The Masterplan!!

[scotchy1962]

As yet again we all wait on the union and RM releasing some sort of joint statement, i got to thinking.......
If you look at it from the companies point of view, they just deal in profit so hows the best way to get profit, how do they get rid of the millstone that that in their opinion stops them making vast profits, the USO.
How about we get into dispute with our unionised workforce, may as well kill two birds with one stone, bring in a CEO to front this all and stir them into a frenzy and then go full on union busting.
Because of the dispute we make vast losses but can blame it all on the workforce, go to the government cap in hand along with the union and attempt to have the USO changed. I am sure they had already been putting out feelers with the tories, but as usual when a government is struggling to hold onto power they have probably stabbed them in the back and changed their mind about doing away with the USO.
So now the reason they went into dispute is dead in the water so someone has to suffer for their incompetence and that someone is us.

The problem now that the masterplan lies in tatters is that they are now financially in a very dark place, they have a workforce that are in their opinion overpaid and underworked who oppose every great plan they put in place to help alleviate the finances.

I am not saying this is what happened but you would imagine they had some sort of plan at the start of all this.

The future plan is probably being furiously worked on in a darkened room by some half-wit who knows very little about the actual job required.

Now remember this is just a theory, i have no insight into what the masterplan really was.

[Caesar]

If there was a masterplan (personally I think that there is) I don’t think that it’s “dead in the water.
According to reports the government have stated that they have no plans to review the USO, they haven’t said that they won’t review it.
If the government was serious about the USO I’m sure that they would be taking steps to enforce compliance.
Also I don’t think that it would be part of a masterplan to announce a USO cut during a dispute.

[postieblueshirt]

I think your giving them to much credit thinking they have a masterplan Or even a plan of any kind.At the end of the day they dont think we have enough work to fill our hours...well guess what we do so tough titty....

[postslippete]

OfCom have said a reduced USO would save RM around £225 million. It wouldn't be so bad if the RM board promised to the government that if they dropped a day off the USO they would ensure that a 5 day USO would be fulfilled - even if it meant recruiting more staff. In which case it would mean all the chaotic revisions would have to be put back and/or delivery routes reduced to ensure that staff can adequately complete their rounds with time to spare. The reality is this board doesn't give a sh*t about the service nor its workers; they just want to profit at our expense and by any means possible. The government are not prepared to acknowledge Royal Mail's financial difficulties in the same way that the CWU has bent over backwards for the company due to it. Did they not threaten the government with going into administration as this is the 3rd time of asking now?? Can the government not see how desperate Royal Mail are!! Thousands of jobs will be lost! the CEO has had to leave! The future of the postal service is in jeopardy! Act now or the ship will sink! Lol. What about those huge profits you made the year before then? Oh yeah, we gave them all away to shareholders and hedge funds who own millions of pounds in our company. Ah ok.

As for masterplans, the company at the beginning of last year set their stall out to make some really bold changes. It was obvious that the company were prepared for the strikes and even now with the impact of it allegedly costing the business £200 million; the company execs basically said it was worth it given the negotiators agreement they have got with the the union. The guys who are the lowest paid in the business doing the back-breaking work are also the ones that they see as a massive expense to their bottom line as they want to bring in new entrants on inferior pay, terms and conditions. Good luck to them.

It seems really quite convenient to say that we are financially in a dark place in order for RM to introduce all these changes. It's all a deliberate and elaborate ploy and one that we should reject at all costs. And talking of costs - are we still losing a million pounds a day??

[twoloops]

I’m not sure posties are involved in any long term plans, management love these stay out all day agency staff, this is the future.

[Jen1]

you’ve got different agency staff to ours then

The good ones will do their best to keep up and rush round so they can finish on time and pick their kids up from school

They took the job for the same reasons as us, for the hours

The agency that they had that did parcels later have all been finished, they were doing a fraction of the work that the regular posties did in the same time

One of them got sacked because he was delivering for Uber eats while supposedly delivering parcels you couldn’t make it up

The good ones want a permanent job here but not on the terms they’re offering so they’re sticking it out as they are and as one of them put it to me at least they can book a holiday for whenever they want

[k979aaa]

RM plan failed three days ago with the USO fully retained about the only decent and fair thing this whole government has done.

[R5001]

you’ve got different agency staff to ours then

The good ones will do their best to keep up and rush round so they can finish on time and pick their kids up from school

They took the job for the same reasons as us, for the hours

The agency that they had that did parcels later have all been finished, they were doing a fraction of the work that the regular posties did in the same time

One of them got sacked because he was delivering for Uber eats while supposedly delivering parcels you couldn’t make it up

The good ones want a permanent job here but not on the terms they’re offering so they’re sticking it out as they are and as one of them put it to me at least they can book a holiday for whenever they want

Aye, at my location the agency retention rate seems to be about 50% for a month. They keep looking for better work and leave when they get it (Or in the case of one "this is bollocks, I'll break my foot and go on the dole, f**k this.". Not a good sign, when previously they'd keep working hard hoping for an RM contract.

[ANDREW CROCOMBE]

Question is : can RM just act as though it's a 5 day uso, despite any legal stuff ? IF we are to be always at the hands of shareholders, then I see no future, unless they realise that a return to workable duties and fully staffed levels (in my opinion) AND pkts come in walk sorted, then this would save s**t loads of overtime being paid out. We are almost just another company, to be bought, sold, or lost forever.

[spen]

Agency bloke at our office last week did 2 loops of an 8 loop walk, refused to take packets and booked an hour extended

[dazzler123]

Question is : can RM just act as though it's a 5 day uso, despite any legal stuff ? IF we are to be always at the hands of shareholders, then I see no future, unless they realise that a return to workable duties and fully staffed levels (in my opinion) AND pkts come in walk sorted, then this would save s**t loads of overtime being paid out. We are almost just another company, to be bought, sold, or lost forever.

i assume there must be benefit between overpaying agency, than paying us holiday pay, sickness etc

[Shadedpostie]

They don't pay pensions, holidays or sick pay to agency staff so that's probably why.

[stevejm]

They don't pay pensions, holidays or sick pay to agency staff so that's probably why.

And add to that they don't pay employer's NIC. It seems like a lot when they pay £20-25 per hour to the agency but when you deduct all of that it probably means they are paying £2/3 per hour over what they pay us. In return they get total flexibility but an overall lower performance from the agency staff.

[rubberbond]

This is all true , I spoke to an agency worker just yesterday and he told me had been offered a contract but didn’t want it in the terms RM were offering, who can blame them when they can wag the dog so as to speak. I did hear that even the agency are having trouble getting people to work for RM. Says it all really.

[CamPostie]

They don't pay pensions, holidays or sick pay to agency staff so that's probably why.

I believe that’s a misconception, all of those remain payable as well as the agencies fee of anywhere between 10-30%.

Is it all Angard agency staff that are being hired?