Royal Mail cuts may end Saturday post

[heapsy]

Well southern Ireland don't have a saturday delivery and it works for them. Personally I'm all for it, Saturdays are a waste of time and money.

No Saturday delivery in Canada or Australia either

[BELIAL]

Possibly 20% extra mail each weekday More weight ,more hours ,less overtime. Each to his own

[mailsort6]

“The only threat to Saturday deliveries is if Royal Mail fails to take up the challenge of becoming an efficient universal service provider and it remains saddled with having to fund an enormous pensions deficit. The universal service lost £100m last year but instead of taking out costs, Royal Mail allocated a further £30m to it. "

Let's not mention whose fault this massive deficit is, oh wait, let me guess, is it ours?

There is too much of a defensive attitude about their whole statement, the Universal Service will be destroyed within 2 years and we will be working Mon - Fri. Goodbye 20,000 jobs!

I'd love to work Mon to Fri, but that's not the job I applied for, if it mattered that much to me I'd be working in a factory.

Crazy , all the parcel companies are out delivering long before Royal Fail and charge extra for saturday delivery when people aren't necessarily working and can take parcels in .

All panic mode , conflict and confrontation , no wonder Unite said :lfo & :cfo & their senior managers had outlived their usefulness and taken RM backwards .

Well! I thought that the managers and unite thought these two :lfo :cfo were wonderful, it was all smiles and laughter when the managers got 40 million worth of bonuses split between them last year. The problem with the compnay is that they have changed the posties duties times, the collection times, therefore, customers are getting their mail later and this is not seen as a improvement in the quality of service, the duty times should have been left as they were. RM should really think about going back to delivering the mail early because this is what the customers want.

[norbert]

“The only threat to Saturday deliveries is if Royal Mail fails to take up the challenge of becoming an efficient universal service provider and it remains saddled with having to fund an enormous pensions deficit. The universal service lost £100m last year but instead of taking out costs, Royal Mail allocated a further £30m to it. "

Let's not mention whose fault this massive deficit is, oh wait, let me guess, is it ours?

There is too much of a defensive attitude about their whole statement, the Universal Service will be destroyed within 2 years and we will be working Mon - Fri. Goodbye 20,000 jobs!

I'd love to work Mon to Fri, but that's not the job I applied for, if it mattered that much to me I'd be working in a factory.

Crazy , all the parcel companies are out delivering long before Royal Fail and charge extra for saturday delivery when people aren't necessarily working and can take parcels in .

All panic mode , conflict and confrontation , no wonder Unite said :lfo & :cfo & their senior managers had outlived their usefulness and taken RM backwards .

Well! I thought that the managers and unite thought these two :lfo :cfo were wonderful, it was all smiles and laughter when the managers got 40 million worth of bonuses split between them last year. The problem with the compnay is that they have changed the posties duties times, the collection times, therefore, customers are getting their mail later and this is not seen as a improvement in the quality of service, the duty times should have been left as they were. RM should really think about going back to delivering the mail early because this is what the customers want.

More fool Unite if they were daft enough to fall for all this soft soap , "I'm one of the boys" , the nice cop routine : -the oldest trick in the book from Leighton . L&C had to keep them sweet as they were needed onside for the strikes they were spoiling for and to do their slash and burn . Senior Management were split but they still had more guile than Billy Bunter and Wardy from the CWU .

It was "amazing " how L&C dropped the appraisals and reapplication for their own jobs when Unite threatened a ballot . What makes me laugh about Op's managers is that many are Union reps in suits that have crossed the line over to the other side with chips on the shoulders and whilst they play the Yes Allan , three bags full Allan game, many are more militant and bolshy than the CWU on the quiet , which of course is never picked up on by the media .

It's a funny union , it's left leading and has dual leadership from the amalgamations . I've experience of "another " staff association and the general view was scepticism and mistrust ; however I did take them seriously if their leadership was justifably critical of the company .

I agreed about RM's arrogance , backward command & control and the we and only we know best from Unite .

[Lounge Lizard]

Delivery on five days not six means 17% of jobs can be cut, so it's surely a certainty within a couple of years, especially as the current Saturady mail would be delivered on the already light Monday and Tuesday without extra hours paid.

[Lounge Lizard]

Delivery on five days not six means 17% of jobs can be cut, so it's surely a certainty within a couple of years, especially as the current Saturady mail would be delivered on the already light Monday and Tuesday without extra hours paid.

[traww]

definitve answer??

