Royal Mail Strikes
22 October 2009, 04:59 PM
#31
Do you honestly believes that your door to door postie carries exhaust systems in his bag?
I will agree that our post has got later but it's mainly to due to the fact that the post office is letting workers ago and not replacing them, merely placing the extra workload on the remaining posties.
I will agree that our post has got later but it's mainly to due to the fact that the post office is letting workers ago and not replacing them, merely placing the extra workload on the remaining posties.
Yes post is getting later, down to RM, and if we weren't striking and we let RM do whatever then it would be even later than that!
22 October 2009, 05:11 PM
#33
The people on here slagging off postmen should look at the numbers. It seems pretty clear that RM senior management have massively screwed up negotiations with the regulator and rather than admit that and fix it they are trying to squeeze the work-force beyond what is reasonable. You don't need to take postal worker's words for this - just do a bit of number crunching on Royal Mail's own numbers and it is clear (see ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/pu...-unaudited.pdf for the raw data).
What I don't understand is why the CWU can't get the press to understand this and report it - after all, at root it is the government using taxpayer's money to subsidise the profits of the competitive carriers such as TNT and UK Mail by forcing RM to provide part of their service at less than a sensible cost price. Journalists must be getting lazy if they can't do anything with a story like this.
What I don't understand is why the CWU can't get the press to understand this and report it - after all, at root it is the government using taxpayer's money to subsidise the profits of the competitive carriers such as TNT and UK Mail by forcing RM to provide part of their service at less than a sensible cost price. Journalists must be getting lazy if they can't do anything with a story like this.
22 October 2009, 05:19 PM
#34
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now I'm usually anti-strikes as I see them as self-defeating, however talking to our postie at work I actually sympathise this time.
Office is in aconverted barn, on a farm in the middle of no-where so we have a van driving postie. He's always smiling, very polite and I would consider him a good postie.
However, about 6 months they changed his route, actually expanding it by about 25%. His daily shift is supposed to finish at 2pm (he starts around 5-6ish). However, with his new route he has never finished before 4:30pm. He gets no overtime, and when he tells his boss he cant do the route he's told he will finish the route, deliver all the mail, everyday, or he is fired! He also works Saturdays when his round should finish at 12, but has had to miss a few of his footy team's matches because he is finishing at 2:30 so in effect is giving the RM 15 hours of free labour each and every week.
Oh and all the courier companies are now letting me down cos they are so busy picking up the RM's business they cant complete their rounds either!
Office is in aconverted barn, on a farm in the middle of no-where so we have a van driving postie. He's always smiling, very polite and I would consider him a good postie.
However, about 6 months they changed his route, actually expanding it by about 25%. His daily shift is supposed to finish at 2pm (he starts around 5-6ish). However, with his new route he has never finished before 4:30pm. He gets no overtime, and when he tells his boss he cant do the route he's told he will finish the route, deliver all the mail, everyday, or he is fired! He also works Saturdays when his round should finish at 12, but has had to miss a few of his footy team's matches because he is finishing at 2:30 so in effect is giving the RM 15 hours of free labour each and every week.
Oh and all the courier companies are now letting me down cos they are so busy picking up the RM's business they cant complete their rounds either!
22 October 2009, 05:28 PM
#36
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This strike IMO will back fire, It will provide the proof needed that RM is failing, It will be considered not viable and be sold off as a failing business.
Then it will be a case of like it or lump it for the staff. I would have more sympathy if the service had not been getting progressively worse for years now.
2 posts a day to 1 post a day
1 morning post to post around 1pm ish
Post 5 days a week down to 3 (in my area anyways)
1 in every300 ish letters not arriving from work to 1 in every 100 ish not arriving.
Friendly staff to militant angry staff (in my experience)
I am now in the final throws of changing carrier and I will NEVER go back to RM, not all the time its run and staffed like it is currently.
I understand that the above is just my experience and might not be reflective of the whole country, however I can only judge on the information available to me.
Then it will be a case of like it or lump it for the staff. I would have more sympathy if the service had not been getting progressively worse for years now.
2 posts a day to 1 post a day
1 morning post to post around 1pm ish
Post 5 days a week down to 3 (in my area anyways)
1 in every300 ish letters not arriving from work to 1 in every 100 ish not arriving.
