cwu Update on EP Group Takeover

[LouBarlow]

Why were we never balloted for strike action after such an overwhelming consultative ballot?

[clashcityrocker]

Why were we never balloted for strike action after such an overwhelming consultative ballot?

Because under the current legislation the strike would have been illegal and the unions funds would have been sequestered.
We might have had a consultative ballot but we were never going to go on strike over privatisation.

If so many were actually against privatisation how come only 300 out of 100 000 refused their shares?

[worktotime]

If the Union called a strike, the members would vote for it.

No we wouldn't, no chance whatsoever it would be like striking in an attempt to stop night turning into day

Vast majority of guys in our office including me have said they will never go on strike again.

most of what members what are left in our office have said they would never go on strike again all the time ward and co are in power , and theres a lot that have pulled there membership as well after his sell out , theres no trust in the cwu anymore .

[Beanyjazz]

Do we know for sure that Kretinsky would be a bad owner? Could he be worse than the current board?

You don't get a nickname of the Czech Sphincter for nothing.

[scotchy1962]

Could Kretinsky be a better option than the current board, the same board who have been after us since privatisation.
Hmmmm.... let's give it a look, i fancy you might get a few years grace as he doesn't want to scupper his takeover early on, that's a plus.
The current bunch who are coming under more and more pressure from further up the food chain (Ofcom, government etc) who are showing all the signs of coming after us again, now thats a thumbs down.
I am sure there is more to list, but to my mind this might be a time to let it happen (Not that we can stop it) and see what happens.
Like i said he might behave for a year or two and we might get lucky and he will actually know what he's doing.

[postslippete]

Why were we never balloted for strike action after such an overwhelming consultative ballot?

Because strike action is always a last resort for any Union and the CWU did absolutely everything it could to try and prevent RM from being privatised in the first place. It was always going to fail as the government always seems to have the last word. A bit like now as regards the takeover bid?

If so many were actually against privatisation how come only 300 out of 100 000 refused their shares?

Maybe they felt that after working their b*llocks off by doubling their profits and that the privatisation of the company was going to go ahead regardless of anything they should at least get something for it. A lot of them remember the colleague shares and how they transpired worthless and I know of many posties that immediately sold off their shares when they got them at the time.

[TopperGas]

Could Kretinsky be a better option than the current board, the same board who have been after us since privatisation.
Hmmmm.... let's give it a look, i fancy you might get a few years grace as he doesn't want to scupper his takeover early on, that's a plus.
The current bunch who are coming under more and more pressure from further up the food chain (Ofcom, government etc) who are showing all the signs of coming after us again, now thats a thumbs down.
I am sure there is more to list, but to my mind this might be a time to let it happen (Not that we can stop it) and see what happens.
Like i said he might behave for a year or two and we might get lucky and he will actually know what he's doing.

Doesn't it now seem likely DK was behind the hard line RM took during the recent pay dispute, or at least didn't object to RM's approach, I can see him carrying on taking a similar hard line, or even harder line, as he'll want to see a return on his investment and the only way he can get that is to cut costs even further.

[nuisance]

Doesn't it now seem likely DK was behind the hard line RM took during the recent pay dispute, or at least didn't object to RM's approach, I can see him carrying on taking a similar hard line, or even harder line, as he'll want to see a return on his investment and the only way he can get that is to cut costs even further.

This seems clearly to be the case to me. Things rapidly deteriorated since this takeover has been on the cards and the engineers of it have been pulling the strings. Our current board's actions, mistaken for ineptitude, have been nothing more than a gradual ship jumping and seeing to it that they take as much loot with them as they can in the circumstances. Kretinsky is the reason we are where we are, placing any hopes in his hands is not a wise choice, imo.

[yellowbelly]

Doesn't it now seem likely DK was behind the hard line RM took during the recent pay dispute, or at least didn't object to RM's approach, I can see him carrying on taking a similar hard line, or even harder line, as he'll want to see a return on his investment and the only way he can get that is to cut costs even further.

