Royal Mail could face 40m fine:False efficieny impression!

[POSTMAN]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... iency.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
A first class fiddle: Royal Mail could face £40m fine for giving false impression of efficiency

Royal Mail faces a fine of up to £40million amid claims that managers rigged research to give a false impression about the efficiency of deliveries.

Staff are accused of manipulating an independent study designed to find out whether mail is delivered promptly and arrives at the correct address.

As a result senior staff were able to claim big bonuses, amounting to thousands of pounds, for apparently running a successful delivery service.
Royal Mail faces a £40m fine for rigging research in a bid to show it is efficient

Scam: Royal Mail faces a £40m fine for rigging research in a bid to show it is efficient

The revelations call into question the integrity of Royal Mail and the boasts of its millionaire bosses to have improved the punctuality of deliveries.

The scam involved some Royal Mail managers discovering the names and addresses of a panel of people used to measure the efficiency of postal services in a mystery shopper-style exercise.

It is claimed that special efforts were made to ensure that mail posted to them and sent by them arrived in good time.

For example, post office staff sifted through undelivered mail at the end of the day to ensure any intended for the panellists could be delivered straight away.

Another opportunity came in areas where postmen routinely empty postboxes earlier than the last collection time. Efforts were made to ensure this did not happen with the boxes used by panellists so they would not miss the last collection.

The net effect was to boost Royal Mail's score in the supposedly secret and independent investigation into performance levels.

Industry regulator Postcomm is investigating the rigging of the research and is expected to levy a multi-million pound fine.

The scam apparently originated in Scotland, but the same ploy appears to have been used by managers in other parts of the Royal Mail network.
Last post: Postmen often empty post boxes before the last advertised collection time to speed things up

It is understood that a member of Royal Mail staff who was involved in the scam north of the border visited his counterparts in Manchester to brief them about it.

The bosses who came up with the elaborate con - which began four years ago - have benefited from taxpayer-funded bonuses totalling many thousands of pounds to reward their performance.

Basic salaries for the small group of three managers who drove the scheme were around £100,000. There was a 100 per cent bonus scheme in place that allowed them to effectively double their income by hitting performance targets.

The con is thought to have involved opening and re-sealing some of the mail. If true this would be a criminal offence which carries a fine and, potentially, a prison sentence.

The mystery shopping exercise was carried out by an outside private company, Research International UK. It was completely in the dark about the scam.

It is understood that the con only came to light after a whistleblower sounded the alarm.

The Postcomm investigation involves forensic IT specialists who can search for information that staff involved may have tried to 'wipe' from the memories of their computers.

Royal Mail claims that 93 per cent of first class mail arrives the day after posting and 98.5 per cent of second class arrives on time within three working days after posting.

Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail Letters, has applauded the efficiency of the service. In May he said: 'I'm proud of the performance of Royal Mail's postmen and women.'

In the past, Royal Mail has justified the huge pay and perks payout to its chief executive Adam Crozier on the basis of improved company performance. He received more than £3million in the 2007/08 financial year.

[stokes11eg]

Suppose they are just following in the footsteps of their Masters in Government. but--They must name and shame these people, before bunging them in jail for fraud. and of course, theyshould have to pay back their bonuses.

[norbert]

Suppose they are just following in the footsteps of their Masters in Government. but--They must name and shame these people, before bunging them in jail for fraud. and of course, theyshould have to pay back their bonuses.

I'm sure there will be opportunities to "persue other careers" , RM is nothing but consistent - always looking backward , problem is that the decades or even the centuries tend to vary . Long line of cause and effect all the way to :lfo but hardly a surprise though . As for jail , I'm afraid capital punishment was abolished in 1965 - only joking ! , hard labour and corporal punishment was abolished too , bl**dy bleeding hearts liberals eh !

RM will probably blame New Liebour who at best are amoral , for everything - feel free to comment in The Daily Sieg Heil and mention RMC

[not me]

hold on,RM manipulating figures to suit their own ends

[Tman]

Before you all get too carried away take note that it's in that paragon of truth known as the Daily Mail.

Funny how the Coren column re the chav Parcel Force driver was dismissed as anti-RM propaganda, and yet this is accepted as unbiased truth...

So if it shows RM in a bad light it must be true, but if it portrays a member of staff badly, it's propaganda?

[not me]

Before you all get too carried away take note that it's in that paragon of truth known as the Daily Mail.

Funny how the Coren column re the chav Parcel Force driver was dismissed as anti-RM propaganda, and yet this is accepted as unbiased truth...

So if it shows RM in a bad light it must be true, but if it portrays a member of staff badly, it's propaganda?

given what we in delivery see nearly every day ,it doesnt really tally with the QOS figures rolled out by RM

[POSTMAN]

Well verced on roylmailchat,some DOM's regulary fiddle the goings on at delivery offices.

All the boxes are ticked in the morning but cut offs,failures and work left in the office,including DSA are never reported.

If these managers perhaps grew a pair,then the figures that the 'accountants' get at the top would be a completely different story.

With managers under so much pressure and the 'if you can't do it i'll get someone in who can' attitude from senior managers who can blame them for doing it.

But there's no doubt that the figures Royal Mail produce about efficency and targets met,is a complete sham.

[DGP1]

If it is true (and coming from the Daily Mail I'd take it with a large pinch of salt) then those involved should not only be sacked but charged with fraud and taken before the courts.

PS. I thought all collections had to be scanned to stop people collecting the boxes early

[Fluke]

It happens in my office and was admitted to by the DOM at the time. When we challenged him, he said his managers were "showing initiative!"

[norbert]

If it is true (and coming from the Daily Mail I'd take it with a large pinch of salt) then those involved should not only be sacked but charged with fraud and taken before the courts.

PS. I thought all collections had to be scanned to stop people collecting the boxes early

I agree with the comment about Communist Efficiency , the irony is that :lfo said RM was like a soviet state when he took over ; just goes to show that you can be so way out that you meet the other side round the back .

" Uncle Joe " would be proud of RM , Show Trials for conduct code & RMAP , Gulags for managers on " gardening leave ' & " special projects " for " crimes against RM " , RM's NKVD to " manage " people , Moscow style levels of managers multiplying like midges in a scottish summer .

As for comments about privatization , it's the spivs , shysters and charlatans from the private sector / the city that are responsible for this culture of " showing initiative "

Unfortunately it's Gormless Gordon's politburo and their blue sky thinking " Managerialism " " & public sector " reform " that are responsible for appointing these spivs and white collar crooks .

[k979aaa]

Well if they are not hideing mail in the back of trucks they are picking through the mail too make sure that Q/S is kept to the fabricated norms so :cfo can get his big fat bonus along with his minnions!. THEY SHOULD ALL BE SACKED!. :cfo :cfo

[ldsposti]

I THINK MOST ON HERE HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN COOKING THE BOOKS HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BEEN LET DOWN WITH BONUS SCHEMES TO BE TOLD "YOU DID NOT REACH YOUR TARGETS" I SAY NAME SHAME SACK AND PROECUTE :cfo :cfo :cfo :cfo :lfo :lfo :lfo

[DGP1]

I forgot to say, if this turns out to be true then both Leighton and Crozier (plus the rest of the board at the time) should be held responsible and they should be prosecuted because they were in charge at the time of the fraud (at the very least their bonuses should be taken away from them).

[mailsort6]

If these managers are found guilty and are sacked they will lose their massive pensions, therefore, we will have to wait and see how many resign in order to keep their pensions.

[Barry Trotter]

from reading the newspaper article my first impression was that the public are going to see 'Royal Mail employees' and immediately think postmen not managers.