[Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oc...postal-strikes

So that's £25mil lost, maybe those RM workers might want to get back to work and stop complaining because it's not doing anyone any good.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Shame that the postal workers are effectively screwing themselves by screwing us. If RM has fewer contracts maybe they now need fewer workers, wouldn't that be a thing.

Also a shame that HDN is cack.....but that's another story.....

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I heard on the radio this morning that Amazon denied they had cancelled the contract, but that they will reduce their dependancy on the royal mail. There was another online retailer saying the same. Can you blame them? I have been waiting 10 days for something that has already been despatched. I had to order some self study material yesterday and i went with the company that used DHL as opposed to the royal mail.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I have cancelled all my pre-orders with Game because they use Royal Mail. My FIFA 09 game, meant to come on Friday, came on Monday. Same with The Beatles Rock Band.

Good for Amazon really. What else are they meant to do when the postal service cannot be trusted? The strikers are just making their own company lose work which in turn will mean more job losses, they are a commercial company with rivals.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Wonderful news for the strike-happy RM.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

That's good old fashioned unreformed 70s-style trade unionism for you.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

While I have no doubts that Royal Mail management have made some terrible decisions, and should be held responsible, taking industrial action in the current economic climate is a recipe for disaster and will do nothing to help.

With millions out of work, companies struggling and looking to give their customers the best service they can, if Royal Mail can't deliver then they'll take the business elsewhere, I'm sure there's plenty of alternatives only too willing to snap up the extra work.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Company in financial trouble, workers strike for more pay, company loses more money has to make redundancies, workers strike against redundancies, company loses more money has to make more redundancies, workers strike again, company goes into liquidation, all workers laid off. Unions blame management.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Good.

I'm sick of being used as a pawn so every public sector worker can extort more money or conditions when the vast majority of other people are taking pay cuts, losing their jobs or having to apply, with hundreds of others, for what few jobs are going.

Hopefully they'll now know that telling people to post christmas mail in october so they heap more butter onto their cherry is completely unreasonable.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

:clap:

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

They've voted in favour of strike action.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8296660.stm

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I'm sure they'll get SO much public support.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

They are not striking for the fun of it. This strike will cost each individual employee a considerable amount of money. They are striking because of incompetent management, the threat of privatisation, with the inevitable loss of jobs, worsening antiquated conditions and reduced income.

The cancellation of contracts has nothing to do with strikes. A business he size of Amazon do not make decisions like this on a whim. It is because of the extremely poor service they and their customers get from Royal Mail. The prices go up, the service goes down, because they don't employ enough people to do the jobs that need doing. Since the start of e-commerce, Royal Mail's business should have been thriving. More people than ever were shopping remotely and having goods delivered, but Royal Mail refused to modernise their business to cope. They still rely on out-dated and outmoded practices. They insist on their employees do more work, but refuse to pay them a decent wage to compensate. Meanwhile, their boss, Adam Crozier, rewards himself with more and more money, year on year, proportionately far in excess of what he pays the employees of the company he has been given the job of running.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

No-one is saying they don;t have a valid reason for striking.

But when Joe Public gets the @rse end of their action, as far as I'm concerned they can stuff it. If they've got an issue and want to take action then fine, just don't expect one iota of sympathy from the people they're inconveniencing.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

As someone who can't strike and hold the public at ransom and use them as leverage, yet has to deal with all the crap they have to... My heart ******* bleeds.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

So, you support their right to vote, yet don't support when it affects you personally? How does that work then? How do you expect the exercising of that right, not to affect anyone? Surely that is the point of taking the action in the first place?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I didn't say their action shouldn't affect anyone. But why the hell should I have to suffer and be inconvenienced by an argument which is not mine? A ban on overtime, work-to-rule, those are just some of the things they could do which won't cause trouble for Joe Public.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Aah, I see.....Just because you can't do it, no one should? What a shame they didn't think of that a hundred years ago. :rolleyes: No one is stopping you from taking industrial action, except the lethargy of you and your colleagues, of course.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Couldn't agree more. Why should we suffer because they can't sort them selves out internally.

What about all the stuff they have lost of mine over the years and have never found it again, it must be somewhere!

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Words fail me, they really do. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Nothing stopping me except I can't screw the people of this country over in the process. That's how it works.

