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Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
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Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
https://inews.co.uk/news/health/royal-m ... TO=newsnow
The Royal Mail has prioritised certain post in case there is a strike to ensure people receive their medication
Pharmacies have been talking to Royal Mail about minimising the impact of postal strikes and making sure people still get their medication, i has learnt.
More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay with members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) backing the action.
Although the dates of the strike have not yet been confirmed, it is thought they will probably be in August and are likely to affect a many areas of Britain.
This could include people waiting for hospital letters, prescriptions and other important correspondence.
As a result, Royal Mail confirmed it has been in communication with pharmacies which deliver medication to ensure that there is as little disruption as possible.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We have detailed contingency plans in place for industrial action, which include mechanisms to prioritise items, including critical government mailings, NHS letters and medical prescriptions wherever we can.
“In the event of industrial action, we will endeavour to process mail as quickly as possible to minimise customer disruption and keep people, businesses and the country connected.”
Royal Mail said it had made plans to ensure pharmacies know about any strikes in advance so they can contact customers and advise them to send in their prescription requests in advance if necessary.
Organisations such as the NHS will also be prioritised after the strike action to ensure important letters reach their recipients as soon as possible.
Although Royal Mail said it could not advise how this would be done, so as not to compromise the safety of the mail, it assured i it would do everything to ensure important letters would be delivered as quickly as possible.
Pharmacies are now directly contacting customers to advise them of the possible disruption.
Pharmacy2U, a large pharmacy delivery firm, emailed its customers saying: “We’re writing to you as you may have seen the news about potential strike action impacting Royal Mail deliveries. If a strike goes ahead, it is likely to take place in August.
“We would like to reassure you that we are working closely with Royal Mail to ensure that even if a strike does take place, there is minimum disruption to Pharmacy2U deliveries, so your medication is delivered when you need it.
“We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves; and will keep you informed if a strike does go ahead.
“In the meantime, please continue to order as usual, 10 working days before you need it, which gives GPs, our pharmacists and Royal Mail plenty of time to deliver your medication. We’ll be in touch again if there are any updates.”
A Lloyds Pharmacy spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the Royal Mail to ensure medications are prioritised and disruption is minimised for any patients expecting deliveries via our online prescription service, LloydsDirect.”
The Royal Mail has prioritised certain post in case there is a strike to ensure people receive their medication
Pharmacies have been talking to Royal Mail about minimising the impact of postal strikes and making sure people still get their medication, i has learnt.
More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay with members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) backing the action.
Although the dates of the strike have not yet been confirmed, it is thought they will probably be in August and are likely to affect a many areas of Britain.
This could include people waiting for hospital letters, prescriptions and other important correspondence.
As a result, Royal Mail confirmed it has been in communication with pharmacies which deliver medication to ensure that there is as little disruption as possible.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We have detailed contingency plans in place for industrial action, which include mechanisms to prioritise items, including critical government mailings, NHS letters and medical prescriptions wherever we can.
“In the event of industrial action, we will endeavour to process mail as quickly as possible to minimise customer disruption and keep people, businesses and the country connected.”
Royal Mail said it had made plans to ensure pharmacies know about any strikes in advance so they can contact customers and advise them to send in their prescription requests in advance if necessary.
Organisations such as the NHS will also be prioritised after the strike action to ensure important letters reach their recipients as soon as possible.
Although Royal Mail said it could not advise how this would be done, so as not to compromise the safety of the mail, it assured i it would do everything to ensure important letters would be delivered as quickly as possible.
Pharmacies are now directly contacting customers to advise them of the possible disruption.
Pharmacy2U, a large pharmacy delivery firm, emailed its customers saying: “We’re writing to you as you may have seen the news about potential strike action impacting Royal Mail deliveries. If a strike goes ahead, it is likely to take place in August.
“We would like to reassure you that we are working closely with Royal Mail to ensure that even if a strike does take place, there is minimum disruption to Pharmacy2U deliveries, so your medication is delivered when you need it.
“We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves; and will keep you informed if a strike does go ahead.
“In the meantime, please continue to order as usual, 10 working days before you need it, which gives GPs, our pharmacists and Royal Mail plenty of time to deliver your medication. We’ll be in touch again if there are any updates.”
A Lloyds Pharmacy spokesperson said: “We are working closely with the Royal Mail to ensure medications are prioritised and disruption is minimised for any patients expecting deliveries via our online prescription service, LloydsDirect.”
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
Seems strange that they would prioritise important letters during a strike, they don't normally. Unless it is tracked or a special it can sit around for days. This would never of happened before privatisation, clear office every day or someone was in trouble.
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
That's what I thought, I suspect they're not quite telling the truth.... again, what they mean by we'll do our best to get the important letters delivered is we'll deliver them when that shower of lazy bastards return to work.
Last edited by ted_e_bear on 01 Aug 2022, 17:51, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
so, i take it the legality of the ballot must all be in order and above board then. ...unless that is a bombshell they are going to drop about a week before the actual strikes. i've not heard anything to the contrary. 

