[Archived] Postal Dispute

[ewoodblue]

I've not had a single letter since Wednesday morning,and my recycle sack is nearly empty.

I can get used to this.

When I rang the Royal Mail to ask how long it will be going on for,they said "they'll keep me posted"

[ABBEY]

how would you like your pension and wages to be cut???

GOOD LUCK POSTIES

[brfcs5359]

It's that Crozier bloke from the FA that's doing all the c*cking up down at the Royal Mail now that he's cashed the stash from his previous employment. These people all give each other jobs I'm sure...

[Flopsy]

how would you like your pension and wages to be cut???

GOOD LUCK POSTIES

you dont hear people complaining when their wages go up.

If you dont like it, get another job, the wonders of a free labour market

[Wolverine]

The postal service is being destroyed. A few years back, the post would be here around half nineish. Recently it's been as late as 4pm! Good luck to the posties - I look forward to the picket line episode of Postman Pat!

The government are very quick to convince workers in the private sector to get a good pension while at the same time destroying the superb pensions workers in the public sector already had...

[Ricky]

how would you like your pension and wages to be cut???

GOOD LUCK POSTIES

Talking nonsense I think Abbey... They are on strike after rejecting a 2.5% pay rise... not a 2.5% pay cut!!!!!

We've just been offered 2.475% and yes.. we've had our pensions cocked up as well.

The strike action will have cost all of the posties more in lost earnings than if they had accepted the 2.5%. If they accept an increase of 3% they will still be out of pocket as they will have lost a good few days pay and pension contributions.

We're being balloted soon about strike action for our pay offer, not a bloody chance of me striking for it. I'll lose too much money in the long run. I'm happy enough to take the offer.

[yorkblues]

ricky how would you like more work for the same pay??

its very hard having to strike when you have 3 kids to feed but you can't let them walk over you

A SCAB IS JUST LIKE A BURNLEY FAN

[Paul]

We moved our business mail elsewhere in January. Glad I'm not a Royal Mail customer.

[Ricky]

Moz. To be fair the pay increase offered was more than we've been offered this year. We're also going through another restructure and looking like losing staff so we're not in an a very different situation at all.

My point is that by not accepting the 2.5% increase you guys have lost out in the long run. Each day you are on strike you are losing out. You are also losing out in pension conributions

I have gone out on strike before but will certainly not this time as it's me who'll suffer in the long run.

[bblue]

you dont hear people complaining when their wages go up.

If you dont like it, get another job, the wonders of a free labour market

Post is quite a vital service to the whole community and they all know that. It's easier to force a decision when you know that your strike will impact on quite a few people and businesses.

[yorkblues]

CWU has today (Monday) served notice to Royal Mail for further strike action to take place next week unless an agreement is reached.

This action will follow a programme of 24hour functional strikes commencing Monday 15th October. This means Royal Mail will face a further week of continuous disruption to mail services and all postal staff will carry out one full day’s strike, as outlined below.

Mail centres and airports - duties, scheduled attendance and overtime commencing at or after 18.00 Monday 15th October 2007 and before 18.00 Tuesday 16th October 2007.

Deliveries and separate collection hubs - duties, scheduled attendance and overtime commencing at or after 03.00 Tuesday 16th October 2007 and before 03.00 Wednesday 17th October 2007.

Network (drivers) - duties, scheduled attendance and overtime commencing at or after 12 noon Wednesday 17th October 2007 and before 12 noon Thursday 18th October 2007.

MDECs (mechanised data entry centres) - duties, scheduled attendance and overtime commencing at or after 12 noon Thursday 18th October 2007 and before 12 noon Friday 19th October 2007.

International/Heathrow World Distribution Centre - duties, scheduled attendance and overtime commencing at or after 14.00 Thursday 18th October 2007 and before 14.00 Friday 19th October 2007.

Talks continue between CWU and Royal Mail.

[thenodrog]

Are the postmen on strike then? And if so what for?

[AlanK]

And another reason they are striking is because they being told to do their full quota of hours rather than go home once they have finished their round.

And so they should. I can`t pick and choose how many hours I do and what I do in them.

I`m trying to run a business as sole trader and have 44 letters waiting to go and cheques worth thousands waiting to come in.

GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY GITS

[thenodrog]

And another reason they are striking is because they being told to do their full quota of hours rather than go home once they have finished their round.

And so they should. I can`t pick and choose how many hours I do and what I do in them.

