Ifor Williams Trailers
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Anybody had any experience working at Ifor Williams Trailers, Corwen?
I am in the job market and they seem to advertise lot.Never worked there but know people who have. If you are a local it can be ok. It can be a bit of a clique otherwise, especially if you can’t speak Welsh. I know local people who work there and they are good lads. They are not racist it’s just the way they are.
@dagg 18361 wrote:
Never worked there but know people who have. If you are a local it can be ok. It can be a bit of a clique otherwise, especially if you can’t speak Welsh. I know local people who work there and they are good lads. They are not racist it’s just the way they are.
Its changed loads from them days, most locals have left and its mostly agency workers nowadays hence regularly taking on.
Hmm, two people answer who don’t work at Ifor’s. I do.
Some facts :
1. It’s £8 an hour
2. You get a free uniform as long as you don’t leave within 6 weeks (If you leave before 6 weeks you pay a nominal fee)
3. From what I can understand , for a factory job it is pretty good. You do get moved around so there is limited repetition of tasks.
4. It is a physical job and no women work on the factory floor
5. The current agency of choice is GAP (used to be Procative) although there are other smaller recruitment companies supplying staff.
6. There is a considerable amount of racism, but not towards the English speakers. The Polish and other Europeans get the worst of it. The biggest issue is the way the full time Ifor employed staff are treated as God’s whereas the agency staff , who in many cases work harder, are treated like crap and who are very much considered a disposable commodity. (Hence the continual adverts for staff)
7. The biggest issue by far is the the fact that the company have stopped employing agency staff as full timers even though the company is currently enjoying a boom in orders and has done so for a considerable period. There are plenty of people approaching 2 years of uninterrupted service, with no sick days, no late arrivals and an impeccable work record who have not been considered for a full time contract. It is quite frankly a disgrace.
Most people I know are literally working there until something better turns up as they no longer see IWT as a permanent employer. It’s a shame as they are losing some great people.
My advice would be by all means go for it , but only consider it as a stop gap, it isn’t a career anymore.
Good luck :)
The OP asked for those whom have had experience working there. I have so I replied.
When I worked there in the good old days I was one of the outsiders so know what Dagg is trying to say. I didn’t find it like that as my personality would not allow it ;-) I did find from time to time conversation at break time would drift into Cymraeg not to exclude me but that was mainly when they forgot I only spoke sais.
I say good old days as that was when John and Carol were first running the place. Its become a lot more ruthless now. Never be on the wrong side of Carol when shes on one she can make a grown man cry.
My partner has worked there for 10 years, I guess it depends what department you are planning to work in.
I too work at IWT and after reading some of the posts on the forum feel I must reply, some mention lads talking in Welsh , remember this is there first language and it is common practice for them to converse in Welsh, i am Welsh and wish I could join in the conversation but at no time do I have any problem with it. Another post talks about racism I think the term is xenophobia and I have never seen evidence of any form of it, to say we the full time staff are treated as gods is laughable I think this is jealousy at the fact we had a bonus at Christmas and agency workers didn’t, in fact we the full time staff are subjected to stricter absentee rules than agency lads ,some of the agency lads have had far more days off than us and are still in work, it seems boxcleva is trying to create a them and us mentality which is not so , you also forgot to mention iwt have taken lads on over the last three years and as far as I know have not said there are no full time jobs in the future, sure it’s not everyones cup of tea due to the rigid time keeping rules but please give a balanced view.
About ten years ago I was travelling through France on my way to a Paragliding competition in Laragne Monteglin. It’s a good distance and through the mountains south of Grenoble. Anyway, I needed a pee and as it was quiet and sort of off the beaten track I pulled over on a bend and got out of the car to do what I had to do. I decided to go somewhere out of sight should a car come around the corner. I walked down a hill slightly and noticed something in the bushes. After having my pee I went to investigate. I moved some bracken and discovered an Ifor Williams trailer, clearly distinguishable from the Blue Painted Nameplate. It had obviously left the road many years previous judging by the tyres which had perished away. Who would have guessed that it would be possible to see one of their trailers on “or should that be off” some nondescript mountain road in the south of France.
Had to share that one with you all!!:p@Jer 18741 wrote:
I too work at IWT and after reading some of the posts on the forum feel I must reply, some mention lads talking in Welsh , remember this is there first language and it is common practice for them to converse in Welsh, i am Welsh and wish I could join in the conversation but at no time do I have any problem with it. Another post talks about racism I think the term is xenophobia and I have never seen evidence of any form of it[/quote]
I totally agree I also have no issue with talking Welsh , and no I don’t speak it either. Good for them that do though :) . But I can also provide numerous quotes from FT staff AND team leaders of comments re Polish and other nationalities, genuinely, I hear them daily.
@Jer 18741 wrote:
, to say we the full time staff are treated as gods is laughable I think this is jealousy at the fact we had a bonus at Christmas and agency workers didn’t, in fact we the full time staff are subjected to stricter absentee rules than agency lads ,some of the agency lads have had far more days off than us and are still in work, it seems boxcleva is trying to create a them and us mentality which is not so , [/quote]
With respect I think you are missing the point. FT staff are definitely treated as superior and it has nothing to do with the Christmas bonus, but that to be honest was also a disgrace, thanks for the reminder :confused:
If there is ever a dispute on a line the FT (full time) member of staffs opinion/viewpoint is also taken above the agency staffs viewpoint regardless of age/gender/nationality. I am yet to meet a team leader who sees it any differently. The utter ‘cluelessness’ of some of the FT’s also stuns me. How the heck did some of these clowns get a job ? it makes me chuckle when a agency staff member with 2 months service is showing a FT with 20+ years in how to do something, and yes , that is also a regular occurrence on my line.@Jer 18741 wrote:
you also forgot to mention iwt have taken lads on over the last three years and as far as I know have not said there are no full time jobs in the future, [/quote]
If you want to deal with facts , the last FT to be employed from Cynwyd’s shop floor was nearly two years ago. I can assure you I work with agency staff who have never had a days sickness in two years and who ask at every given opportunity about FT jobs and they are told that no FT jobs are being looked at currently.Seriously, 2 years of no sick days, arriving at work an hour early every single day and working their asses off , what more should they do ??? I wouldn’t do it I can tell you, it’s pure exploitation.
@Jer 18741 wrote:
sure it’s not everyone’s cup of tea due to the rigid time keeping rules but please give a balanced view.
Rigid time keeping ? It’s childs play. Any numpty can arrive 15 mins early for work , although I appreciate some don’t bother, but to be fair , why would they ? Where is the incentive ?
IWT used to employ agency staff every 12 months or so, when was the last time you saw that happen ?
I admire your loyalty , but please try and keep it factual :D
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