DOMS FOR THE CHOP

[Number two]

Looks like DOMS are in for the chop shop

Dear Colleague

Job Cuts

The increase in potential surpluses across Royal Mail Group is causing concern. Particularly the manner in which the business is conducting itself. Accordingly, I wrote to the Chief Executive today and a copy of this letter is attached.

Any comments you have would be welcome.

Yours sincerely

Paul Reuter
National Secretary


Adam Crozier
Royal Mail
3rd Floor
100 Victoria Embankment
London
EC4Y 0HQ

Dear Mr Crozier

Let me say at the outset that it is disappointing that I have to write to you on this issue as I had hoped that we had reached a point in industrial relations with Unite and the challenges facing the business could be discussed in an open and frank manner.

However, it has come to my attention that there appears to be a somewhat covert plan by Royal Mail to cut costs in a way that is a danger to the long term prospects of the business as well as threatening the security of our members’ jobs.

We are well aware of the affect that liberalisation and competition is having on the business and that at a time of decreasing market share changes will be necessary. We are also cognisant of the fact that the changing postal market may require different solutions.

Over the last couple of years we have worked hard with Royal Mail to mitigate the impact of these required changes and have been positive in our approach, even when it was obvious that the business did not really know what, or why, it was doing what it was.

This week it has become clear that a plan exists to cut jobs by up to 25 per cent in support activities and that plan has not been shared with us or explained. The plan does appear to be more of a covert nature. Unite will not sit back and simply agree to job cuts purely to balance the books in order that Royal Mail Group can “hit its numbers” thereby triggering senior manager exorbitant bonus payments.

It is Unite members on the ground, across operations and support functions, that have had to deal with the real challenges facing the business on a day to day basis and there has been little if any recognition of this.

It is imperative that we meet as a matter of urgency in order that we can address these issues and agree corrective actions to get discussions with the union back on track.

Yours sincerely

Paul Reuter
National Secretary

[knackeredneedadayoff]

MY HEART BLEEDS

[Number two]

MY HEART BLEEDS

My heart bleeds more for the posties

[smokerjim]

I have sympathy for Unite's position - they can see that RM are getting in position to attack their members, and are merely doing what we would expect the CWU to do for us.....however it is this bit near the end that makes me lose all sympathy

This week it has become clear that a plan exists to cut jobs by up to 25 per cent in support activities and that plan has not been shared with us or explained. The plan does appear to be more of a covert nature. Unite will not sit back and simply agree to job cuts purely to balance the books in order that Royal Mail Group can “hit its numbers” thereby triggering senior manager exorbitant bonus payments.

It is Unite members on the ground, across operations and support functions, that have had to deal with the real challenges facing the business on a day to day basis and there has been little if any recognition of this.

First of all, there has been plenty of financial recognition to managers far & above what we as OPGs could ever hope to get ( I'd bet some DOMs have been given more in one bonus than OPGs with greater knowledge, experience and senoirity in total over the last 10 years! )

Secondly, and far more damaging to their argument is the fact that the number of OPGs has been reduced by 30% IIRC - in that time management has at worst maintained staffing levels, if not increased....what school of economic thought dictates that when an employer is seeking easy cost savings will not attack lower & middle management after the workers have been bled?

I can't blame them for starting to wiggle and squirm to save their member's jobs, T&Cs, etc......but if they'd been more supportive of us over the last few years, then I'd feel like we should support them - imho right now, that ship has sailed a long time ago.

[koolkid]

smokerjim...........i agree with you, that's if the letter is true.. the part that stand's out for me is the paragraph below

Over the last couple of years we have worked hard with Royal Mail to mitigate the impact of these required changes and have been positive in our approach, even when it was obvious that the business did not really know what, or why, it was doing what it was.

As a union they did it even though they claim to not know

. WHAT OR WHY

This should be a concern for everyone at royal mail, and this admission for unite that they knew about this yet still went ahead...............greedy barsteward's

[smokerjim]

koolkid, if I can play Devil's advocate on the context of the letter for a mo...how many times in RM or previous employment have you done something a superior has told you to do, even though you don't know way? And if you've asked for a reason, how many times have you been told nothing or something like "I don't know / you don't need to know!" I'm sure it must have happened a few times......well, I think that's where Unite & their members are coming from, and I'll give them that latitude, but I can't excuse the fact that they seem to have been sitting on their laurals, as we have been repeatedly attacked ( usually by them as agents of senior mgmt ).

It's like a farmer with 100 cattle and 10 sheep in a field, and he gets the slaughterman to cull 30 cattle....the sheep do nothing - if the farmer then brings in the slaughterman to cull 3 or more sheep ( as the cattle manage to do their thing without much help from the sheep ), why should they expect any help from their bleating?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

See http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 66#p240566" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for Mirror report.

[darth]

could it also have something to do with the national negotiations where a bit more transparency is occuring over royal mails long term objectives,where they intend to get them and how?

[darth]

all businesses have long term plans and im sure royal mail have some highly paid consultants who have already got one in place with specifics.

[Wessex]

It's like in the Mafia movies eventually the hitman knows too much and becomes expendable.
"It breaks my heart to do this....badda bing.. badda bang...."
"Pass the meatballs......where's the next Patsy..? "

Surely it doesn't take a genius to realise that a large number of managers would become expendable once they had done their master's bidding ?

[Ernie Shoe]

Looks like DOMS are in for the chop shop

Shame they let their members cross our pickets lines and were prepared for them to travel hundreds of miles to cover striking postpersons jobs during the strikes!

[cyclemech1]

Would I walk through their picket line?

DAMN RIGHT I WOULD !!

[pinstripe]

Since the 2007 dispute it has been obvious that RM were intent on reducing the number of employees across the board. We were first and those of us that are left will not require the same level of 'supervision'. Only a fool could not see where the axe was going to fall next.
As has been said before, I too have no sympathy for them. Would I walk through their picket line? Probably not, but they don't have the b*** to stand up for themselves, so I doubt it would come to that.
On a serious note though, the income from the vending machines will fall through the floor.

[MickR]

Looks like another Chuckle brothers moment,

"Oh Dear, Oh Dear Oh Dear!"

[Union Man]

Would I cross a management pickett line?Yes I would,why?Well as far as I am concerned this line would not arise out of class struggle but a need to defend their own petty Borgoiouse aspirations,and rapidly evaporating power base.They are and will always be nothing more than a Bosses lackey.Prepared to inflict summery justice on behalf of the faceless senior management,and practicing this with gusto and relish.How many of this selfseeking bunch will be scrabbling to become once more one of us,"I was always a postie at heart!"I am sorry but I would cross their picket line,with not one pange of concience or remorse.