Friendly staff to militant angry staff (in my experience)
I am now in the final throws of changing carrier and I will NEVER go back to RM, not all the time its run and staffed like it is currently.
I understand that the above is just my experience and might not be reflective of the whole country, however I can only judge on the information available to me.
22 October 2009, 05:45 PM
#37
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I dont understand why all these unhappy glorified paper boys, are sticking with a job they seam to hate.
I have no sympathy with them to be honest, the service is crap, stuff is constantly stolen/missing.
I have seen the local depot staff throwing parcels about, i get plenty of business mail for various local companies who don't seam to be on our street, the home mail seams to be worse
The service was ****e before they started meddling with it, i was assuming they were trying to make it better, and maybe they will in the end, but at the moment it is still as ****e as it has ever been.
Striking is just pissing the customers off, people will look into alternatives, i know a lot of my suppliers at work have started to stop as much postage as possible and now things like statements are emailed instead.
Even a few of my home statements are all done by email now.............
Letters will become a thing of the past, and all the grumpy old RM staff will still be striking, because the 1 letter left they have to deliver per week, is the wrong size.
I have no sympathy with them to be honest, the service is crap, stuff is constantly stolen/missing.
I have seen the local depot staff throwing parcels about, i get plenty of business mail for various local companies who don't seam to be on our street, the home mail seams to be worse
The service was ****e before they started meddling with it, i was assuming they were trying to make it better, and maybe they will in the end, but at the moment it is still as ****e as it has ever been.
Striking is just pissing the customers off, people will look into alternatives, i know a lot of my suppliers at work have started to stop as much postage as possible and now things like statements are emailed instead.
Even a few of my home statements are all done by email now.............
Letters will become a thing of the past, and all the grumpy old RM staff will still be striking, because the 1 letter left they have to deliver per week, is the wrong size.
22 October 2009, 06:05 PM
#38
The service as its so called, doesnt really exist. If we leave the local postal service to do its job, it will arrive pretty much whenever the hell it likes. When you are relying on the postal service for vital information from customers or equipment for work, which we do, we need to know its going to be there for us when we need it.
Every day one of the members of our staff call in to the depot to collect our mail, so that we actually get it on the day its required.
Thats my definition of bad.
What is the correct equipment you require? You have a satchel and two feet right?
22 October 2009, 06:18 PM
#39
Beeing a postie is a lot harder than a glorified newspaper boy, people seem to think we just goin in pick up bags full of mail and walk out the door.
In are office it's not to much of a struggle, and we very rarely go over are contracted hours. We do what is called long and shorts where on a monday, tuesday and saturday we have shorter days and the rest of the week longer days, i am contracted form 6am - 2pm, for instance.
Monday: 06:00 - 13:45
Tuesday: 06:00 - 13:00
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 06:00 - 15:00
Friday: 06:00 - 14:45
Saturday: 06:00 - 13:30
So if i happen to finish earlier by half an hour on tuesday, i then have an extra half an hour to add onto thursday if needs be, and if i happen to finish later on some of the days and on time for the rest, i then add on overtime at the end of the week.
In are office it's not to much of a struggle, and we very rarely go over are contracted hours. We do what is called long and shorts where on a monday, tuesday and saturday we have shorter days and the rest of the week longer days, i am contracted form 6am - 2pm, for instance.
Monday: 06:00 - 13:45
Tuesday: 06:00 - 13:00
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 06:00 - 15:00
Friday: 06:00 - 14:45
Saturday: 06:00 - 13:30
So if i happen to finish earlier by half an hour on tuesday, i then have an extra half an hour to add onto thursday if needs be, and if i happen to finish later on some of the days and on time for the rest, i then add on overtime at the end of the week.
22 October 2009, 06:35 PM
#41
Beeing a postie is a lot harder than a glorified newspaper boy, people seem to think we just goin in pick up bags full of mail and walk out the door.
In are office it's not to much of a struggle, and we very rarely go over are contracted hours. We do what is called long and shorts where on a monday, tuesday and saturday we have shorter days and the rest of the week longer days, i am contracted form 6am - 2pm, for instance.
Monday: 06:00 - 13:45
Tuesday: 06:00 - 13:00
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 06:00 - 15:00
Friday: 06:00 - 14:45
Saturday: 06:00 - 13:30
So if i happen to finish earlier by half an hour on tuesday, i then have an extra half an hour to add onto thursday if needs be, and if i happen to finish later on some of the days and on time for the rest, i then add on overtime at the end of the week.
