Royal Mail losing 1m a day as pandemic postal boom subsides

[SpacePhoenix]

If the did split RM into a letters business and a parcels business it'd be interesting to see how they divide the MCs and DOs between the two. Realistically all staff in the DOs of a new parcels firm would have to be drivers as chances are that every parcel would have a time slot and doing it with someone walking probably won't work. All of the non-drivers would need to be moved to the letters firm, even if that meant a move to a more distant office

[pieoftheday]

I've mentioned before in another thread, my wild guess is royal mail letters will go back to government ownership as a none profit service and all parcels bar the very small with go with the privatised company and be just another courier?

[mjd24]

If the did split RM into a letters business and a parcels business it'd be interesting to see how they divide the MCs and DOs between the two. Realistically all staff in the DOs of a new parcels firm would have to be drivers as chances are that every parcel would have a time slot and doing it with someone walking probably won't work. All of the non-drivers would need to be moved to the letters firm, even if that meant a move to a more distant office

[SpacePhoenix]

If the did split RM into a letters business and a parcels business it'd be interesting to see how they divide the MCs and DOs between the two. Realistically all staff in the DOs of a new parcels firm would have to be drivers as chances are that every parcel would have a time slot and doing it with someone walking probably won't work. All of the non-drivers would need to be moved to the letters firm, even if that meant a move to a more distant office

So how would you split the DOs, MCs and staff between the two companies?

[mark.cup]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... talservice

They've been playing with the figures for years and using this quiet period as a bashing stick every time a payrise is expected personally I can't ever see Royal Mail not making money over the year....

Just think of what we now do sorting/packet deliveries,12 bags of mail,emptying post boxes and even picking up parcels that we put labels on oh and I nearly forget D2D's and 1 O'Clock specials!

When we started how many of the above was a specific role? In a minute we will be sweeping the streets,feeding the elderly and waxing the Jokers Rolls Royce

These people have no idea how hard delivery is and how destroyed most of us are at the end of each day yet we are lazy need to work 10 hour days in the winter and Sundays

[Acca Dacca]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... talservice

They've been playing with the figures for years and using this quiet period as a bashing stick every time a payrise is expected personally I can't ever see Royal Mail not making money over the year....

Just think of what we now do sorting/packet deliveries,12 bags of mail,emptying post boxes and even picking up parcels that we put labels on oh and I nearly forget D2D's and 1 O'Clock specials!

When we started how many of the above was a specific role? In a minute we will be sweeping the streets,feeding the elderly and waxing the Jokers Rolls Royce

These people have no idea how hard delivery is and how destroyed most of us are at the end of each day yet we are lazy need to work 10 hour days in the winter and Sundays

Its not even a case of not making money

When they lose the word 'lose money' they mean 'not make as much as before'

So if it was your 21st birthday and your gran gave you £40 then the next year she gave you £20 would you say youve lost £20?

No. You are £20 up.

[Acca Dacca]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... talservice

They've been playing with the figures for years and using this quiet period as a bashing stick every time a payrise is expected personally I can't ever see Royal Mail not making money over the year....

Just think of what we now do sorting/packet deliveries,12 bags of mail,emptying post boxes and even picking up parcels that we put labels on oh and I nearly forget D2D's and 1 O'Clock specials!

When we started how many of the above was a specific role? In a minute we will be sweeping the streets,feeding the elderly and waxing the Jokers Rolls Royce

These people have no idea how hard delivery is and how destroyed most of us are at the end of each day yet we are lazy need to work 10 hour days in the winter and Sundays

Its not even a case of not making money

When they use the word 'lose money' they mean 'not make as much as before'

So if it was your 21st birthday and your gran gave you £40 then the next year for your 22nd she gave you £20 would you say youve lost £20?

RM would

The rest of us would say we are £20 up.

The pandemic was RM's 21st birthday - unfortunately the shareholders got all the gifts.

[Bowiefan]

£758 million profit ÷ 365 days in the year = £2 million profit a day. In this context I wouldn't be surprised if reference to losing £1 million a day means 'only' making £1 million a day in profit.

[Acca Dacca]

£758 million profit ÷ 365 days in the year = £2 million profit a day. In this context I wouldn't be surprised if reference to losing £1 million a day means 'only' making £1 million a day in profit.

Thats exactly what it means

They are basically counting any period that isnt making as much as the same period last year as a loss making period while spinning it to sound like it they are actually spending more in that period than they are bringing in i.e a real business loss

[Bowiefan]

Indeed, but LOSING ONE MILLION POUNDS A DAY makes for a much more dramatic sound bite, especially with looming industrial action over pay.

[Wolf91]

£758 million profit ÷ 365 days in the year = £2 million profit a day. In this context I wouldn't be surprised if reference to losing £1 million a day means 'only' making £1 million a day in profit.

This is exactly what it means - they are duplicitous snakes trying to catch people / the public out with their wording. It’s disgraceful

[captain kaos]

There is a difference between losing money and not making as much as before due to special contracts and unique circumstances

Do they think we are idiots?

Exactly

[blackbooks]

Tragically, the CWU and pay negotiations are only number four on Royal Mail's list of problems.
Way higher are 1) the 'Universal Service Obligation ', which requires the delivery to all of the UK at the same price. This gives the competition a free pass to cherry pick the most economically viable work.
2) OFCOM, who are it's regulator, who seem to make increasingly perverse rulings against RM. Today's priceless ruling was that RM cannot use parcel tracking, as it is anti-competitive. Despite the fact that this is where RM have a current disadvantage, due to long term lack of investment.
3) Managerial torpor/ investment failures. It is almost impossible to get a decision out of RM management, and when it does happen is inevitably diluted. Eg sorting machines that run on a fraction of their capacity due to buying on the cheap. Handheld scanners that 'freeze ' in the rain from day one. And grotesque misrepresentations of true positions to the stock market.
Set against this, the CWU are a minor issue. The 5.5% payrise is actually 2% plus extras including the effective removal of sick pay. In a job where hip and knee replacements are commonplace amongst long serving staff. Great stuff.
Still, we are better paid than Amazon staff, 'cos their pay and conditions are a real industry role model.

[Mr Rush]

£758 million profit ÷ 365 days in the year = £2 million profit a day. In this context I wouldn't be surprised if reference to losing £1 million a day means 'only' making £1 million a day in profit.

Thats exactly what it means

They are basically counting any period that isnt making as much as the same period last year as a loss making period while spinning it to sound like it they are actually spending more in that period than they are bringing in i.e a real business loss

You ever see those projected profit charts? They start with last year's profit and just extrapolate that into the future in a straight line. When reality fails to match expectation it's classed as a loss, but they never had it to lose in the first place.

Have the board started jumping out of windows, or is it us that'll be flogged some more for this?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If the did split RM into a letters business and a parcels business it'd be interesting to see how they divide the MCs and DOs between the two. Realistically all staff in the DOs of a new parcels firm would have to be drivers as chances are that every parcel would have a time slot and doing it with someone walking probably won't work. All of the non-drivers would need to be moved to the letters firm, even if that meant a move to a more distant office

So how would you split the DOs, MCs and staff between the two companies?

Most likely use the same offices, just different Uniforms. Although if they went the whole dutch method they would use waysiders for letters. In fact as they are pushing for a two-tier workforce for new starters they are probably moving in that direction already.