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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
I'm staring to wonder if RM have got something up their sleeve to get both ballots thrown out
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
I'd love it if they reduced the size or trimmed the 'shrink wrap' stiff paper/card they put the prescriptions in, it's a right pain trying toPharmacy2U, a large pharmacy delivery firm, emailed its customers saying: “We’re writing to you as you may have seen the news about potential strike action impacting Royal Mail deliveries. If a strike goes ahead, it is likely to take place in August.
fit what is actually very small packet of tablets in most cases in the frame or through a small letter box/wall box.
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
RMT have gone on legal strikes knowing full well the doctors and surgeons can't afford to drive cars or take busesSpacePhoenix wrote: ↑01 Aug 2022, 19:39I'm staring to wonder if RM have got something up their sleeve to get both ballots thrown out

I'll be very surprised if RM can legally block this, though I still think a work to rule would hit them harder, but I'm not worried the CWU are playing the waiting game, no point in striking when it's not that busy
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
A work to rule would require a third ballot. Don't know why the CWU didn't also have or actions short of a strike on both ballotsworld class male wrote: ↑01 Aug 2022, 20:20RMT have gone on legal strikes knowing full well the doctors and surgeons can't afford to drive cars or take busesSpacePhoenix wrote: ↑01 Aug 2022, 19:39I'm staring to wonder if RM have got something up their sleeve to get both ballots thrown out![]()
I'll be very surprised if RM can legally block this, though I still think a work to rule would hit them harder, but I'm not worried the CWU are playing the waiting game, no point in striking when it's not that busy
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
well by the time the 2nd ballot is closed (17th Aug) and then they give the required amount of notice for strike action from the 1st ballot, we are looking at end of August/beginning of September are we not?
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
yes but the CWU have said this definitely won't work, even though not tried and testedSpacePhoenix wrote: ↑01 Aug 2022, 20:29A work to rule would require a third ballot. Don't know why the CWU didn't also have or actions short of a strike on both ballotsworld class male wrote: ↑01 Aug 2022, 20:20RMT have gone on legal strikes knowing full well the doctors and surgeons can't afford to drive cars or take busesSpacePhoenix wrote: ↑01 Aug 2022, 19:39I'm staring to wonder if RM have got something up their sleeve to get both ballots thrown out![]()
I'll be very surprised if RM can legally block this, though I still think a work to rule would hit them harder, but I'm not worried the CWU are playing the waiting game, no point in striking when it's not that busy

a few extra blobs of ink on the ballot sheet wouldn't have gone a miss to open up options to work to rule AFTER a strike, they refused it!
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
They are lying there is no way they will be able to deliver all of that they would never get enough agency staff,hopefully the cwu will hit them hard in the first round of strikes to show them we mean business just like the RMT,god help us all if they just go for the normal 1 day malarkey.
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Re: Royal Mail strike: Which post items will be prioritised during walkout as pharmacies strive to minimise impact
Exactly RM expect a 1 day strike so put them on the back foot straight away and announce 1 week. It may well be the kick up the backside they need.guardianangel wrote: ↑03 Aug 2022, 21:44They are lying there is no way they will be able to deliver all of that they would never get enough agency staff,hopefully the cwu will hit them hard in the first round of strikes to show them we mean business just like the RMT,god help us all if they just go for the normal 1 day malarkey.