Of course if they are unhappy with their job they can do what everyone else not in lucrative public sector jobs has to do - find a new one.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Because they tried to sort themselves out internally, but the management refused to compromise, what else do you think they should have done?

Surely, you can see that if the strike is successful, yo are not going to lose as much as you did before. The reasons for the strike, is the cause of you losing things in the post; antiquated working practices and poorly trained, paid and motivated staff are just a couple of reasons.

---------- Post added at 14:01 ---------- Previous post was at 13:57 ----------

As there no jobs (and this is one of the main points of the action) what do you really expect them do instead? Another one who can't see, if they all resign, who else will do the job? More poorly trained, paid and motivated staff instead? Except that their conditions will be even worse and so will the service. What's that about paying peanuts....?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

You seem to be of the opinion that we're saying they don't have reason to be unhappy.

No-one is saying that.

But am I to have sympathy for or even support those whose action is inconveniencing me? Especially when nothing I can do can change their situation? Especially when someone like Amazon seems to have a similar view as myself and has caused them to lose money by having a major contract dropped?

I hope more companies follow suit like Amazon. Run the RM in to the ground and get other companies to offer a delivery service. Any laid off workers could apply for the new positions, they'll have the experience.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

But Amazon's decision has nothing to do with the current proposed industrial actions. It is to do with cost effectiveness and lack of service. What do you expect these workers to do as an alternative to industrial action?

Do you really expect a privatised service to offer better pay and conditions?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Got it in one, Diane. And for the second time I have nothing against industrial action.

...and a better service. Serveral companies competing for our custom, I see it like the supermarket pricing wars. They battle each other, the customer benefits.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

At the expense of staff and suppliers, potentially...

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

You forgot to add the bit about the Tories - they're always to blame for everything remember... :D

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

And workers.

---------- Post added at 14:18 ---------- Previous post was at 14:16 ----------

:confused:

That is non-sequitor. Just because it is a privatised service does not automatically mean it will be better one.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Staff = workers?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I don't remember hearing about Tesco laying people off due to their price cuts but that's a different story.

And quite different to this one.

If the RM think they'll get public support (and they always wheel out a union rep who spouts off claiming "the public are behind us") they'll be waiting a long time for it.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Oops...sorry, missed that. oops:

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Numerous companies offering the same service, competing for business. You stick to your strike-happy RM, the rest of us will opt for a service that doesn't shaft us when we need them the most.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Any chance of explaining that "Diane" thing?

---------- Post added at 14:23 ---------- Previous post was at 14:22 ----------

Oh dear....you don't really think that you won't get shafted if the Royal Mail gets privatised.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

The vast majority of people wouldn't have the balls to resign and give the jobs to people that would be more than happy to accept them. They know they are lucky to be where they are.

They have a legal right to strike and will do it whenever it suits them. That doesn't mean I, nor lots of people around this country who are taking redunancies, pay and/or hour cuts have to like it or sympathise with them.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Of course it has something to do with the strikes. In the last few months Royal Mail has become completely unreliable as a result of these actions. Businesses cannot trust the Royal Mail and are going to have increasing problems as a result.

They are holding ordinary people and businesses to ransom to settle their dispute with management. The Union has recently said they don't think the backlog of mail will ever get delivered, and then protested the Royal Mail were employing non-postal workers to help shift though it. People have important documents in the mail. I know of one person still waiting for their degree certificate and another for their passport. The Union not only wants their workers not to sort out this backlog but also to prevent anyone from doing so.

Ultimately though they are a business and the employees are encouraging their own downfall. They are making the service unreliable and thus forcing businesses such as Amazon, of of their biggest clients, to their rivals.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

If one company shafts us we use another. Not all that difficult really.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

We're getting shafted now. So we're used to it.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

So Russ, no explanation of the "Diane" thing then?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

No. Tell you another time.

In the meantime can you imagine how frustrating it is for those out of work to be inconvenienced by people who are in a job but chose not to do it?