This seems clearly to be the case to me. Things rapidly deteriorated since this takeover has been on the cards and the engineers of it have been pulling the strings. Our current board's actions, mistaken for ineptitude, have been nothing more than a gradual ship jumping and seeing to it that they take as much loot with them as they can in the circumstances. Kretinsky is the reason we are where we are, placing any hopes in his hands is not a wise choice, imo.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Rico Back brought back into the organisation, he's had far too much to say about the current board recently.

[TopperGas]

Doesn't it now seem likely DK was behind the hard line RM took during the recent pay dispute, or at least didn't object to RM's approach, I can see him carrying on taking a similar hard line, or even harder line, as he'll want to see a return on his investment and the only way he can get that is to cut costs even further.

This seems clearly to be the case to me. Things rapidly deteriorated since this takeover has been on the cards and the engineers of it have been pulling the strings. Our current board's actions, mistaken for ineptitude, have been nothing more than a gradual ship jumping and seeing to it that they take as much loot with them as they can in the circumstances. Kretinsky is the reason we are where we are, placing any hopes in his hands is not a wise choice, imo.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Rico Back brought back into the organisation, he's had far too much to say about the current board recently.

Probably ST is still under an NDA so Back likely to be the only CEO able to comment to the press.

[Barnacle]

Doesn't it now seem likely DK was behind the hard line RM took during the recent pay dispute, or at least didn't object to RM's approach, I can see him carrying on taking a similar hard line, or even harder line, as he'll want to see a return on his investment and the only way he can get that is to cut costs even further.

This seems clearly to be the case to me. Things rapidly deteriorated since this takeover has been on the cards and the engineers of it have been pulling the strings. Our current board's actions, mistaken for ineptitude, have been nothing more than a gradual ship jumping and seeing to it that they take as much loot with them as they can in the circumstances. Kretinsky is the reason we are where we are, placing any hopes in his hands is not a wise choice, imo.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Rico Back brought back into the organisation, he's had far too much to say about the current board recently.

Probably ST is still under an NDA so Back likely to be the only CEO able to comment to the press.

Oh of course.

[Mr Rush]

If so many were actually against privatisation how come only 300 out of 100 000 refused their shares?

Beggars can't be ideologues, to put it crudely.

Guys doing collections who are knackered. Guys doings LATs who are knackered. Guys doing extended who are knackered. Dozens of PT in for early prep on basic rate rather than holding out and making the case for being made-up to FT. So much of the service relies on the desperation of employees for any additional income.

[Sean06]

If so many were actually against privatisation how come only 300 out of 100 000 refused their shares?

Beggars can't be ideologues, to put it crudely.

Guys doing collections who are knackered. Guys doings LATs who are knackered. Guys doing extended who are knackered. Dozens of PT in for early prep on basic rate rather than holding out and making the case for being made-up to FT. So much of the service relies on the desperation of employees for any additional income.

Were lats going when shares were given out?why do extended if knackered.maybe the people in on early prep cant wait to ft an so do all ot tats available to pay everything out like the majority of us do.

[Dorset Plodder]

Beggars can't be ideologues, to put it crudely.

Guys doing collections who are knackered. Guys doings LATs who are knackered. Guys doing extended who are knackered. Dozens of PT in for early prep on basic rate rather than holding out and making the case for being made-up to FT. So much of the service relies on the desperation of employees for any additional income.

IMO Royal Mail has always preferred to recruit Work Hungry/Money Desperate Staff ....... Perhaps the leading question in their Job Interviews should be, "Do you have to pay a lot of Rent/Mortgage and do you have a lot of bills to pay ? ..... If so you're kind of recruit we want"

For years RM have relied on the existing staff doing stupid amounts of OT, instead of paying decent OT Rates and recruiting more Posties.
When I inform the DOM that I'll be cutting off he's often said, "It's OK to go over I'm willing to pay Pressure Overtime"

To which my reply is, "I don't want, or need, your OT, sort out the Duties so that they're do-able in my contracted hours"! Which never seems to make him happy.

[Navalron]

Do we know for sure that Kretinsky would be a bad owner? Could he be worse than the current board?

The fact he's only prepared to guarantee our T&C's for just 2 years is a concern, you also have to sense he might well have been behind all the changes ST pushed though last year.

I doubt he's an asset stripper but how the job will change under his control is a concern.

He has only said that there will be no job losses until January 2025. That's 5 months away FFS.