In are office it's not to much of a struggle, and we very rarely go over are contracted hours. We do what is called long and shorts where on a monday, tuesday and saturday we have shorter days and the rest of the week longer days, i am contracted form 6am - 2pm, for instance.
Monday: 06:00 - 13:45
Tuesday: 06:00 - 13:00
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 06:00 - 15:00
Friday: 06:00 - 14:45
Saturday: 06:00 - 13:30
So if i happen to finish earlier by half an hour on tuesday, i then have an extra half an hour to add onto thursday if needs be, and if i happen to finish later on some of the days and on time for the rest, i then add on overtime at the end of the week.
There are lots of comments on here slagging off the work force for the reductions in service over the last few years, when there is plenty of concrete evidence that this is fundamentally government/regulator and management imposed.
As I said in an earlier post I am usually rabidly anti-union, but in this case I genuinely think the problem is incompetent management rather than an incompetent/inflexible work force (please don't respond to this with anecdotes about lazy postal workers - there are lazy ******* in any industry). I still think a strike is the wrong response - the union really need to sort out their PR so they can get some journos on their side and printing the facts.
The CWU also need to stop writing documents that are encouraging the workforce the be obstructive - I picked the following up from a package of documents posted on the royalmailchat site and found it pretty shocking.
"ABSORPTION – SOME SIMPLE GUIDELINES.
FIRST THING TO DO IS STOP COMING IN EARLY. START ON TIME
MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR FULL MEAL RELIEF ENTITLEMENT
MEAL RELIEF’S SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AT THE END OF DUTIES
PUT ALL ADDITIONAL POUCHES OUT
ADHERE TO THE POUCH WEIGHT MATRIX OR 1st POUCH 16KG MAX - REST 11KG MAX
DO NOT USE PRIVATE CARS ON DELIVERY
Bombard managers with requests to finish early, start late and swap duties"
22 October 2009, 06:55 PM
#42
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See we quickly got to name calling, good effort.
The service as its so called, doesnt really exist. If we leave the local postal service to do its job, it will arrive pretty much whenever the hell it likes. When you are relying on the postal service for vital information from customers or equipment for work, which we do, we need to know its going to be there for us when we need it.
Every day one of the members of our staff call in to the depot to collect our mail, so that we actually get it on the day its required.
Thats my definition of bad.
What is the correct equipment you require? You have a satchel and two feet right?
The service as its so called, doesnt really exist. If we leave the local postal service to do its job, it will arrive pretty much whenever the hell it likes. When you are relying on the postal service for vital information from customers or equipment for work, which we do, we need to know its going to be there for us when we need it.
Every day one of the members of our staff call in to the depot to collect our mail, so that we actually get it on the day its required.
Thats my definition of bad.
What is the correct equipment you require? You have a satchel and two feet right?
The government are trying to make the postied look bad to justify privatisation.
I've seen this happen in the water industry where companies made their employees look innept to explain to share holders why it would be a good idea to get rid of direct labour and TUPE across to contractors with employees ending up with worse pay and conditions.
Your talking through the end of your *****!!
22 October 2009, 07:02 PM
#43
A lot of the problem is in london, i don't take a meal break during the round i take it at the end of my shift, so if i'm contracted till 14:00 we are given 40 mins meal brake so i'm allowed to stop at 13:20, this gives me time to get to the end of my round and be able to get the special deliverys if i have any at the end of my round delivered by the 13:00 deadline, if i know i'm going to go over that deadline doing the round as it's laid out i can skip part of it to get there without having to go to far out of my way to ge there.
The pouches bit is rules given by royal mail, 16kg is fairly heavy when you have to carry it for a few miles and you end up with an achey back. My back has ached for the past 3yrs through carrying bags so i use more bags at lesser weights but have more drop bags to pick up which means having to track back to pick up bags which is time consuming.
Using your own car which is there incase you have an accident as in most cases your are not going to be covered by your insurers for business use.
The pouches bit is rules given by royal mail, 16kg is fairly heavy when you have to carry it for a few miles and you end up with an achey back. My back has ached for the past 3yrs through carrying bags so i use more bags at lesser weights but have more drop bags to pick up which means having to track back to pick up bags which is time consuming.