Public sympathy? Not a chance.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Aah, I see...no good reason then.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Well the RM workers have my support, the bully boy management style seems to be the acceptable norm these days but there are still some who stand up for rights that they fought hard for in the past, unlike most of us who just roll over & accept it.
BT workers may well be the next to ballot for strike action soon, I have some friends still in that wonderful organisation & the management style there now is akin to something like working in a Victorian workhouse. Lots of management intimidation.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I'm sure RM workers aren't working in 3rd world conditions and i'm pretty sure they get a decent wage considering their job isn't the hardest in the world.

We don't see the armed forces going on strike, and most get paid less than a RM worker ;)

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

The postman have had it far to good for to long, they've been rumbled and they don't like it. Round here the RM are after bringing in an automatic sorting machine which will take the work away from the postmen and women, they don't like because the machine can do a better job than them.

If they don't like to work for a living I'm sure there's plenty out there who would like a cushy job on the post.

As for losing the £25million Amazon contract it's their own faults, Amazon have got their customers to think about, if HDN have won the contract well done to them.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

i support the postmen /women 100%
its a shame that there management has brought the situation to inevitable strike action .
a good postie is a blessing .

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

That is exactly what they are striking for; a living wage and conditons commensurate for the work they do.

You don't really think they are doing this by choice and your assertion that "they don't like to work for a living" is, quite frankly, offensive to all hard working people throughout the country, who take a stand against employers who attempt to walk all over the rights of these hard working people. They are not getting paid, nor do they qualify for any benefits, for the time they are on strike, so it is hardly a case of, "they don't like to work for a living," is it!

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

No they have voted in favour of destroying the company they work for and therefore putting all there jobs at risk. They should wake up and smell the coffee. Why should they think they should be treated any differently to the rest of us.

They will all be looking for jobs soon. However the union leaders don't have that worry do they, They have a job as long as they can get there members out on strike.:rolleyes:

Personally i have no time for them or the strike.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

It's nothing to do with the management it's called bringing the post into the 21st century, I urge you to look at DHL's operation at East Midlands Airport, they have invested over £500million on new technology at East Midlands nothing is sorted by hand anymore it's all done by computer and machine, the machines are that good they can read even the worse handwriting, they are that streamlined even the Royal Mail TNT, City Link, DPD all use DHL to ship their goods out of the UK and on to other countries.

UPS have also invested hundreds of millions of pounds on their East Midlands Operation.

The Royal Mail are after getting the business back from it's competitors and to do that they have to invest in new technology, if this means getting rid of the dead wood that plagues the Royal Mail then sobeit.

---------- Post added at 17:43 ---------- Previous post was at 17:42 ----------

The Postmen and Women will be their own worst enemies when the brown stuff hits the fan.

---------- Post added at 17:48 ---------- Previous post was at 17:43 ----------

We've got some good ones round here but we've got more bad ones, the one that comes to my house is spot on, if I'm not in and there's a parcel that needs signing for he'll put it in the shed and drop a note through my door, I've told him to do that, the bad ones won't do that they'll tell me to go to the depot to collect it.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

quote nidge
"if this means getting rid of the dead wood that plagues the Royal Mail then sobeit."


there called people nidge -fellow human beings ,with family's to feed and bills to pay and hopefully a job for life ....

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I've been down that road before when the coal mines closed round here, I agree it's not nice but they'll be paid off handsomely because it's state owned, they'll get help gaining further employment from the Government.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Can i have one of those.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I didn't they existed anymore.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I'd love one too!

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

if your good at what you do then why would any one get rid of you ;)

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I know I'm being selfish but I wonder if the articles for the blind post scheme will end when the royal mail collapses.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Financial reasons perhaps? That's why most people are made redundant.
Why should a company risk it's future by employing staff it no longer needs?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

if it doesn't need them. then it wont mind them withdrawing there labor will it ;)

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Are you suggesting all those who strike are surplus to requirment?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Right, so with the job market as it is and loads of people out of work... They are going to strike?

How many people are un employed in this country at the moment that would just love a job?

I think you can draw your own conclusions as to where this is going...

During the last strike, I was in Sales and counted on the post for cheques etc. I missed my targets because of these whiners and therefore lost my sales bonus, even though my customers said well we have put the cheque in the post.

Stuff em, if they don't like it, there are what? 2.how many million that would like a job? Not just because it is 'cushy' but because it is a job and makes them feel better about themselves earning a wage.

If they don't like the change of moving the business forward, tough. See above, plenty of people waiting in the wings for the chance.