Quote from

http://www.psc.gov.uk/universal-service.html

Reads

" Universal service

The universal service means that anyone in the UK can post letters and parcels to any other part of the country at the same affordable rates. And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, each working day, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

So is saturday a working day? For everyone? Taken litterally this reads that mail must be delivered 5 days a week (as i assume that most mere mortals actually only work Mon - Fri) and collections undertaken 6 days a week. I know this is not a transcript of the Act of Parliament but surely if it is on the POSTCOMM websie it must bear some resemblance to the legislation. Moreover if Saturday is deemed a working day then why is it not worded as follows (or similar) ....And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

Indeed could this have originally been worded in this way to muddy the waters/leave it open to interpretation in case such a circumstance as we find in the current climate to allow POSTCOMM to allow USO to become profitable again but only delivering Mon - Fri.

Please if anyone can clarify the issue of working days V's six days a week (in this context that is) then it would serve to clear up this issue. Maybe POSTCOMM could be contacted to clarify this.

In fact I may contact the Daily Torygraph to see if they want to take it up seeing as POSTCOMM were quick to poo their story on Saturday.

[banner]

Why not deliver only first class and specials on saturdays, maintaining a delivery, and at the same time saving money.
A skeleton staff could deliver saturdays mail then. One saturday worked in six for every worker. Only a sixth of the covers we have now would be needed.
Jobs should go only through natural wastage and VR. Whats the big deal? How many residential customers actually care about a sat delivery?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Why not deliver only first class and specials on Saturdays, maintaining a delivery, and at the same time saving money.
A skeleton staff could deliver Saturdays mail then. One Saturday worked in six for every worker. Only a sixth of the covers we have now would be needed.
Jobs should go only through natural wastage and VR. What's the big deal? How many residential customers actually care about a sat delivery?

Thats the nub of the argument though. Royal Mail see the recipients of letters as just that, to them the customer is the one sending the letter out. These customers like Saturday deliveries and always will as apparently the response rate from Saturday mailings is higher than on any other day. Higher response means more sales, more sales means more profit. Because of that I think Saturday deliveries will be here for a while.

On another point this distinction of receivers and customers is the reason why everyone's perception is that RM customer service is going from bad to worse, its a change in emphasis which is filtering down from AL and AC IMO.

[janitor]

The problem with this is the MD of a multi-million pound mailer is also the receiver of mail at some time either business or personal, so the impression he gets as a residential customer could influence where his mailing contract goes. So the miserable old git that collars you on a saturday telling you he remembers when his mail used to arrive before he went to work, could be the MD of a multi- national company spending millions of pounds, but do AL and AC give a toss.

[andy2007]

definitve answer??

Quote from

http://www.psc.gov.uk/universal-service.html

Reads

" Universal service

The universal service means that anyone in the UK can post letters and parcels to any other part of the country at the same affordable rates. And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, each working day, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

So is saturday a working day? For everyone? Taken litterally this reads that mail must be delivered 5 days a week (as i assume that most mere mortals actually only work Mon - Fri) and collections undertaken 6 days a week. I know this is not a transcript of the Act of Parliament but surely if it is on the POSTCOMM websie it must bear some resemblance to the legislation. Moreover if Saturday is deemed a working day then why is it not worded as follows (or similar) ....And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

Indeed could this have originally been worded in this way to muddy the waters/leave it open to interpretation in case such a circumstance as we find in the current climate to allow POSTCOMM to allow USO to become profitable again but only delivering Mon - Fri.

Please if anyone can clarify the issue of working days V's six days a week (in this context that is) then it would serve to clear up this issue. Maybe POSTCOMM could be contacted to clarify this.

In fact I may contact the Daily Torygraph to see if they want to take it up seeing as POSTCOMM were quick to poo their story on Saturday.

Technically, Saturday IS a normal working day. Only on a Sunday, is there any restriction on working hours (Legally at least). Wether this holds true, with regard to the USO, I don't know.

But we are getting into semantics here. The fact is: This is yet another assault on the PRINCIPLE of the USO. They have been trying to whittle away at the USO for quite a while now. For example: They tried to introduce "zonal pricing" for Business Customers. They failed. But had they succeeded. I have no doubt, that they would have tried to introduce it to STL too.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The USO must be protected! We can't allow all these little attacks on it, to slip by. Or before you know it. It will be a meaningless gesture. Rather than the backbone of the Postal SERVICE.

I know tat we are a Business now. But that doesn't mean that we can't provide a good Public Service, and still make money. It's all about how it is achieved.

[smokerjim]

definitve answer??