Using your own car which is there incase you have an accident as in most cases your are not going to be covered by your insurers for business use.
22 October 2009, 07:38 PM
#44
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I can't say i agree or disagree as the arguments seem tit for tat, a bit like watching mp's in parliment.
What i can say is i won't suffer too much as i do almost everything by direct debit or online. The business i work in hardly uses postal services either, almost everything is done via email.
What little post i do get is normally junk mail and never delivered before lunchtime anyway.
For those of us with kids, Toys R Us are using couriers to guarantee delivery ensuring Christmas deliveries are on time.
What i can say is i won't suffer too much as i do almost everything by direct debit or online. The business i work in hardly uses postal services either, almost everything is done via email.
What little post i do get is normally junk mail and never delivered before lunchtime anyway.
For those of us with kids, Toys R Us are using couriers to guarantee delivery ensuring Christmas deliveries are on time.
22 October 2009, 07:48 PM
#45
some of my mates down south in northants are posties, they say it's the best job in the world.
its a shame we have all this striking business but it's not surprising any public service thinks it's an acceptable way of proving a point and to hell with the rest of us.
sure it will all sort itself out get the temps in so restore some kind of order i am already missing all the bills dropping through my letterbox not lol.
only thing i won't miss in all of this is our lazy arsed postie who thinks it's ok to throw his rubberbands all over my driveway.
its a shame we have all this striking business but it's not surprising any public service thinks it's an acceptable way of proving a point and to hell with the rest of us.
sure it will all sort itself out get the temps in so restore some kind of order i am already missing all the bills dropping through my letterbox not lol.
only thing i won't miss in all of this is our lazy arsed postie who thinks it's ok to throw his rubberbands all over my driveway.
22 October 2009, 07:53 PM
#46
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Is there no other way than to strike? And as for carrying a 16kg bag for 4 hours being hard work you should maybe look into other jobs. The people that your hoping to support you are the ones your p***ing off. Calling people idiots is wrong as most of the country only see no mail getting to them and the postmen/women are going to take the brunt of their anger as their the ones choosing to strike. Also i read today that RM are setting up some kind of emergancy postal offices/staff, is this true?
Don't get me wrong if everything that you guys are saying on here is true then something has to be done.
Aaron
Don't get me wrong if everything that you guys are saying on here is true then something has to be done.
Aaron
22 October 2009, 08:09 PM
#47
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16kg for 4 hours and then it magical turns into 0kg?
WTF?
It gets lighter the longer you carry it you pusscake
Try fitting 760 hub assemblies onto a built Nissan engine in one shift you girl,
Hubs are prefitted with bottom arms, discs, callipers, in fact everything needed before the next 2 blokes hoist the engine into the cars engine bay.
Yes they give you a crane to use (for health and safety reasons), NO you can not use it as the line is going FAAAAR toooo fast and it slows you down so they are "hand balled" and carried to the moving track by hand.
You *****'s don't have a clue what hard work is!
Did i complain at the time? HELL NO!!!
I loved the fact that i was better then the majority of the lazy boys who could not handle it, i was actually proud that i could handle the job, seen plenty of pusscakes crash and burn, waaaaaahhhh blooody waaaahhhhhhhhhh
PATHETIC!
ps. the chemical barrels at work are 25 litres each, so about 25kg each ?
they are not even that heavy ???
carrying two of them is what i would consider a heavy load.
WTF?
It gets lighter the longer you carry it you pusscake
Try fitting 760 hub assemblies onto a built Nissan engine in one shift you girl,
Hubs are prefitted with bottom arms, discs, callipers, in fact everything needed before the next 2 blokes hoist the engine into the cars engine bay.
Yes they give you a crane to use (for health and safety reasons), NO you can not use it as the line is going FAAAAR toooo fast and it slows you down so they are "hand balled" and carried to the moving track by hand.
You *****'s don't have a clue what hard work is!
Did i complain at the time? HELL NO!!!
I loved the fact that i was better then the majority of the lazy boys who could not handle it, i was actually proud that i could handle the job, seen plenty of pusscakes crash and burn, waaaaaahhhh blooody waaaahhhhhhhhhh
PATHETIC!
ps. the chemical barrels at work are 25 litres each, so about 25kg each ?
they are not even that heavy ???
carrying two of them is what i would consider a heavy load.
