Agreement on agreement reached

[Linden14]

:Anybodys guess,probs gone on holiday

[Valentina@1]

Gotta be updating members today surely

[stevejm]

Bolded >the company is not about to go under nor is it close to being broke. At the results conference Williams painted an upbeat picture to institutional investors regards the company's future revenue/profit trajectory.

For those who say a no vote will see RM pile in and make all the changes as they see fit I ask a simple question - why haven't they done so already then?

Williams’s comments were probably based on the assumption of the agreement being in place sooner rather than later. And I ask again, on what are you basing your assessment of RM’s finances when we have both RM and the CWU agreeing on the dire state of the company? What do you know that they don’t?

Reading comprehension not a strong point? I clearly stated that Williams is saying one thing to investors and another to us and the Union. The Company and the Union were singing off the same hymn sheet long before any agreement was reached.

I've read the financial statement and also the expert commentary posted at that time. The conclusion was that the results were poor but not disastrous and certainly not that the company's finances are so bad that administration is imminent. These are experts remember - not me or you or even anyone in the CWU.

I struggle to understand what CWU's expertise is; certainly not running effective industrial action. Certainly not timely communication with its members. Certainly not law as whoever was in charge of assessing whether we could do rolling strikes performed abysmally.

So being useless in all the competences in which they should shine I HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO CONFIDENCE THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF ACCURATELY INTERPRETING ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

There only financial expertise is knowing which side their bread is buttered on when it comes to continual collection of subs deducted from wages and company paid release for union activities.

[toonshola]

I say this every week, might as well say it again. Dave Ward, Andy Furey, Martin Walsh, that Wannabe f***ing Walter white communications guy and all the rest of them are completely taking this piss out of every one of us. This isn’t about getting RM in line or whatever bullshit they continue to spew out. It’s about kicking the can down the road so our strike ballot runs out, that way they can truly sell us out and say the only option is their disgraceful insult of a deal. Put them all in the bin then vote no(if the ballot ever sees the light of day).

[stevejm]

Gotta be updating members today surely

Based on what?? Based on a track record of previous broken promises of updates it'd actually be surprising to get an update today - ask the same question next Wednesday

[stevejm]

I say this every week, might as well say it again. Dave Ward, Andy Furey, Martin Walsh, that Wannabe f***ing Walter white communications guy and all the rest of them are completely taking this piss out of every one of us. This isn’t about getting RM in line or whatever bullshit they continue to spew out. It’s about kicking the can down the road so our strike ballot runs out, that way they can truly sell us out and say the only option is their disgraceful insult of a deal. Put them all in the bin then vote no(if the ballot ever sees the light of day).

[postslippete]

Williams’s comments were probably based on the assumption of the agreement being in place sooner rather than later. And I ask again, on what are you basing your assessment of RM’s finances when we have both RM and the CWU agreeing on the dire state of the company? What do you know that they don’t?

In regards your second paragraph - erm, they have. Later start times, changes to shift patterns, are already in/happening and RM have already announced the change to sick pay is happening regardless. If I recall they mentioned August.

Royal Mail have retained earnings of £3.8 billion and access to liquidity of £1.7 billion and they have always had a very strong balance sheet - something which always attracts long term investors and which Keith Williams has obviously made public. It is abundantly obvious to anyone that we are not going bust anytime soon! lol

In fact I have given you numerous examples of how Royal Mail have used their profits in the past. Yes, they have given millions away to shareholders like they did last year and they dumped a 2% pay rise on us even though the average pay increase across most industries was much, much higher. But they have also invested millions into GLS which now operates in dozens of countries and is now expanding into Eastern Europe. It is also known that Royal Mail have in the past manipulated their accounts, like for example, when the company made a secret decision to invest £5.13 billion of our own pension fund into the stock futures market about 12 years ago and this wasn't even accounted for!

Why do think that the government have now knocked them back three times now on a 5 day USO? They even had OfCom look into their finances - what do they know that we don't??


As regards your 2nd paragraph, RM desperately need an agreement with the Union and its workers so that it can push on full steam ahead with its plans towards the gig economy. Anyone can see that!

[Poppyellie69]

[norris9]

I can't feed my family on these current peasant wages!!!!!

Where's the frigging vote!!!

[Mr Rush]

I can't feed my family on these current peasant wages!!!!!

Can they not simply eat cake?

[aiden01]

I can't feed my family on these current peasant wages!!!!!

Where's the frigging vote!!!

Now your voting no are they all going to starve.

[LouBarlow]

As regards your 2nd paragraph, RM desperately need an agreement with the Union and its workers so that it can push on full steam ahead with its plans towards the gig economy. Anyone can see that!

Anyone besides the union it would seem. Why on earth would the CWU agree to a deal that, in your words, would lead to a gig economy and their own demise? It’s a fascinating theory I will admit.

[postslippete]

Anyone besides the union it would seem. Why on earth would the CWU agree to a deal that, in your words, would lead to a gig economy and their own demise? It’s a fascinating theory I will admit.

Because the people in charge of the Union have been broken and for all their bluff and bluster last year they have capitulated. It has resulted in an deal that has crossed quite a few of their red lines such as an alternative workforce on less pay, terms and cons; an employer who sees it as their business to run by introducing revisions by executive action and throwing agency workers at us by the truckload even though the agreement clearly states no outsourcing of work.

The Union's own demise is not something they want, but they are relying on people like you to try and polish the really big turd that has been left in the toilets afterwards.

[k979aaa]

Peace in ourtime?

[needadvice]

And what about the next agreement in a couple of years time ? Same again, more erosion of t&cs , where does it end ? If you roll over now and accept this , it’s just the start.

You don’t seem to understand. We have no leverage here. That came and went when we were on strike on Christmas Eve, when ultimately any power we had by withdrawing labour evaporated. The reason for this, is both the CWU and RM are now in acquiescence at the state of the company. You can’t squeeze blood out of a stone. RM pissed away the profits we all made for them, during the pandemic, and now that traffic has dried up, and costs are sky high, the coffers are bare.

We have been screwed over, but you have to think logically and realise that voting no hurts us all. Your protest vote will not lead to an improved deal on the table, and it will not in any way hurt the rich bosses running the company. Even if the unlikely happens and RM goes under, do you think that the wealthy board will give a s**t? No, it will be me and you that suffer. Hell, even if you believe the CWU upper echelon are somehow conspiring against you, they have nothing to lose either way. Think what is best for you going forward.

Bolded >the company is not about to go under nor is it close to being broke. At the results conference Williams painted an upbeat picture to institutional investors regards the company's future revenue/profit trajectory.

A no vote sends a message to the company (and Union) that destruction of our T&C will never be accepted lightly. This is a good message to be sent by us and internalised by them. If we meekly accept the wanton destruction of our T&C then they will be back for what remains of out T&C the moment this agreement expires in 21 months time.

For those who say a no vote will see RM pile in and make all the changes as they see fit I ask a simple question - why haven't they done so already then?

Good post. Voting no isn't just about the deal, its about avoiding a chain of events that paves the way for RM to basically do what they want in the near future. We are the union, not the CWU. Obviously nobody knows what's gonna happen after a no vote, but I'm a believer in voting down on what is unacceptable. I also believe a better deal will be generated upon a no vote, simply because there has to be, after some backtracking. These chain of events, including a no vote must take place to triggar a better deal, that's how the game is played