I see the company that is currently distributing the Hedge End Gazette, Tudor Distribution Services Ltd, is advertising for more leafletters in the Post Office window.

I'm not so proud that I won't stuff a few leaflets etc through letterboxes, so I contacted them earlier in the year.

If you reply to that ad, you'll find that you'll be doing the work on a self-employed basis and Tudor basically dictate how much they pay you for each job. It allows them to get out of having to pay Holidays, Employers National Insurance, Maternity pay etc etc. and presumably allows them to maximise their profit whilst keeping costs down in the interests of winning more business. It also means that the slower workers get paid exactly the same as the more efficient ones, i.e. its not possible to earn more by working more slowly, which clearly wouldn't be right...

My first job was trudging round 500 letterboxes in part of Hamble, including the industrial estates (n.b. when they initially brief you, they say its residential addresses only!). Due to the layout of that area, some stupidly long driveways, parking restrictions etc and the consequential long hikes to get back to the car to replenish supplies etc it actually took me 7 hours to do that particular job (and I had some unpleasant blisters in the groin area to prove that I wasn't slacking), for which I earned £29. And out of that I was expected to find Income Tax, National Insurance and transport costs...

I'll concede that that particular job in Hamble, with the industrial estates, was possibly the unfortunate exception rather than the general rule, but if you decide to do this work for Tudor Distribution Sevices Ltd I think you should assume that the most anybody can reasonably expect to do (without running with a heavily laden satchel) is 100 letterboxes per hour, i.e. 5 houses every 3 minutes.

So at a rate of £50 per 1000 (which is one of  Tudor's better rates, sometimes it is only £28!), you should realistically expect to be out and about for at least 10 hours per 1000, probably spread over two days. And as I say, you'll have to find your own Tax, National Insurance and fuel (probably) out of that remuneration.

I unfortunately had to turn down the opportunity to deliver the latest Gazette round part of Hedge End, so haven't been able to test that theory on a more routine job, but those are basically the parameters that I was expecting to work to.

Frankly I think Tudor should be paying at least half as much again, double would be about right actually.

Yes Keith, I know there's constant pressure (incl from me) to keep Council Tax down, but Hedge End Town Council perhaps need to be a little more careful who they employ to deliver their newsletter. Having Hedge End residents trudging round the streets delivering the Gazette for less than the minimum wage doesn't do either party any credit really...

And as with the fiasco over the failed panels of Xmas lights, this problem of inadequate remunation for the leafletters goes to disprove the urban myth and the political dogma that the Private Sector is the panacea to all ills. The Private Sector just exploits people, either via poor remuneration of its employees and/or by providing poorest possible service to its customers for the highest possible charge...