Welcome to no sympathy night.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Have you considered visiting the real world recently papa?

---------- Post added at 18:59 ---------- Previous post was at 18:58 ----------

Evidently not. So by that rather twisted logic RM should fire every employee who goes on strike?

Trade unions are largely a relic of times gone by when employees had quite literally no rights. Sadly some of them, the RMT being an obvious example but there are others, still live in that time.

It wouldn't surprise if a lot of RM employees didn't actually know why they are going on strike they just got fed BS from the union.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Royal Mails biggest problem is the failure to modernise for what ever reason. The unions complained bitterly when the where asked complete an 8 hour day insted of going home if they finished early.

It's very difficult to get any form of new automation into the business, in contrast, private compaines invest in automation if the payback is there, lowering the cost per parcel for example.

The BIG problem with Royal Mail is the 'Last Mile' delivery no one else has the infrastructure in place to do this. Unless they modernise they will disapear.

As for blaming Amazon for pulling out, if there not getting the service they require from Royal Mail they have to move to protect there buisness.

JJ

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Tell that to my employer who you know well.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Because people who do jobs well, and are experienced, tend to be more expensive than people who are not quite so experienced but willing to learn. In my experience, for a lot of jobs, companies are less interested in someone who does a job well than someone who does it adequately but cheaply.

Look at the variable quality of VM installs for proof of this.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

i haven't spoken to her majesty for some time, but will send your regards when i do ..

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I think the Union are a little out of touch here, though. While I think that Unions can be a *good* thing (they can be handy with employers whose own employers do not respect their rights), I think the Union is being a little stupid here.

I realise I don't know the full story, but based on what I have seen in TV, striking seems to be about the most stupid action they could take.

The Royal Mail is in trouble. They have had a lot of competitors spring up, and their core business (sending letters) is being largely overtaken by various electronic forms of communications (email, texts, twitter, facebook, IM etc).

RM's main growth area has probably been mail order deliveries. Now, the union seems to be intent on attacking that. Losing Amazon is gong to hurt a company that is already in trouble.

I'll say again, I think Unions can be a good idea. However, they need to negotiate with Management to obtain the best solution to problems (best to both sides). Strikes are a valid tool, but only after ALL other options have been exhausted.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

We know a rural postman, the cuts they are being forced to taking in hours are affecting him providing for his family the way he used to.

I personally do not believe in strikes.
My bins are over flowing up here n Leeds, as the bin have been on strike for ages.

What do all these workers do to state their case?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

From what little I've heard, the union (amongst other things) seems to be claiming that the management are trying to drive the business into the ground although I don't quite understand why they'd do that.. :confused: If they're correct, however, I wonder whether the union's considered that by taking strike action just prior to Xmas they may just be doing exactly what the management want...

Anyway, after almost 25 years at this address, I'd be a hell of a lot more likely to support them if they stopped putting letters with the wrong address through my door and doing likewise with mine. Not a lot to ask really, I mean you just have to glance at the letters and make sure they have the same number on - you know that big brass number that's right there on the door just above the letter box... It's hardly rocket science is it?...

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

That and many more services will disappear, because they are not profitable enough.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

And i'm sure if/when the modernisation is completed they'll have even less work to do.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

An excellent question, Lucy. They only take these actions when there are absolutely no other alternatives. No worker likes to be on strike. It means there are no wages coming in and they do not qualify for benefits. But if it means they have protected their jobs and conditions and are able to put food on the table after it, it will have been worth it. Leeds City Council's attitude is, "we won't even consider talking to them, until they roll over and accept our new terms."

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

So what about the small businessman who relies on mail order deliveries to satisfy his ever-dwindling customers, who can he strike against?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Well he can always stop supplying his customers! Oh hang on a minute, if he does that he'll go bust wont' he.......

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

he could use one of those other couriers that are allegedly so much more reliable than rm.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

So basically while the rest of Europe and much of the world will be enjoying their delivered Xmas prezzies,f amily cards and ordered goods,Britain will have no cards,prezzies and what not not.Brilliant! :mad:

I wonder what planet the unions live on.I also wonder if the postal workers have entered the 21st Century,and actually give a toss about the rest of the country?
No wonder we are the laughing stock of Europe,this country sometimes,and all too often at that,is a complete joke!

