yeah its great being on the legacy contract we get delivery supplements every week and a monthly bonus! more wage an hour! but no point in people in new contracts complaining u see the deal when the job advert comes up so stop whining
Completely disagree, all employees, new and legacy should be complaining more urging the CWU to get this resolved asap.
You also don't see the true deal, the job applications don't state you will not have a paid meal relief, paid less than your colleagues etc etc.
Martin and Dave are the worst leaders of the union we could possibly have. The constant lies are infuriating. All they had to agree was a path to equalisation, something like over 3 years, new entrants get 33 percent closer per year of service and on the completion of the 3rd years service they would also get paid breaks and the delivery supplement.
What has really pissed everyone off, is the fact that they are using delaying tactics. The first path was supposed to be agreed in September 25, now we won’t get any more news until January 27. Cutting the overtime rate to give a miserable 1.75 percent was a disgusting move. They are looking to pay for the 1.75 percent with the overtime cut.
I was appalled watching Martin and Dave in parliament. This was their chance to let the government know the disaster that Kretinsky has been. Instead they blamed the problems on the previous owners. What they should have said is that the previous owners were bad, but Kretinsky is even worse. Kretinsky bought the company with debt, he has already cut jobs, moved smaller offices into bigger ones like what happened at our DO, lied about investment and lied about equalisation. I was informed by a union rep at our DO that Kretinsky’s response to the backlash from staff over DM26 and equalisation was and I quote ‘If they want a war, they can have it’. Kretinsky is a criminal that made his billions from dodgy deals with Russia, he doesn’t have a clue how to run a business. The fact that Dave and Martin wasted the chance to inform parliament of Kretinsky’s shortcomings is unforgivable. I as a member of the CWU would like Dave and Martin replaced immediately. We need to get someone in who knows how to properly use the unions power, preferably someone who won’t embarrass the union in parliament like Dave and Martin did.
Martin and Dave are the worst leaders of the union we could possibly have. The constant lies are infuriating. All they had to agree was a path to equalisation, something like over 3 years, new entrants get 33 percent closer per year of service and on the completion of the 3rd years service they would also get paid breaks and the delivery supplement.
What has really pissed everyone off, is the fact that they are using delaying tactics. The first path was supposed to be agreed in September 25, now we won’t get any more news until January 27. Cutting the overtime rate to give a miserable 1.75 percent was a disgusting move. They are looking to pay for the 1.75 percent with the overtime cut.
I was appalled watching Martin and Dave in parliament. This was their chance to let the government know the disaster that Kretinsky has been. Instead they blamed the problems on the previous owners. What they should have said is that the previous owners were bad, but Kretinsky is even worse. Kretinsky bought the company with debt, he has already cut jobs, moved smaller offices into bigger ones like what happened at our DO, lied about investment and lied about equalisation. I was informed by a union rep at our DO that Kretinsky’s response to the backlash from staff over DM26 and equalisation was and I quote ‘If they want a war, they can have it’. Kretinsky is a criminal that made his billions from dodgy deals with Russia, he doesn’t have a clue how to run a business. The fact that Dave and Martin wasted the chance to inform parliament of Kretinsky’s shortcomings is unforgivable. I as a member of the CWU would like Dave and Martin replaced immediately. We need to get someone in who knows how to properly use the unions power, preferably someone who won’t embarrass the union in parliament like Dave and Martin did.
All the reps have been told that this is the best the CWU can do. This best isn't good enough. Boot ward, Walsh and all those who think it is out. Get rid.
"The leadership will sabotage the fight and only make the slightest move under fear of powerful working class action" - Des Warren
Obviously, Kretinsky and RM senior management don't want rapid equalisation. If they did, it would have been delivered upfront or on a clear staged timetable. Instead there's shifting timelines, vague promises and continued delay while more new entrants join on inferior terms, which saves the business money every month that passes.
The CWU’s main bargaining chip was always their support for RM’s preferred USO reform and new delivery model. That was the moment to secure meaningful equalisation rather than any promises for later. Giving backing to reform first, while newer staff still remain behind and overtime rates are cut, doesn't look like a strong deal from the workforce side. And when you look at DM26, many posties think it resembles ODM in all but name: 3 staff covering 4 duties, sold through efficiency language and balanced workload claims.
And many of us have seen this pattern before. Extra duties may be put in initially so QoS looks stable and the rollout appears successful. Once that's done then pressure returns through lapsing, revisions and additional workload pushed back onto the job. Meanwhile, more recruits keep joining on lower terms and thousands already employed still remain behind legacy rates. If EQ wasn’t secured when the union had maximum leverage, when exactly will it happen?
After the last dispute, there seems to be very little appetite for another strike when many members no longer believe that the leadership can extract genuinely strong outcomes. There may be a pay rise on paper, but if it trails inflation and is tied to an unproven workload model, many workers will understandably question the real value of the deal.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
How many are on legacy contracts compared with the newer contracts? I do wonder if RM are waiting for enough staff who are on legacy contracts to leave to the point where it's worth them taking the financial hit from employment tribunals to forced all staff onto the newer contracts.
How many are on legacy contracts compared with the newer contracts? I do wonder if RM are waiting for enough staff who are on legacy contracts to leave to the point where it's worth them taking the financial hit from employment tribunals to forced all staff onto the newer contracts.
