Buddy walks and new vehicles and a depressing future.

dropbag_clone · Post by **dropbag_clone** » 03 May 2008, 17:20

What vehicle are we expected to be issued with to get this 'buddy walks' off the ground? There had been talk of Smart Cars... have we signed a big contract with any firm for these new vehicles?

Rumour has it that with 2 men covering their buddy walk (2.5 walks between them) that the need then for regular vans will be decreased as the extra work load will be absorbed by the buddy team (packets firms and residential mail)

The 3.5 hour delivery span will then be a thing of the past, as a walk will not just include walking the streets, but driving to firms, collection points, hopping in and out of our new vehicles as we try to meet the ever increasing demand of home shopping.

Though I cannot see how any of this has been built into any sort of sensible budget. With a barrel of oil heading towards 200$, and the pressure on firms to go green, will it make sense for RM to fly in the face of a changing attitude towards motorised transport. Not to mention the maintenance and parking of such a huge new fleet.

The humble bike seems to be now considered an insurance liability, and with carrying mail on your shoulder also deemed a long term health hazard we will all either be dragging (or pushing) our prams around the streets or tootling around like 'Postman Pat' (minus the cat).

The concession to 'local agreements' after our last round of industrial action was. after the change in our pension rights, the biggest mistake we have made. Now all offices will sink down to the lowest standards set by those that have agreed the worst deals possible, driven by a management feeling empowered to introduce everything and anything they had ever dreamed of, halfbaked, untested, untried and with little regard for either the workforce or the public we are supposed to be serving.

With early starts soon being promised as a thing of the past and a demoralized workforce bombarded by all these new buzz terms 'longs shorts' 'flexibility' 'Efficient Summer Staffing' 'summer lapsing' '50/50 savings' 'phase 2' 'phase 3' ....what will the Royal Mail look like in 5 years time in comparison to 5 years ago.

Oh.... another thought to leave you with is that the Tory party are resurrecting their potential to be the next government....

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 03 May 2008, 17:22

Moved to Blue Shirts

axeman · Post by **axeman** » 03 May 2008, 19:08

They have no chance i work at my speed and no one elses i'm not going to speed up for big al , or lil adam i have to walk long enough thanks i'm not going over my time ever

dongash · Post by **dongash** » 03 May 2008, 19:40

do the job as it should be done, no coming in early, using cars!!! then they can shove all these "ideas" up their arses!!! only so many hours in a day!!! regards dongash one of the 77%!!! :lfo :cfo :lfo :cfo

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 03 May 2008, 19:47

RM, because of their massive cost cutting frenzy, will not buy these new smart cars but will try to use the existing fleet (keeping them for much longer than the usual 3 years).

dongash · Post by **dongash** » 03 May 2008, 20:02

all these so called ideas are pie in the sky!! royal mail won't spend on things to improve the job, only to save money/cut jobs. we often get "run on" vans from other offices. these vans are often knackered when we get them!!!

Darren Bent · Post by **Darren Bent** » 03 May 2008, 20:06

I can't see every delivery office buying say 120 smart car for every postman to use on their round. say at a cost of 4 grand each so that is 480,000

Let say there is 70 thousand postman in UK

280,000,000 to buy 70 thousand cars. It will be too expensive and uneconomical. Royal Mail will not do it.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 03 May 2008, 20:16

Carew wrote:I can't see every delivery office buying say 120 smart car for every postman to use on their round. say at a cost of 4 grand each so that is 480,000

Let say there is 70 thousand postman in UK

280,000,000 to buy 70 thousand cars. It will be too expensive and uneconomical. Royal Mail will not do it.

No they will not have a car for each 1 for two and they will look to cut job's ie 3 job's will become 2 job's or less!. We must all understand royalmail will look at all saveing's!. DO YOUR JOB PROPERLY!.

Albethere · Post by **Albethere** » 04 May 2008, 13:59

I've heard the same story that this IS coming in, and probably by September - it has already been decided. Buddy style working with ONE shared vehicle, but doing 3 walks typically. Even for those who have been using their cars - it will obviously take longer. AND the use of private cars is to be banned anyway at the same time this is introduced. AND there will be nowhere for you to park your car at the DO because the car park will be overflowing with the new vehicles.

I guess RM won't have to pay for the vehicles anyway - NO massive investment whatsoever - 'cause they will simply lease them all for nominal weekly charge - which is tax deductible into the bargain.

pickaname · Post by **pickaname** » 04 May 2008, 16:21

Erm...i dont drive.

Post by **POSTMAN** » 04 May 2008, 19:14

pickaname wrote:Erm...i dont drive.

Look,stop trying to pick holes in this.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 04 May 2008, 19:17

pickaname wrote:Erm...i dont drive.

It's just a bad being bigear's as being noddy!.

Stormproof · Post by **Stormproof** » 04 May 2008, 19:24

Sorry I could'nt resist it

dongash · Post by **dongash** » 04 May 2008, 19:55

only 7,8 or 9 hours in a day!!! not a chance of these things coming in!!! we are over on the two short days in macc (mon/tues) you can't put two pints in a pint pot!!!

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 04 May 2008, 20:44

k66yla wrote:
Sorry I could'nt resist it

Look's just like :cfo and :lfo in a smart car