Last edited by StickyMicky; 22 October 2009 at 08:11 PM.
22 October 2009, 08:10 PM
#48
Didn't say it was hard work, but it's not as easy as is made out, walking with 16kg on your shoulder for 4 hours will give you an achey back after a while, with that weight constantly pushing down on one shoulder compressing your spine on one side more than the other.
22 October 2009, 08:13 PM
#49
16kg for 4 hours and then it magical turns into 0kg?
WTF?
It gets lighter the longer you carry it you pusscake
Try fitting 760 hub assemblies onto a built Nissan engine in one shift you girl,
Hubs are prefitted with bottom arms, discs, callipers, in fact everything needed before the next 2 blokes hoist the engine into the cars engine bay.
Yes they give you a crane to use (for health and safety reasons), NO you can not use it as the line is going FAAAAR toooo fast and it slows you down so they are "hand balled" and carried to the moving track by hand.
You *****'s don't have a clue what hard work is!
Did i complain at the time? HELL NO!!!
I loved the fact that i was better then the majority of the lazy boys who could not handle it, i was actually proud that i could handle the job, seen plenty of pusscakes crash and burn, waaaaaahhhh blooody waaaahhhhhhhhhh
PATHETIC!
WTF?
It gets lighter the longer you carry it you pusscake
Try fitting 760 hub assemblies onto a built Nissan engine in one shift you girl,
Hubs are prefitted with bottom arms, discs, callipers, in fact everything needed before the next 2 blokes hoist the engine into the cars engine bay.
Yes they give you a crane to use (for health and safety reasons), NO you can not use it as the line is going FAAAAR toooo fast and it slows you down so they are "hand balled" and carried to the moving track by hand.
You *****'s don't have a clue what hard work is!
Did i complain at the time? HELL NO!!!
I loved the fact that i was better then the majority of the lazy boys who could not handle it, i was actually proud that i could handle the job, seen plenty of pusscakes crash and burn, waaaaaahhhh blooody waaaahhhhhhhhhh
PATHETIC!
Didn't complain just said that after a while it gives you an achey back.
22 October 2009, 08:34 PM
#51
In are office it's not to much of a struggle, and we very rarely go over are contracted hours. We do what is called long and shorts where on a monday, tuesday and saturday we have shorter days and the rest of the week longer days, i am contracted form 6am - 2pm, for instance.
Monday: 06:00 - 13:45
Tuesday: 06:00 - 13:00
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 06:00 - 15:00
Friday: 06:00 - 14:45
Saturday: 06:00 - 13:30
.
Monday: 06:00 - 13:45
Tuesday: 06:00 - 13:00
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: 06:00 - 15:00
Friday: 06:00 - 14:45
Saturday: 06:00 - 13:30
.
My contracted hours are 6.30 - 4.00 and i have maybe 1/2 hour for lunch (if there's time)
We have to put in a 9.5 hour day, 47.5 hour week minimum and for less pay than the posties but it's a job and we're grateful for it these days
22 October 2009, 10:16 PM
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People like you really **** me off, if you think you can do it come and have a go, you would soon be running the other way!!!!!!!!
Cheers
Colin
22 October 2009, 10:28 PM
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Gordon Brown's handling of the Royal Mail strikes comes under criticism from the public and Labour backbenchers today, with a poll showing most voters believe the government should get directly involved in the dispute and force management and unions to go to the conciliation service Acas.
The Communication Workers Union's executive announced last night that two days of strikes would go ahead from this morning, with the union adamant that management and the Labour government were in a conspiracy to break it. The union also said it would announce the dates of further strike action later this week.
The union's deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, said the business secretary, Lord Mandelson, and senior Royal Mail management were working to block a settlement. He said: "The real truth behind this dispute is that Lord Mandelson, in cahoots with people running the company, clearly feel it is payback time because we defeated them on their proposals on privatisation."
Ward said he had no trust or confidence in Mandelson, the Royal Mail chief executive, Adam Crozier, or the Royal Mail managing director, Mark Higson, accusing them of vetoing a deal on how to introduce changes to working practices. He said it was inevitable that 130,000 postal workers would be on strike this morning.
Billy Hayes, the union's general secretary, derided Mandelson as "the minister without responsibility" who "just wants to wash his hands in this dispute".