How many are on legacy contracts compared with the newer contracts? I do wonder if RM are waiting for enough staff who are on legacy contracts to leave to the point where it's worth them taking the financial hit from employment tribunals to forced all staff onto the newer contracts.
It's something that RM really don't want us to know - but in our office the split between legacy and those on the inferior contracts is roughly 60/40. Even though 28,000 new entrants have joined and left since December 1st 2022 (according to Mr Walsh) they are part of a core labour model and it's the reason why equalisation is vitally important.
RM keeps postponing it and yet carry on hiring more of those on the inferior. When the CWU puts in another 10,500 walks to make RM26 work, even after uplifting the part-time contracts, they may still need extra recruitment to make it workable and any additional posts are likely to be filled on newer contracts.
The employment tribunal thing would be hugely risky for RM. The safest option is the slow burn - recruit more inferior contracts, let the legacy numbers decline naturally and delay equalisation for as long as possible. Once the newer terms become the dominant model then management will say "we need one modern contract for everyone" and look for means of forcing a final settlement perhaps with a one-off payment or pension sweetener.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
How many are on legacy contracts compared with the newer contracts? I do wonder if RM are waiting for enough staff who are on legacy contracts to leave to the point where it's worth them taking the financial hit from employment tribunals to forced all staff onto the newer contracts.
Probably still less than 20%
Yep, there are around 27,000 on New Contract terms. That means at least 120,000 are on legacy throughout the business.
So you have to ask where the scaremongering about New Contracts taking over comes from and in whose interest it is to make legacy think they’re being killed off faster than the dinosaurs
’You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.’
Yep, there are around 27,000 on New Contract terms. That means at least 120,000 are on legacy throughout the business.
So you have to ask where the scaremongering about New Contracts taking over comes from and in whose interest it is to make legacy think they’re being killed off faster than the dinosaurs
People are reacting to what they can physically see in their own offices. And as Dave Ward mention in the Business and Trade Committee.
The next thing they did, as part of this strategy that alienated the workforce—this is crucial—was deliberately attempt to drive out long-term employees. They did so by making changes that made the lives of postal workers unbearable, and they did it through loads of different techniques that bordered on bullying staff, so a lot of people left. They did that because they could then impose two-tier terms and conditions that offered about £2 an hour less than what the legacy postal workers were getting, or three hours more and no paid meal reliefs. That meant workers doing a full-time job knew that other workers were working six hours more for less pay.
Read what he said - made the lives of postal workers unbearable. They have changed our frames so we are now prepping vertically instead of horizontally which we have done for years. They have changed the colours of our frames in blue, yellow and pink. People who have a rest day get rewarded with double mail. They now want to fit 4 into 3. They promise more Saturdays off yet when I asked if I could this Saturday off 2 weeks in advance after going through 2 different managers/DOM support I got told "No unfortunately we can't do that Saturday because too many people are off".
There is obviously a financial incentive for the company to continue dragging out equalisation. MW talked about a "first touch" on equalisation without explaining what that was. Many will look at this agreement and ask: where is that first touch in practical terms?? A modest uplift helps but if there still aren't paid breaks, no supplements, reduced overtime terms, wider conditions and still no clear timetable for full parity - its more of a gesture than genuine equalisation. 27,000 staff in 3 years. Wow, just imagine what RM will look like in another 3 years.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
Yep, there are around 27,000 on New Contract terms. That means at least 120,000 are on legacy throughout the business.
So you have to ask where the scaremongering about New Contracts taking over comes from and in whose interest it is to make legacy think they’re being killed off faster than the dinosaurs
People are reacting to what they can physically see in their own offices. And as Dave Ward mention in the Business and Trade Committee.
The next thing they did, as part of this strategy that alienated the workforce—this is crucial—was deliberately attempt to drive out long-term employees. They did so by making changes that made the lives of postal workers unbearable, and they did it through loads of different techniques that bordered on bullying staff, so a lot of people left. They did that because they could then impose two-tier terms and conditions that offered about £2 an hour less than what the legacy postal workers were getting, or three hours more and no paid meal reliefs. That meant workers doing a full-time job knew that other workers were working six hours more for less pay.
Read what he said - made the lives of postal workers unbearable. They have changed our frames so we are now prepping vertically instead of horizontally which we have done for years. They have changed the colours of our frames in blue, yellow and pink. People who have a rest day get rewarded with double mail. They now want to fit 4 into 3. They promise more Saturdays off yet when I asked if I could this Saturday off 2 weeks in advance after going through 2 different managers/DOM support I got told "No unfortunately we can't do that Saturday because too many people are off".
There is obviously a financial incentive for the company to continue dragging out equalisation. MW talked about a "first touch" on equalisation without explaining what that was. Many will look at this agreement and ask: where is that first touch in practical terms?? A modest uplift helps but if there still aren't paid breaks, no supplements, reduced overtime terms, wider conditions and still no clear timetable for full parity - its more of a gesture than genuine equalisation. 27,000 staff in 3 years. Wow, just imagine what RM will look like in another 3 years.
The other bit of the story though is that 27,000 or so new contact workers have left over that same time period. Barely any remain in the business more than a year. There are hardly any that have been employed since the New Contract was imposed in 2022.
Every New Contract worker I have spoken to has said they will be voting no to the 1.75%
’You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.’