I`m trying to run a business as sole trader and have 44 letters waiting to go and cheques worth thousands waiting to come in.

GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY GITS

Can you not persuade your customers to go on direct debit or internet banking like so many already have done Alan? The posties could sit at home if they want for the rest of their naturals then.

[blue phil]

My point is that by not accepting the 2.5% increase you guys have lost out in the long run. Each day you are on strike you are losing out. You are also losing out in pension conributions

I have gone out on strike before but will certainly not this time as it's me who'll suffer in the long run.

A very , very short term view of tackling the problem .

Of course people are going to lose money in the short term but nobody these days goes on strike for the hell of it . It's about the principle of whether the post office employees are going to have any form of consultation in their terms and conditions of employment .

In other words it's about a PRINCIPLE . Trade Unionism is all about principles . Even in the 21st century people have to stand up to be counted in the workplace - otherwise unprincipled scumbags like Crozier will just screw them . Remember , there is always a cheaper supply of labour out there - all willing to work for next to nothing all hours God sends (if he exists) . The Labour Party (which used to be a party for the working people FFS) and which , in effect owns the postal system , is choosing not to intervene . No surprise there

You mentioned "losing out in pension contributions" . Actually that is one of the main reasons for this strike - the posties wish to maintain their pension rights to the current level . No good paying in an extra few quid each week by not striking if the management will have the power to change conditions that will cost thousands in the future !! (Not their own I hasten to add which will be a seperate entity) .

The level of pay increase offered (I'm told) isn't a major factor in the dispute .

[thenodrog]

The Labour Party (which used to be a party for the working people FFS) and which , in effect owns the postal system , is choosing not to intervene . No surprise there

I guess they learnt their lesson in the winter of discontent when giving in to one dispute over tea and sarnies at No10 meant a queue of others wanting to dip their bread into the coffers of a weak government. History proves that it was a ludicrous and damaging situation for the the entire country and condemned Labour to years in opposition whilst massive public support gave Thatchers govt an overwhelming mandate to restore the rightful balance of power. King Arthur of course being the first of many to cop it.

[blue phil]

Times were a lot different then , Theno .

Scargill and co were marxists who wanted to change the whole system of government and other unions were just as intent as screwing the opposition as the employers were.

Now I think the gov't could intervene and show reasonable impartiality , knock heads together and modernise the PO whilst still keeping working conditions and pensions at a good level .

The PO is a nationalised institution - the gov't has a role to play ; it's their guidelines that are at the centre of the dispute and preventing the PO from operating fairly in the market place . By opting out they're being weak and driving both sides to extremes .

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The unions are sadly nothing more than a token presence now Phil and maggie saw to that,regardless of all the 'a union is only as strong as its members' hype the manufacturing sector bosses appear to walk all over them like they are not there.

Its a sad state of affairs but below inflation pay rises seem to be the norm now...and still the migrant workers pour into the country.

[stuwilky]

Talking nonsense I think Abbey... They are on strike after rejecting a 2.5% pay rise... not a 2.5% pay cut!!!!!

That is not the sole reason for the strike as I recall...... I suspect if it was simply a case of a 2.5% pay cut it would have sailed through

We moved our business mail elsewhere in January. Glad I'm not a Royal Mail customer.

Have you moved it to a delivery company? Or simply a s shipping company who move it between sorting offices, but let the Royal Mail deliver it for them at a charge of 13.9p per letter? Very few companies do their own doorstep to doorstep deliveries

GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY GITS

Bloody hell Alan, someone fighting for their terms and conditions is now branded as "lazy"?

Bloody hell, I spend a good percentage of my working week arguing for people's rights!

[blue phil]

The unions are sadly nothing more than a token presence now Phil and maggie saw to that,regardless of all the 'a union is only as strong as its members'

I used to be a rep for the union and that quote was never far from my lips

Getting the members to actually stop whingeing and do something instead of asking what the union is going to do for them was a bloody big task ! The members ARE the union - they have to have the balls to take action and lose money in the short term if needs be .