The Royal Mail's management said it had reached agreement with the CWU on Tuesday, based on no further industrial action until after Christmas in return for an agreement that the company would not seek to change working practices before then. Royal Mail claimed this deal was thrown out by the CWU's executive yesterday, and said ministers did not seek to veto the agreement.
A poll conducted by YouGov for the left-wing pressure group Compass showed that the public, by 55% to 34%, would like to see Mandelson more directly involved in securing a settlement.
By a similar margin, they believe the government should force the unions and management to go to Acas. In addition, 60% say ministers should set up an independent review into how Royal Mail can be modernised in the interests of business and the public.
The TUC's general council issued a statement supporting the CWU and condemning management for hiring 30,000 temporary workers to reduce the impact of the strike. The dispute centres on how the management should be allowed to introduce changes to working practices agreed in 2007, but resisted by some union branches. The strike is going ahead after 30 hours of talks this week.
Gordon Brown today refused to intervene, saying only that negotiation or arbitration should occur when the circumstances were right.
David Cameron criticised him for showing a lack of leadership and courage. He claimed the industry was in a mess owing to the way he caved in to Labour backbench opposition to his plans to the part-privatisation of Royal Mail.
Mandelson's spokesman said: "The union wants Peter to intervene to unpick a deal that has already been agreed. He is not going to do that. The union by directing their fire on him are trying to hide the fact that there is no good or logical reason for this dispute."
Royal Mail was given another slap in the face tonight when the Scottish government awarded a £17m contract to TNT Post to deliver second-class mail for dozens of public bodies. The Scottish government defended the move, saying it would save the public purse nearly £3m a year.
Compass issued a statement signed by 50 prominent leftwingers, including many Labour MPs, claiming the government was "sulking on the sidelines because they couldn't get their part-privatisation through and have now washed their hands of the whole thing. The Post Office is an essential, publicly owned utility and it is the government's duty to ensure it is run well." The signatories included the influential backbencher Jon Cruddas and 12 other backbenchers, including Kate Hoey. They warned: "The dispute has the potential to drag the whole industry down."
Just got this of The daily telegraph website!!!!!!!!
Cheers
Colin
The Communication Workers Union's executive announced last night that two days of strikes would go ahead from this morning, with the union adamant that management and the Labour government were in a conspiracy to break it. The union also said it would announce the dates of further strike action later this week.
The union's deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, said the business secretary, Lord Mandelson, and senior Royal Mail management were working to block a settlement. He said: "The real truth behind this dispute is that Lord Mandelson, in cahoots with people running the company, clearly feel it is payback time because we defeated them on their proposals on privatisation."
Ward said he had no trust or confidence in Mandelson, the Royal Mail chief executive, Adam Crozier, or the Royal Mail managing director, Mark Higson, accusing them of vetoing a deal on how to introduce changes to working practices. He said it was inevitable that 130,000 postal workers would be on strike this morning.
Billy Hayes, the union's general secretary, derided Mandelson as "the minister without responsibility" who "just wants to wash his hands in this dispute".
The Royal Mail's management said it had reached agreement with the CWU on Tuesday, based on no further industrial action until after Christmas in return for an agreement that the company would not seek to change working practices before then. Royal Mail claimed this deal was thrown out by the CWU's executive yesterday, and said ministers did not seek to veto the agreement.
A poll conducted by YouGov for the left-wing pressure group Compass showed that the public, by 55% to 34%, would like to see Mandelson more directly involved in securing a settlement.
By a similar margin, they believe the government should force the unions and management to go to Acas. In addition, 60% say ministers should set up an independent review into how Royal Mail can be modernised in the interests of business and the public.
The TUC's general council issued a statement supporting the CWU and condemning management for hiring 30,000 temporary workers to reduce the impact of the strike. The dispute centres on how the management should be allowed to introduce changes to working practices agreed in 2007, but resisted by some union branches. The strike is going ahead after 30 hours of talks this week.
Gordon Brown today refused to intervene, saying only that negotiation or arbitration should occur when the circumstances were right.
David Cameron criticised him for showing a lack of leadership and courage. He claimed the industry was in a mess owing to the way he caved in to Labour backbench opposition to his plans to the part-privatisation of Royal Mail.
Mandelson's spokesman said: "The union wants Peter to intervene to unpick a deal that has already been agreed. He is not going to do that. The union by directing their fire on him are trying to hide the fact that there is no good or logical reason for this dispute."