Quote from Postal Services Act (2000)

http://www.psc.gov.uk/universal-service.html

Reads

" Universal service

The universal service means that anyone in the UK can post letters and parcels to any other part of the country at the same affordable rates. And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, each working day, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

So is saturday a working day? For everyone? Taken litterally this reads that mail must be delivered 5 days a week (as i assume that most mere mortals actually only work Mon - Fri) and collections undertaken 6 days a week. I know this is not a transcript of the Act of Parliament but surely if it is on the POSTCOMM websie it must bear some resemblance to the legislation. Moreover if Saturday is deemed a working day then why is it not worded as follows (or similar) ....And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

Indeed could this have originally been worded in this way to muddy the waters/leave it open to interpretation in case such a circumstance as we find in the current climate to allow POSTCOMM to allow USO to become profitable again but only delivering Mon - Fri.

Please if anyone can clarify the issue of working days V's six days a week (in this context that is) then it would serve to clear up this issue. Maybe POSTCOMM could be contacted to clarify this.

In fact I may contact the Daily Torygraph to see if they want to take it up seeing as POSTCOMM were quick to poo their story on Saturday.

Technically, Saturday IS a normal working day. Only on a Sunday, is there any restriction on working hours (Legally at least). Wether this holds true, with regard to the USO, I don't know.

But we are getting into semantics here. The fact is: This is yet another assault on the PRINCIPLE of the USO. They have been trying to whittle away at the USO for quite a while now. For example: They tried to introduce "zonal pricing" for Business Customers. They failed. But had they succeeded. I have no doubt, that they would have tried to introduce it to STL too.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The USO must be protected! We can't allow all these little attacks on it, to slip by. Or before you know it. It will be a meaningless gesture. Rather than the backbone of the Postal SERVICE.

I know tat we are a Business now. But that doesn't mean that we can't provide a good Public Service, and still make money. It's all about how it is achieved.

Direct quote from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2000/uk ... 00026_en_2 - page two, for Part 1 ( Introductory ) Section 4, subsections 1ai through to 1aii

4 Provision of a universal postal service: meaning (1) For the purposes of this Act and subject to subsection (2), a universal postal service is provided if—
(a) except in such geographical conditions or other circumstances as the Commission considers to be exceptional—


(i) at least one delivery of relevant postal packets is made every working day to the home or premises of every individual or other person in the United Kingdom or to such identifiable points for the delivery of relevant postal packets as the Commission may approve, and

(ii) at least one collection of relevant postal packets is made every working day from each access point,

Sounds to me like collections are lacking on Saturdays - so either beef up Saturday collections or get rid of Saturday working ( but then that gives :lfo & :cfo a perfect opportunity to suggest silly amount of D2Ds every week, to be delivered en masse on Saturdays, an opportunity the CWU would grab ( imho ) as it would mean extra income for RM with little no loss of jobs for members! )

[Lounge Lizard]

definitve answer??

Quote from

http://www.psc.gov.uk/universal-service.html

Reads

" Universal service

The universal service means that anyone in the UK can post letters and parcels to any other part of the country at the same affordable rates. And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, each working day, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

So is saturday a working day? For everyone? Taken litterally this reads that mail must be delivered 5 days a week (as i assume that most mere mortals actually only work Mon - Fri) and collections undertaken 6 days a week. I know this is not a transcript of the Act of Parliament but surely if it is on the POSTCOMM websie it must bear some resemblance to the legislation. Moreover if Saturday is deemed a working day then why is it not worded as follows (or similar) ....And it guarantees one delivery of mail for every UK household and business, and one collection of mail, six days a week.

Indeed could this have originally been worded in this way to muddy the waters/leave it open to interpretation in case such a circumstance as we find in the current climate to allow POSTCOMM to allow USO to become profitable again but only delivering Mon - Fri.

Please if anyone can clarify the issue of working days V's six days a week (in this context that is) then it would serve to clear up this issue. Maybe POSTCOMM could be contacted to clarify this.

In fact I may contact the Daily Torygraph to see if they want to take it up seeing as POSTCOMM were quick to poo their story on Saturday.

So it all depends on which definition of "working day" you choose ;
"a day when people normally go to work" - surely that's Monday to Friday for most of the population, or
"any day except Sunday, and sometimes except Saturday" - that's not much help !

[banner18]

Saturdays will go eventually, its inevitable. Rural delivery services will be severely cut at some point also.
After overhauling technology, staff working practices and wages in order to reduce costs, then where else can RM reduce costs other thatn by cutting services?

No-one is willing to pay for USO ergo cutting the service is the last resort.

[andy2007]

increasing the prices, or taking handouts from the Government aren't the only ways to pay for the USO. As I have pointed out before: We have a huge fleet of Lorries, and plenty of Buildings. So why can't we branch out, into general haulage?
Then there's new products. We have already seen the introduction of Broadband, Phone, etc.. What about other products?

All it needs, is some initiative!