New Delivery Method trials

[clashcityrocker]

My thinking exactly. Logically speaking our current method is the optimum and has been used pretty much since RM began.

I don't think they had RM 2000 frames 500 years ago.
In fact we didn't have them 20 years ago.

[Ozzvaldo]

My thinking exactly. Logically speaking our current method is the optimum and has been used pretty much since RM began.

I don't think they had RM 2000 frames 500 years ago.
In fact we didn't have them 20 years ago.

We got our RM 2000 frames in, er, 2005. It was 48 box fittings for every delivery in my office before then.

[Aquarius]

I agree with SP that automated flat sorting is not a viable model anymore.

I wonder if RM might in the future look into the viability (both practicalities and financially) or machines to sort and sequence flats and letters together, along with d2d. What would be a typical number of packets per walk (excluding specials) outside of xmas pressure?

Most days it's about 4 rough bags per shared duty,that could be anything from 40 or so up to 100+ if the boat from China has docked.

I might be wrong - didn't RM trial a machine that ran flats/letters ( don't know if it could sequence them as well ?) - but have decided to not go ahead with it.

I can't remember the name of the machine

[Aquarius]

Also, with the frames still being in place (to prep the unsequenced) surely everyone will just revert to the easier quicker way!

The frames won't be there. There will be a much smaller version.
Everyone needs to stop focusing on the time element.
The purpose of bench merging is to reduce the footprint of your office so you can have more offices under one roof.
Space is money. Real estate is money.

100% - make no mistake this is the long term end game for RM

Super MC's

Super DO's (not sure how many DO's there are - numbering 100's - RM long term want that drastically reduced.

[Interested-seeker]

If we have to start delivering D2Ds as a separate bundle that will add a lot of time onto delivery, surely?

What would be helpful is if RM had a machine that could nest each D2D together ready to put straight into the frame, or if it could put D2Ds within the sequenced mail...although I have no suggestion as to how they can achieve this. Can you tell that I hate prepping D2Ds?

[SpacePhoenix]

If we have to start delivering D2Ds as a separate bundle that will add a lot of time onto delivery, surely?

What would be helpful is if RM had a machine that could nest each D2D together ready to put straight into the frame, or if it could put D2Ds within the sequenced mail...although I have no suggestion as to how they can achieve this. Can you tell that I hate prepping D2Ds?

Having a machine that nests d2d together is one thing that will never happen, do you really think companies would used d2d if their d2d could be nested inside another, where it'd likely never get seen? They want their d2d to have a chance of being seen.

Some d2d will never be able to be sequenced, such as the red cross ones with the pen

[CPTNemoUK]

If we have to start delivering D2Ds as a separate bundle that will add a lot of time onto delivery, surely?

What would be helpful is if RM had a machine that could nest each D2D together ready to put straight into the frame, or if it could put D2Ds within the sequenced mail...although I have no suggestion as to how they can achieve this. Can you tell that I hate prepping D2Ds?

Having a machine that nests d2d together is one thing that will never happen, do you really think companies would used d2d if their d2d could be nested inside another, where it'd likely never get seen? They want their d2d to have a chance of being seen.

Some d2d will never be able to be sequenced, such as the red cross ones with the pen

They could put them in a biodegradable plastic or something to tie them together. I know it won't happen because of extra costs. If they did find a way to do that. That would save loads of time on delivery. Putting 5 loads of d2d in the frame takes ages.

[fishtank]

Putting 5 loads of d2d in the frame takes ages.

You won't be putting them in the frame.

Putting them in a sleeve is a non starter for commercial reasons. Business pay for visibility, that's why all of these flyers are so garish, they won't pay to have their products hidden behind a competitor.

Putting them in a plastic bag is a non starter for commercial and environmental reasons. Does the union still pretend to care about the environment?

What we'll end up doing is collating them then taking them out as a separate bundle, it won't give them the entire savings they would like but it's a compromise.

[k979aaa]

There are trials going on in 8 sites I gather. When will we see a change in indoor/outdoor workload as a result of the trials? Next year?