It's even harder for them nowadays with a government that doesn't give a toss and which helps to undermine wages and decent conditions with their policies . Worse than that , the higher echelons of the union actually agree with those policies

[Paul]

Have you moved it to a delivery company? Or simply a s shipping company who move it between sorting offices, but let the Royal Mail deliver it for them at a charge of 13.9p per letter? Very few companies do their own doorstep to doorstep deliveries

Currently they are a shipping company so yes our mail is stuck along with the rest. However the company we use is very shortly to become involved in the first rival door-to-door service to rival the Royal Mail. There is a major lesson here for the postal workers in the modernisation of the postal service. As a small business we have found the web has opened up new opportunities for us in relation to mail, opportunities that used to be available only to much larger companies.

It's a very simple process.

Install a software package provided, free, by the postal company

Create invoices, statements, letters etc in the normal manner

Select print

Print items to remote location

At remote location items are printed, automatically enveloped and mailed out

Takes 10 minutes per week to run all our mailing

End result postal and stationery costs reduced by 43% YTD, trips to post office eliminated, stationery eliminated, staff employed on useful tasks etc etc. Plus for the first time we were able to begin direct mail to our customers. Fantastic service that beats the post office into a cocked hat. We haven't stuffed a single envelope for 9 months and haven't paid a 1p directly to the PO in that time.

The company providing this service has a tie-up with TNT and I'd bet a £1 to 1p the end result will be direct delivery. TNT already operate the national postal service in Holland. No doubt Flash Gordon would welcome a bid to buy the post office? This is the competition Adam Crozier is talking about. While I have some sympathy with the postal workers on the pension issue they do need to wake up and smell the coffee as regards wages and working time. The system I described above is available now for 1 letter upwards, private individual or small business and it is a direct threat to the PO.

[stuwilky]

Whats the company Paul?

Sounds like it could be useful for the missus!

[Paul]

PDQit

We pay 35p second class for a single sheet. Royal Mail will sell you a second class pre-paid envelope for 32.5p. Add to this you have the cost of an invoice set, 14p, staff to stuff envelopes (£10 / hour), trips to post box etc. On direct calcuable costs we saved 43% YTD and that does not allow for staff costs etc which were not previously recorded so can't be calcuated as a saving

[blue phil]

While I have some sympathy with the postal workers on the pension issue they do need to wake up and smell the coffee as regards wages and working time. The system I described above is available now for 1 letter upwards, private individual or small business and it is a direct threat to the PO.

Paul ; it is the guidelines and laws laid out by the government that is preventing the PO from competing on a like for like level playing field with the very companies you seem to be using .

Crozier's way of dealing with that is to try and screw the PO workers to the very bone by undermining their wages and pensions and working conditions . Yes , that might make the business slightly more competitive in the short term but in the long term all they'll get is large turn over , unmotivated workforce . In the 21st century when everyone else is moving toward flexi time and treating their workers as a team worthy of respect this is not the way forward .

I thought we were getting to the stage , like most other European countries , that co-operation with the workforce was the way to increase productivity . When I see people like Crozier still in charge of large organisations and governments such as this willing to stand by and let them destroy what is OUR postal service I despair . It was what Labour were formed to achieve that they are now undermining - workers' rights and welfare !

[AlanK]

That is not the sole reason for the strike as I recall...... I suspect if it was simply a case of a 2.5% pay cut it would have sailed through

Have you moved it to a delivery company? Or simply a s shipping company who move it between sorting offices, but let the Royal Mail deliver it for them at a charge of 13.9p per letter? Very few companies do their own doorstep to doorstep deliveries

Bloody hell Alan, someone fighting for their terms and conditions is now branded as "lazy"?

Bloody hell, I spend a good percentage of my working week arguing for people's rights!

[/quote

I worked at the same company for 10 years. Any rise we got was never above inflation. Then the overtime rates were cut. Then overtime was cut full stop. We had no salary increase at all for the past 20 months. I ended up earning less than I was 4 or 5 years ago. Could we go on strike? Could we hell.

I`ll tell you what I did. I did something about it. I borrowed money against our mortgage ( which we couldn`t afford ) to re-train as a domestic electrician. It meant sacrifices but now its paying dividends and I`m chuffed to bits.

However, as a sole trader I am waiting for payments to arrive which are now late because other individuals at the post office are dependant on a union making something happen for them rather than geting off their backsides themselves and effing up other peoples lives.

Like i said

GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY GITS OR GO DO SOMETHING ELSE

Have you not noticed its only the people like postmen, airport baggage handlers, traffic control etc that go on strike. Its a form of blackmail against the public.

Next time there is a flood, let all the tradesmen say ######, we want treble or nothing gets done. What goes around comes around.