Royal Mail was given another slap in the face tonight when the Scottish government awarded a £17m contract to TNT Post to deliver second-class mail for dozens of public bodies. The Scottish government defended the move, saying it would save the public purse nearly £3m a year.
Compass issued a statement signed by 50 prominent leftwingers, including many Labour MPs, claiming the government was "sulking on the sidelines because they couldn't get their part-privatisation through and have now washed their hands of the whole thing. The Post Office is an essential, publicly owned utility and it is the government's duty to ensure it is run well." The signatories included the influential backbencher Jon Cruddas and 12 other backbenchers, including Kate Hoey. They warned: "The dispute has the potential to drag the whole industry down."
Just got this of The daily telegraph website!!!!!!!!
Cheers
Colin
23 October 2009, 08:14 AM
#57
I'd just like to repeat what blu-scoob said to you, pull yourf**kin head out the sand you idiot.
The government are trying to make the postied look bad to justify privatisation.
I've seen this happen in the water industry where companies made their employees look innept to explain to share holders why it would be a good idea to get rid of direct labour and TUPE across to contractors with employees ending up with worse pay and conditions.
Your talking through the end of your *****!!
The government are trying to make the postied look bad to justify privatisation.
I've seen this happen in the water industry where companies made their employees look innept to explain to share holders why it would be a good idea to get rid of direct labour and TUPE across to contractors with employees ending up with worse pay and conditions.
Your talking through the end of your *****!!
As far as I'm concerned our points of view should differ considerably. My point of view is that I and many others are receiving a rubbish service by Royal Mail, if this was any other service provider (electricity, gas etc) we would be able to choose an alternative. However, we cant so what you get is unsatisfied customers.
Whatever the reason for the crap service, striking and making the service even worse is not going to win you any friends or sympathisers.
23 October 2009, 08:51 AM
#58
i agree with fitzscoob in the sense we 100% need an alternative to royal mail.
as a consumer it makes for a better, lower cost and a leaner service.
most importantly another choice of service cuts down on all the striking business, i am in amazement that people are actually allowed to still do this and then go back like nothing has happened (but thats the needed justification for the existance of the union i suppose) if i or my collegues at work decided to strike then i can guess what would happen Job Centre !
it's really very simple if you don't like your job or working conditions get another job, get on with it and stop punishing the people who can do nothing about it.
i only wish i had to work the same hours as the post people, could spend much more time with my scoob lol.
as a consumer it makes for a better, lower cost and a leaner service.
most importantly another choice of service cuts down on all the striking business, i am in amazement that people are actually allowed to still do this and then go back like nothing has happened (but thats the needed justification for the existance of the union i suppose) if i or my collegues at work decided to strike then i can guess what would happen Job Centre !
it's really very simple if you don't like your job or working conditions get another job, get on with it and stop punishing the people who can do nothing about it.
i only wish i had to work the same hours as the post people, could spend much more time with my scoob lol.
23 October 2009, 10:06 AM
#59
Goodness me, there are a lot of narrow minded views here. We have a 40 hour week, we carry between 5-10 satchels a day weighing in between 11-16k, sometimes less sometimes more. Yes there are harder jobs out there, but yet there are easier jobs, but this is all irrelevant. And for all those harping on "if you don't like it, get another job" had you not noticed we are in a recession and that is easier said than done. I've been trying just that for 12 months and had no luck as yet 
there is nothing more I'd like than to get out of the postal service.
Sticky; let me put this to you, I'm assuming on your production line you have targets, correct?? Right well imagine one day your boss says I need the targets upping and he gets you working to your maximum rate and you can't possibly go any quicker. Fine, you can just about imagine that, yes?? Great.
Right, you've been working at max rate for 12 months now and still can't possibly do any more in the time allocated. It wears you out over time, (a bit like driving a car at max rpm permanently, something will give eventually) Your boss then comes along and says, right, "I need the targets upping another 25%" It physically can't be done. He also tells you "if you don't do it your out of a job" you can't book overtime so you end up doing the extra work for free?