All of us will have to work much longer and a lot harder,that's the way things are going,like it or not... maybe someone could bother to tell the RM employees!? :td:

No sympathy from me here,sorry! :rant:

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

What do you mean by "no alternatives" though?
Many strikes, especially over lack of pay rises and redundancies, are simply where the union doesn't want to admit that such managerial decisions are required and there is no alternative.
Rather than costing the company more and thus potentially leading to more redundancies or liquidation, unions in that situation should concentrate on pushing for relocation of suitable employees to other positions in the company, supporting their members with new training, using their networks to help members into new jobs, and ensuring their members are out of work recieve all the benefits they are entitled to.

Royal Mail for instance needs to modernise, replace workers with automation to reduce costs so that it can continue to be competative and continue employing as many people as it needs.
The unions should be ensuring that the modernisation takes place without non-required job losses, and supporting those who are made redundant as I've said above.
Not risking more jobs by losing lucrative contracts.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Hmmmm, in a couple of months it's Christmas and New Years Eve again, just about now that the tube drivers threaten to strike and demand more holidays or pay by holding joe public to ransom.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oc...ert-royal-mail

Argos and other retailers switching to rivals as well. Amazon have not cancelled the contract but at the moment the previous one had expired and has not been renewed while Amazon are doing deals with other groups.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I think you'll find they're on quite a small wage, less than 20K, & from the way I see them rush around I'm also sure it's very physical, not sure I could do it at my age now. Some elitists seem to have the attitude that just because a job is not mentally demanding the people must be lazy or incompetent. I worked on telecoms networks, the work was largely IT oriented & I was paid a very good wage though I wouldn't say the work justified the pay, but that's the way of the market, there are many disparities in working life & I have great respect for manual workers. I agree the armed forces should get a lot more but there's not much they can do about it as they are at the whim of government, I'd be interested to know how much an American soldier gets payed? There aren't many people who want to join a profession to get their limbs blown off or even killed.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

It's more about the skillset and the job market. More people can do manual work than professional skilled worked therefore it's usually the case that the latter is paid more because their is more competition for staff.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Interesting figures, but, I think they include and average of ALL ranks:

E2 - Private (Army) - U.S. National Averages

This one works out as twenty-eight thousand dollars, just over seventeen thousand five hundred pounds (basic salary being an equivalent of ten thousand eight hundred pounds). That includes all extras. For an OR1 grade Pvt in the British army (the lowest enlisted grade, out of basic training), the basic salary is about sixteen thousand pounds, then there's all the extra allowances in top.

So, which country's soldiers are paid more?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

FYI Amazon has 'Cancelled' its contract with royal mail twice since I have been with the company, this will be the third.
Basically like with any bulk mailing company at contract renewal time they look to see if they can get a better deal. At the moment its HDNL, last time it was TNT, the time before I think it may have been UKN. During each of the previous times that we lost the contract TNT forwarded aall the less profitable items onto RM, so in effect we continued to deliver the bulk of Amazons mailings, while TNT only took the larger more lucrative items for themselves.
So basically it has little to do with service and more to do with cost.

---------- Post added at 13:49 ---------- Previous post was at 13:48 ----------

Been doing both of those since the last big strikes. Doesn't work, As long as customers don't notice RM do not care.

---------- Post added at 13:54 ---------- Previous post was at 13:49 ----------

The union Obviously must be wrong or misquoted on that one because the only backlog we currently have is ingoing mail to London due to an unrelated local issue.
And even when a backlog exists it is only M class items that are held and even those only within the predefined limits of the specific M agreement with the business in question. First and second class are handled as per usual, with a delay normally related to the amount of strike time taken. Mail put in the backlog on Monday will be the first out of the mail-centre on Tuesday so Items are not held for months in the backlog, its a constantly changing group of mail.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Sorry ZrByte, "M Class items?"

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I don't think they do, Im only on about 12K PA after bonuses. Admittedly I only work a 27.5 hour weekly contract but I work about 33 hours per week usually with the last 5.5 hours unpaid because my managers wont pay overtime But issue disciplinarys like they are going out of fashion if we try and work to our time.

