The Union and 'Modernisation'

[Danelectro]

Why do the union so readily insist that nobody wants modernisation more than the CWU?
Is it really beneficial for society to replace people with machines and lose jobs and for these jobs to be replaced by some yet unknown employment where no doubt the pay will be less.In the green energy saving age is it really such a great idea to replace hand sorting with machines and to add insult to injury find out this new modern postal service wont actually be delivery your mail as quick and early as it was 7 years ago?!

I remember being at school in the late 70's and recall some teachers talking about how when we left school the main challenge for the world would be the problem of how to fill up everybodys leisure time because in the bright and near future the use of robots and the modernisation of industry would mean a shorter working week! Now im sure most of us would be up for modernisation if it led to a world with leisure problems but the kind of modernisation on offer at royal mail and other industries is no friend of us at the lower end of the pay scale.Now i know the union has to work with realistic targets and we are long way off from having the fair and equal country many of us want but the idea that investing profits into faster and more efficient machines only starts that crazy capitalist race to the bottom.

I do know when Royal Mail start talking again the union are hoping to negotiate a shorter working and if we manage as a union to get that then it will be a fantastic acheivement considering that Germany and France with a long history of shorter working weeks are thinking of cutting holiday entitlement and increasing the max working hours in a week etc.I have to say that i find it hard to believe that we will get it ,especially after the last stinking twitching pile of s**t the union leadership cooked up at the TUC .But heres hoping!

[Eric]

I agree. What is the point of getting rid of even more jobs at a time when unemployment is skyrocketing? We are going to be spending millions on IMPORTING machines to replace British workers many of whom will end up on the dole. Surely it is better to have people working, albeit inefficiently, rather than claiming benefit?

[Tman]

Simple, it's called "progress" and it can't be halted.

When the bulldozer was invented 100 blokes with shovels were out of work, but that's how things change.

Or are you saying that even though everything from the clothes you're wearing and the cars you drive, to the food, drink and medicines you've just had are machine made, RM should still stick with archaic manual work processes?

Maybe if the dinosaur UCW had been more progressive 20+ years ago, things might be better now?

Stone-walling and keeping on saying "no no no"to every suggested innovation will alway come home to roost in the end.

[POSTMAN]

Simple, it's called "making as much money as possible" and it can't be halted

[Danelectro]

Think im not making myself clear here.Im certainly no luddite and enjoy loads of all sorts gadgets and the marvels of modern science,the point i was making was modernisation should be there to make peoples lives more easy and not to throw them on the scrap heap until the free market manages to offer you alternative employment-ones mans progress is another mans misery.I remember the eighties very well and running around trying pick up a crappy job just to pay the bills and keep ye in pot bloody noodles wasnt much fun.As everyone and his sister keeps reminding us we are in the middle of the biggest recession since nineteen oatcake but it seems the business/market is king agenda that got us here is in the first place is now gonna magically solve the problem it created.I just wanna live in a world where the people participate in the planning of the economy and not play poker with the earths resources.

But hey if the majority wanna say the system we live under is the best we are gonna get then thats fair by me,but as history shows if we in the west dont start making friends with the rest of the world then one day we are gonna be on the receiving end of global capitals bad hand.We will eventually be beaten at our own game.

[mailsort6]

I remember many decades ago when RM was less automated, us posties use to manage to get the work done efficiently and effectively with time to spare, since more automation as been introduced us posties are rushing around like mad to get the work done, what as gone wrong?

[stokes11eg]

Yes--and let's not forget R/M were also in mega profits then!Says it all.Same with the old mill owners etc, yes, a shot term gain after getting rid of the 'staff' and replacing with machines,but very soon followed by collapse.

[Tman]

Yes--and let's not forget R/M were also in mega profits then!Says it all.Same with the old mill owners etc, yes, a shot term gain after getting rid of the 'staff' and replacing with machines,but very soon followed by collapse.

Cobblers. RM were in "mega profits" because we were the only game in town, not because we were efficient. There was no effective measurement or comparison.
[I well remember the late shift postie whose sole duty was changing the date on the manual hand-stamps. Oh yes, we were sooo efficient in those days]

As for the mill owners, you need to recheck your history. It was the automated looms and frames etc which brought the prices down to affordable levels, and made the mill owners huge profits.

remember many decades ago when RM was less automated, us posties use to manage to get the work done efficiently and effectively with time to spare, since more automation as been introduced us posties are rushing around like mad to get the work done, what as gone wrong?

Someone went and introduced "competition".

[pickaname]

Bad business decisions for the past 20 years have lead to RM's decline... For example, why did RM negotiate a price of 13p per item for DSA? Commercial suicide.

'Modernisation' is yet another bad decision.

I dont see any modernisation in my office as of yet, but i do see sweeping cuts and more work being piled on us.