Tell me is this right? This is basically what RM are doing to the postal service. And to make matters worse they are coming back next year to take more out of the job. If this isn't a deliberate act to run down the postal service then i don't know what is.
fitzscoob; As for equipment,
Well we have IPS prep frames for sorting large letter and IPS prep frames for small letters and bag frames for sorting packets. Our office currently has a shortage of all these, we have 2-3 people on each frame when it should be one each (as stated by RM)
Then we have walk prep frames, each house should have its own slot, enabling each house to have its mail separated from the next (this also aids the prep of door to door leaflets) 99% of the office has two houses to each slot meaning it has to be sorted into the correct order twice.
Then we have van drivers who convey staff and 2nd - 10th pouches to the drop points for collection by us later on in the day. The drivers who are also overloaded are unable to get the bags or the staff to the destination on time as they have timed work to do ie 9am special deliverys and timed collections. Not to mention the lack of drop points, and the fact we have to 'dead' walk back along our route to collect these and then 'dead' walk back to where we had to stop.
My new walk, which I have been on for 6 weeks now is what RM term a 'cycle' walk. I am still waiting 6 weeks later for them to provide me with that cycle. Instead I have to get one of the already overstretched van drivers to go out of his way to convey me to my walk. It also means a half hour walk back tothe delivery office to sign back out.
Then there are the satchels themselves, last on average a month before the straps break bag splits etc, there usually aren't any spare in the office, so they have to be 'botched' back together.
So yes we need more than a satchel and two feet. Belive me this is just the tip of the iceburg, there are offices, namely in London, that are in a much worse position than ours............
TingTong the contacted hours and the actual hour vary considerably.
Our office starts at 5.45 and finishes at 2.30 and on average the walk takes at least an hour extra now takes us to at least 3.30, often a LOT later. I now carry a torch around with me Also take in to account we have to go to bed earlier, makes it the same as a normal job. Just the hours are unsociable!!
there is nothing more I'd like than to get out of the postal service.Sticky; let me put this to you, I'm assuming on your production line you have targets, correct?? Right well imagine one day your boss says I need the targets upping and he gets you working to your maximum rate and you can't possibly go any quicker. Fine, you can just about imagine that, yes?? Great.
Right, you've been working at max rate for 12 months now and still can't possibly do any more in the time allocated. It wears you out over time, (a bit like driving a car at max rpm permanently, something will give eventually) Your boss then comes along and says, right, "I need the targets upping another 25%" It physically can't be done. He also tells you "if you don't do it your out of a job" you can't book overtime so you end up doing the extra work for free?
Tell me is this right? This is basically what RM are doing to the postal service. And to make matters worse they are coming back next year to take more out of the job. If this isn't a deliberate act to run down the postal service then i don't know what is.
fitzscoob; As for equipment,
Well we have IPS prep frames for sorting large letter and IPS prep frames for small letters and bag frames for sorting packets. Our office currently has a shortage of all these, we have 2-3 people on each frame when it should be one each (as stated by RM)
Then we have walk prep frames, each house should have its own slot, enabling each house to have its mail separated from the next (this also aids the prep of door to door leaflets) 99% of the office has two houses to each slot meaning it has to be sorted into the correct order twice.
Then we have van drivers who convey staff and 2nd - 10th pouches to the drop points for collection by us later on in the day. The drivers who are also overloaded are unable to get the bags or the staff to the destination on time as they have timed work to do ie 9am special deliverys and timed collections. Not to mention the lack of drop points, and the fact we have to 'dead' walk back along our route to collect these and then 'dead' walk back to where we had to stop.
My new walk, which I have been on for 6 weeks now is what RM term a 'cycle' walk. I am still waiting 6 weeks later for them to provide me with that cycle. Instead I have to get one of the already overstretched van drivers to go out of his way to convey me to my walk. It also means a half hour walk back tothe delivery office to sign back out.
Then there are the satchels themselves, last on average a month before the straps break bag splits etc, there usually aren't any spare in the office, so they have to be 'botched' back together.
So yes we need more than a satchel and two feet. Belive me this is just the tip of the iceburg, there are offices, namely in London, that are in a much worse position than ours............
TingTong the contacted hours and the actual hour vary considerably.
Our office starts at 5.45 and finishes at 2.30 and on average the walk takes at least an hour extra now takes us to at least 3.30, often a LOT later. I now carry a torch around with me
Also take in to account we have to go to bed earlier, makes it the same as a normal job. Just the hours are unsociable!!
Last edited by BLU; 23 October 2009 at 01:11 PM.
