An alternative view

[sixfoottwo]

Lads n lasses, Martin did say it was patchy so all is OK, crack on

[ddtc]

Martin, I think the frustration is the fact we have done our part and not announced further strike dates but RM have not kept their word on ea being paused and suspended colleagues reinstated. I would of been more at ease if this was the case but no. All we get told is to follow procedure, put in a disagreement. Well its not working, so stop repeating it. You guys are currently in the room with RM's upper management so tell them to stop.

[Acca Dacca]

Why would you want to halt the revisions if they company are in such dire straights then?

They dont

They want to pause unagreed revisions

[Dexydog]

Financial peril my arse.
If the union really have fallen for that one we really are in trouble.
Lube up.

[Barnacle]

& the current critical financial situation the company is stating,

Have the accounts been INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED? If they haven't I'm afraid I've got to call bullshit on the supposed "current critical financial situation"

An independent audit is something I would like to see too. RM reeks of financial mismanagement.

[Barnacle]

I fully realise there is frustration out there , especially as some revisions have been imposed and the adherence to the joint statement is patchy to say the least.

There is a thirst for communications and updates but ACAS and in this case Sir Brendan Barber ask both parties to refrain from discussing the details and progress of the negotiations. The principle is nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

There has been ample criticism of the latest update that talks will continue for a few more days. Instead the cry by many is we should be calling action whilst others are saying we are going to sell them out.

However you have not had the information that the Postal Executive have had and remember the postal executive have not been shy calling strike dates we have had 18 actual dates with a further 8 stood down either with the Queen’s Death or due to legal challenges.

So why have we made the decision to allow for a few more days to reach an agreement?

1. Whilst the joint statement has had its problems , there has been a pause on executive action reported across all 10 Divisions.

2. We have a commitment to an independent review into all conduct cases of reps and members in the dispute and talks are progressing on how that works and the independent body which will deal with this.

3. If we walked away from talks now and served action do you think both of the above will still be on the table ?

4. We have made progress on a range of issues in talks including later starts , pipeline , seasonal variations removing annualised hours , Sundays , new entrants , pay and other issues enough for us to give the talks a few more days to see if they can conclude an agreement. There are still challenges to overcome.

5. Whilst I recognise a lot on here are very defensive if you mention that the company has serious financial issues and of course it is there fault. However what if they do go the same way as Lehman Brothers or Woolworths or the hundreds of other companies which end up not be a going concern ? I am sure all of you would blame the CWU if we did not try to reach the right agreement to prevent this.

6. The CWU are not going to roll over and surrender. We want an agreement which provides a decent pay rise with good terms and conditions.

7. If we can’t get one in the next few days then we will be left with no choice but call for industrial action and this time we will be rolling the dice knowing the risks in line with point 5.

It will be make or brake over the next few days. So whilst I fully understand the frustration we would love to update you on issues but we would be breaching the confidentiality and protocols of the negotiations.

Thank you for the update.

[LouBarlow]

I don’t give a s**t about the money now. We want a realistic workload and fair working environment.

I do, it’s what I’m here for.

You can't spend, it when you're dead mate! that's the way it's heading, you need to wake up and smell the coffee Pal.

T&C's are more important for the vast majority in my office.

If the job is threatening your health, I think you’d be better looking elsewhere. Changes are coming. It is only a job at the end of the day and you can make more money delivering f***ing groceries now anyway.

[theotherone]

Why would you want to halt the revisions if they company are in such dire straights then?

They dont

They want to pause unagreed revisions

Fair comment.

[Woody Guthrie]

To be fair we signed up to these revisions in the Pathway to Change agreement.
What we're arguing about is the level of change and the level of CWU/office involvement.

The joint statement has worked in my office but the office 5 miles away is a s**t show.

What that shows is that OPLs and RODs either have little control over the management structure beneath them or are happy to see chaos in the field.

It's one or t'other.. or perhaps both.

[daveyeff]

Financial peril my arse.
If the union really have fallen for that one we really are in trouble.
Lube up.

creative accounting is the term they use to describe it in financial circles. ''lying fiddling bastards'' is the term used in postal rhetoric.

[POSTPERSON50]

Every day that goes Royal Mail can show a weaker financial position to support their case.

I can sense what the eventual outcome of this dispute will be...

"Due to the current poor financial state of the business, we have agreed to the following terms..." (Shafted).

[arsenalbob]

If the company were in serious financial trouble, which is obviously another lie, the union should be bullying them into submission right now, getting us a great agreement. We should be having an all out this week while the talks are being concluded with the promise of another week of all out in a months time if they are not concluded to our satisfaction.

[LouBarlow]

If the company were in serious financial trouble, which is obviously another lie, the union should be bullying them into submission right now, getting us a great agreement. We should be having an all out this week while the talks are being concluded with the promise of another week of all out in a months time if they are not concluded to our satisfaction.

Where is your evidence that both RM and the CWU are lying about the financial state of the company? What do you know that they are both missing?

[Clappedoutpostie]

You can't spend, it when you're dead mate! that's the way it's heading, you need to wake up and smell the coffee Pal.

T&C's are more important for the vast majority in my office.

You’re selling yourself sort. We should be able to have both. All that is required is better management and a workforce that is onboard. Look what we achieved during covid in the face of adversity.

[LouBarlow]

You can't spend, it when you're dead mate! that's the way it's heading, you need to wake up and smell the coffee Pal.

T&C's are more important for the vast majority in my office.

You’re selling yourself sort. We should be able to have both. All that is required is better management and a workforce that is onboard. Look what we achieved during covid in the face of adversity.

People had spare money to actually buy things during the pandemic. Now, they either have other things to spend their money on or are struggling to pay the bills. Parcel traffic will never go back to those levels, hence profits have dried up, as costs for RM have risen.