We were told pegasus was coming 2 years ago...nothing.
We were told and indoor review was imminent a year ago...nothing.
Were told ILSM's would be coming ....nothing.

We were also told a 6% saving per year is needed...bingo! Were now lapsing duties even though we have the cluster dom and managers throwing walks off everyday.

Seriously...RM is crumbling.

[Tman]

'Modernisation' is yet another bad decision.

Strange statement. Maybe posties should still line up for the morning talk by the inspector, drive Morris vans and deliver telegrams on BSA Bantams, then?

[rockytony67]

Yes--and let's not forget R/M were also in mega profits then!Says it all.Same with the old mill owners etc, yes, a shot term gain after getting rid of the 'staff' and replacing with machines,but very soon followed by collapse.

Cobblers. RM were in "mega profits" because we were the only game in town, not because we were efficient. There was no effective measurement or comparison.
[I well remember the late shift postie whose sole duty was changing the date on the manual hand-stamps. Oh yes, we were sooo efficient in those days]

As for the mill owners, you need to recheck your history. It was the automated looms and frames etc which brought the prices down to affordable levels, and made the mill owners huge profits.

remember many decades ago when RM was less automated, us posties use to manage to get the work done efficiently and effectively with time to spare, since more automation as been introduced us posties are rushing around like mad to get the work done, what as gone wrong?

Someone went and introduced "competition".

Tman can you tell me how I can send a letter to any part of the UK, for the cost of a first class stamp, with any other business or are we the only game in town is that what you call "competition"

[pickaname]

'Modernisation' is yet another bad decision.

Strange statement. Maybe posties should still line up for the morning talk by the inspector, drive Morris vans and deliver telegrams on BSA Bantams, then?

Modernisation equates to a slash and burn approach - just cuts in services...if you read on in my post you will see that no modernisation has occurred in my office and its over 2 years since the PMA.
Now thats is strange.

[lekker]

I remember many decades ago when RM was less automated, us posties use to manage to get the work done efficiently and effectively with time to spare, since more automation as been introduced us posties are rushing around like mad to get the work done, what as gone wrong?

There's a bloody sight less of us now - that's what's gone wrong. With executive action coming in on Monday my walk has got about another hour or so bunged on it and it already goes to time. No prizes for guessing whose fault it will be when it fails

[TrueBlueTerrier]

'Modernisation' is yet another bad decision.

Strange statement. Maybe posties should still line up for the morning talk by the inspector, drive Morris vans and deliver telegrams on BSA Bantams, then?

Agree unless you read the punctuation and the rest of the post.

I read the two { ' } round the word Modernisation to mean that RMs version, under which we are suffering, has nothing to do with modernisation and more to do with cuttings costs. If you really wanted to highlight your point you could have gone further back and pointed out that when Henry VIII set up a "Master of the Posts" the Posties of the day typically only had 1 letter and it took days to deliver it.

Modernisation happens and we have to adapt to survive even the CWU agree with that. However, in my corner of RM I have seen only an increase in Mech Bundles as any sign of modernising and even they seem more prone to missorts than when I started only 6 years ago. Walk Sequencing - No. Weight off the Shoulder - No, electric HCTs - No, Longer walks with less Safe Drops and No Pouch Boxes - Yes. More crash mail - Yes.

I really hope that RM do start modernising their operations soon and begin to rely on the most important asset (their workers) otherwise we are on a slippery slope and accelerating fast. No disrespect to PT workers but if RM are really going down the Dutch route and increasing the ratio of PT workers to FT this will mean less chance for "advancement" and less loyalty to the "brand" and in the long run the business will suffer because of it.

[andy2007]

Yes--and let's not forget R/M were also in mega profits then!Says it all.Same with the old mill owners etc, yes, a shot term gain after getting rid of the 'staff' and replacing with machines,but very soon followed by collapse.

Cobblers. RM were in "mega profits" because we were the only game in town, not because we were efficient. There was no effective measurement or comparison.
[I well remember the late shift postie whose sole duty was changing the date on the manual hand-stamps. Oh yes, we were sooo efficient in those days]
The measure, was whether we could get the mail delivered, for less than we charged the Public. We were making a profit. So we were therefore efficient.

As for the mill owners, you need to recheck your history. It was the automated looms and frames etc which brought the prices down to affordable levels, and made the mill owners huge profits.

remember many decades ago when RM was less automated, us posties use to manage to get the work done efficiently and effectively with time to spare, since more automation as been introduced us posties are rushing around like mad to get the work done, what as gone wrong?

Someone went and introduced "competition".

Yes, they did. And what happened as a result?
It now costs RM less to deliver a letter, than it did before Competition. But the quality of service now, is a sad joke, compared to what it was, just 10 years ago. You call that progress?!?!?