October hopefully, as that's when we get an hour a week less to do the work.

In our office we are only getting 50 Mins off the week, they are doing this by taking 30 Mins off the Saturday start time and keeping the finish time the same as now. This means that our Saturday attendance time will drop below 7 hrs, meaning we are only entitled to 30 Mins break rather than 40 therefore effectivly clawing back 10 mins of the hour.

Just all cut off on Saturday and bring it all back at least there will be no arguments as no managers will be about the first week you all do it.

[Postie45]

in the end, let them make whatever changes they see fit, we`ll still have a start / finish time, if these methods make the job impossible then just cut off. If the system is really that bad it wont last long as theyll be losing too much money.

[unibod]

Are views from the rank and file membership passed to our CWU leaders?
My experience is that CWU reps at every level, barring unit and national, restrict most of their activity to conveying Royal Mail plans and finding ways for us to comply with them.
The problem is these reps overwhelmingly dominate our meetings, with their one-way dialogue. Although accepting CWU members have to know the intentions of the employer, the other side of the coin - transmission of members points to our national leaders - appear worryingly absent. Wage claim and working hours apart, perfectly good rank and file suggestions dealing with other serious matters are bypassed, no doubt preventing the top line feeling our pulse.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Are views from the rank and file membership passed to our CWU leaders?
My experience is that CWU reps at every level, barring unit and national, restrict most of their activity to conveying Royal Mail plans and finding ways for us to comply with them.
The problem is these reps overwhelmingly dominate our meetings, with their one-way dialogue. Although accepting CWU members have to know the intentions of the employer, the other side of the coin - transmission of members points to our national leaders - appear worryingly absent. Wage claim and working hours apart, perfectly good rank and file suggestions dealing with other serious matters are bypassed, no doubt preventing the top line feeling our pulse.

There are moves for the Union top officers to stream live on Facebook - that'll be a reasonable chance to start some discussion.

[unibod]

in the end, let them make whatever changes they see fit, we`ll still have a start / finish time, if these methods make the job impossible then just cut off. If the system is really that bad it wont last long as theyll be losing too much money.

Don't you think management harassment has gone too far already? How many OPGs have been driven out of a job after being targeted for not completing within schedule? Impossible conditions must be opposed.

[Celgar]

Putting 5 loads of d2d in the frame takes ages.

You won't be putting them in the frame.

Putting them in a sleeve is a non starter for commercial reasons. Business pay for visibility, that's why all of these flyers are so garish, they won't pay to have their products hidden behind a competitor.

Putting them in a plastic bag is a non starter for commercial and environmental reasons. Does the union still pretend to care about the environment?

What we'll end up doing is collating them then taking them out as a separate bundle, it won't give them the entire savings they would like but it's a compromise.

If we still have the current style of frames most Postie's will continue as we do now putting all the mail, D2D, & small packets into the frame. It's how we have done it for years and it is the most time efficient way of doing the prep.
I did hear two new centres were being set up to collate all the D2Ds into sets for each delivery point for the whole of the UK. Maybe I was wrong. If we do get this though RM are going to want a load of hours out of every office. Technology will kill us all in the end.

[Celgar]

Are views from the rank and file membership passed to our CWU leaders?
My experience is that CWU reps at every level, barring unit and national, restrict most of their activity to conveying Royal Mail plans and finding ways for us to comply with them.
The problem is these reps overwhelmingly dominate our meetings, with their one-way dialogue. Although accepting CWU members have to know the intentions of the employer, the other side of the coin - transmission of members points to our national leaders - appear worryingly absent. Wage claim and working hours apart, perfectly good rank and file suggestions dealing with other serious matters are bypassed, no doubt preventing the top line feeling our pulse.

There are moves for the Union top officers to stream live on Facebook - that'll be a reasonable chance to start some discussion.

Not that I would touch Facebook with a bargepole but if its anything like those films with the top bod from the CWU and the woman with the glasses from the RM it won't be worth listening to. I genuinely feel both of those characters have no idea whatsoever what a posties job entails. I still think we need a total change of bosses and higher management at the top of both the RM and the CWU.