.
Why was this? No-one could adequately explain why drivers of the big red lorries were regarded with such high regard, whilst the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks appeared to be scorned by their employer, even though the NCC service that their deliveries were of excellent quality, and highly regarded by the people of Newtonshire.
A couple of weeks after the results of Job Examination were published, one of the drivers of the smaller, yellow trucks was told that he would have to deliver some of the large “strategic” stuff. However, there would be no additional payment for this.
“Hey, why should I be delivering some of the large strategic stuff?” thought our driver. “Surely this means that I will be doing some of the work of a big red lorry driver? When my red-vehicle-colleagues had their jobs examined it was seen that delivery of “strategic” stuff was worth more than my deliveries. But I am now being expected to do some of their deliveries but for no more money; so how can this be fair?”
[to be continued]