---------- Post added at 14:00 ---------- Previous post was at 13:57 ----------

Its like 3rd class mail, Its only usable by large businesses and such. If you have an M class you will notice a large M in the top corner where you would normally see 1st or 2nd. M class mail can sometimes arrive at its destination as fast as 1st class post but can also be delayed by upto a month (I think)depending on the specific agreement with the company in question though delay times are decided by management and not individual posties. M class is also optional to your postman for delivery on a Saturday.

---------- Post added at 14:05 ---------- Previous post was at 14:00 ----------

As I have just posted above it doesn't really matter, RM will still deliver most of it, and its not a free service we provide either so though a £25m contract may have been lost RM will likely still see half of that back.
Also we have been one of the test offices for the sorting machine and let me assure you it doesn't do a better job than us. I'm sure the next version or the one after might be able to but currently it doesn't so a similar amount of work still has to be done by deliver office staff to get the walks prepared, Unfortunately due to the large investment by RM they don't want to pay the same amount of hours and use bullying tactics to try and force us to work for free.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:05 ----------

Unless you have put it in writing to the delivery office stating that you want that to be done the others are well within their rights to refuse. Because if you don't have a registered 'safe-place' they leave it there and it goes missing or gets damaged (especially if its recorded or special) they could lose their job. Though if they haven't told you that you have to put it in writing that is out of order.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

And as long as the customers DO notice, the Union does care?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

No, because you aren't the unions priority, WE are. However, if you and other unhappy customers complain to the people in control i.e. RM and not your postman on the street or venting on an internet forum RM may actually start to care.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

No, I'll complain to the individuals who choose to make the public suffer because THEY can't have what THEY want.

Public sympathy? Don't make me laugh.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I didn't ask for your sympathy, Don't make me laugh, I couldn't do this job if I needed that.
I'm merely pointing out to you that if you moan at your postie or vent on a forum nothing happens, complain to the people who can make a difference and you might get somewhere.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

The Union will no doubt (as they've done in the past) claim to have 'public support'.

The more we speak out about this in public (such as to the papers and on the internet) the more they look like idiots for claiming it.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Interesting solution you have there, Hows that working so far? It just seems funny to me as I've never heard a public speaker yet who didn't sound like an idiot most of the time.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Considering it was only announced yesterday, let's wait until the token Union leader pipes up about 'public support'.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

It seems that you have never considered that there may be public support. Just that you won't hear it.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Sure, because the general public just love to be inconvenienced don't they?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

There may be some support, but they won't be getting it from me. If the leftie barons at the top of the CWU wanted to carve out a career dictating management decisions they should have gone into managament instead of trade unionism. I wonder why they didn't.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I'd have assumed that if anyone did support the RM then by their very definition they'd speak up and....I dunno...support them?

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I guess someone hasn't been reading this thread. LOL

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

Indeed

I can remember as a young lad my father coming home to a freezing cold house during a strike and saying i will never use coal again. He had a gas fire and gas central heating installed within a week and he never did use coal again.

Would not surprise me if the same happens with Royal mail and parcel farce

---------- Post added at 17:37 ---------- Previous post was at 17:31 ----------

10 of us sat around a table at work today during dinner. Only one supported the strike the rest said it was bad for the customer and they had no time for the strikers.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

I've yet to talk to anybody about this that actually supports the strike action.

What would happen if everybody went out on strike when they didn't like amount they were paid or the way their management were running things? We'd be in a damn sight more trouble than we are now that's for sure. We don't all have the luxury of striking though, some of us have jobs where other people are depending on us to do our damn jobs and get on with what we're paid to do.....oh, wait a minute.....

Tell you what, sack the strikers and put the unemployed/recently made redundant in those jobs - I'm sure they won't complain about the pay/conditions.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

and we can all tug on our forelocks when the master walks past and think our selves lucky he allows us to to do his bidding.

re: [Update] The Royal Mail strike thread
 

.....and those of us that still have jobs can remember that a) we've still got jobs, b) there are a lot of people that haven't, c) we don't run the company/country, d) we're paid to do a damn job, and just get on and do it.

I'm sick of people holding me and my life to ransom just because they don't agree with the way that their life is going. If you don't like your job either put up and shut up or go and find something different. Don't inflict your problems and issues on the rest of us, and then try and claim you're doing it for the good of all and that you have the moral high ground.