CityLink

[MatthewL]

Looks like its good bye to CityLink.

 

Shame it could not be Yodel, would of made everyone's Christmas.

 

Could not have announced it on a worse day.

[fairm010]

Shame as I've always had a good experience with City Link.

[speckytecky]

Sad to see City Link go into Administration City Link parcel delivery company goes into administration - BBC News particularly over the festive season. I've always found their drivers give a first class service. My guess is the folks on the road have been let down by their management. I wonder if there's any chance someone such as UPS might buy the operation off the Administrators and at least preserve the workers jobs and existing customer network?

[speckytecky]

Saw this @MatthewL after my recent similar post. I totally agree with you.

Looks like its good bye to CityLink.

 

Shame it could not be Yodel, would of made everyone's Christmas.

 

Could not have announced it on a worse day.

[synaesthesia]

Frankly, glad to see them go. Had a good driver from them once but generally found them awful. They have of course racked up enough of a bad reputation in the past to earn a nickname which rhymes well. Sad for the employees (well, some of them) but glad to see them go as a company.

Let's face facts; in today's economic climate where so much is dependent on logistical services from corporate to consumer, going into administration is a surefire way of saying "We've REALLY messed up bad".

At least some of their worse employees will fit right in at Yodel.

[elsiegee40]

Threads merged

[newpersn]

Why couldn't yodel go under.... (city link has always been good when I used them)

[speckytecky]

Perhaps the MODs on Edugeek could make an offer. Going by the way they moderate this Forum they certainly have a good grip in management. Thanks @elsiegee40

 

Threads merged

[MatthewL]

Cannot fault them either, one of the better services around here, shame some of the suppliers want to cut costs and make more profit and use the likes of Yodel forcing eBuyer to loose work!

[Ketlane]

The City pages say that the company has been bleeding money. RMT are up in arms: perhaps they'd like to invest their pension fund and put their money where their mouth is?

[elsiegee40]

I cannot see how the union's demand for government intervention is anything other than posturing. A business that has been struggling to stay afloat went under and will get no more help than any other business (apart from a bank probably) that does likewise.

 

Those in financial charge clawed in as much money as possible to cover debts in the busiest time and shut the doors before a quiet January meant that money was immediately lost. It hurts the employees badly, but it makes business sense.

 

There are no winners from this. There's never a good time to be made redundant, but Christmas has to be the worst.

[plexer]

The RMT boss said that the Government bails out the bankers so why not City Link, whilst it's bad that people are losing their jobs it's a completely different thing.

 

Ben

[john]

The rmt boss spouts much hot air, as has been said put the pension and his huge salary into the pot to fix the issue be a good starter.

[GREED]

All of this is pretty standard, except one thing:

 

They got all the drivers on overtime and what not in the biggest rush of the whole year, knowing full well this was going to happen. The moment it was over, they announce everyone is out of a job in a week, and more so, wages will be paid until the end of the month, will OT?

 

Given they knew this for months now, Xmas wasn't going to save them, this is a despicable way to treat the staff and drivers, at the worst time of year for money and getting new jobs. Out right cut and run (fast) by the management and have nothing but deep sympathy for the drivers In particular. A happy ending might be for a bigger company to take some of the staff in during an expansion... anyone but yodel...

[sted]

The RMT boss said that the Government bails out the bankers so why not City Link, whilst it's bad that people are losing their jobs it's a completely different thing.

 

Ben

unfortunately banks are necessary as without them them the economy fails. city link are just another parcel company in the grand scheme of things they are not worth saving if they cant make money

[Roberto]

Why couldn't yodel go under....

 

... Because while everyone likes to moan about poor delivery companies, very few of those complainers are prepared to pay the extra that a good delivery service will cost. We, that is everyone who shops online as a whole, are not only getting the service we deserve from Yodel, we're also getting all the service we're prepared to pay for.

 

I cannot see how the union's demand for government intervention is anything other than posturing. A business that has been struggling to stay afloat went under and will get no more help than any other business (apart from a bank probably) that does likewise.

 

Indeed. And IIRC City Link were sold for £1 by their previous owners, which is rarely a sign of a profitable company with a good future ahead of them. It's horrible to see and obviously terrible news for employees but this has been a long time coming.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Roberto

[matt40k]

Why couldn't yodel go under.... (city link has always been good when I used them)

 

Found the exact opposite. Guess I'm the only one.

[dwhyte85]

They got all the drivers on overtime and what not in the biggest rush of the whole year, knowing full well this was going to happen. The moment it was over, they announce everyone is out of a job in a week, and more so, wages will be paid until the end of the month, will OT?

 

I had this situation at a company I worked for 2 years ago, they didn't have to pay our wages... we only got paid by the administrators as we worked for them (few weeks work), had to apply to the government and managed to recoup 3/4 of my salary after filling in a bunch of forms and waiting nearly 2 months. I hope the administrators don't do this to them and the company has money for wages... but the administrators job is to pay what's owed... and if they owe a lot, you might get 2p in every pound... not a huge amount!

Edited December 29, 2014 by dwhyte85

[GREED]

The key will be who will get paid first... staff or debts?

[elsiegee40]

The key will be who will get paid first... staff or debts?

 

There is a strict legal order in which creditors are paid when a business goes into administration

 

http://uk.practicallaw.com/9-501-6812#a500083

 

Sums due to employees, including any unpaid wages that accrued before the administration, rank only as an unsecured claim which puts them pretty far down the list sadly.

[AMLinington]

Looks like its good bye to CityLink.

 

Shame it could not be Yodel, would of made everyone's Christmas.

 

Could not have announced it on a worse day.

 

LOL I said the exact same thing.

[Abaddon]

Found the exact opposite. Guess I'm the only one.

 

Most definitely not the only one. CL were, until recently, absolutely appalling. We had excuses along the lines of "couldn't gain entry", "premises closed" (that was a term time Wednesday) etc etc. I think we have (had?), one of their better drivers for the last 6 months. Prior to that, I actually binned a supplier because they wouldn't use anyone except CL. Big mistake.. (££££'s).

[plexer]

I've had good and bad drivers deliver to us trouble is doesn't matter what the company if the driver is useless.

 

Ben

[localzuk]

There is a strict legal order in which creditors are paid when a business goes into administration

 

http://uk.practicallaw.com/9-501-6812#a500083

 

Sums due to employees, including any unpaid wages that accrued before the administration, rank only as an unsecured claim which puts them pretty far down the list sadly.

 

According to that list, employees are preferred creditors.

[synaesthesia]

Preferred, but nowhere near top of the pile; and considering the terms many companies work on there are typically a hell of a lot more to pay out that's higher priority than employees. (Experience, nearly every company I've worked for has gone bust....)