A few questions for posties already doing dm26.

[TopperGas]

Does anyone in DM26 have a scheduled attendance contract and how do you continue to fulfill it with the new way of working?

The agreement is clear that all existing arrangements remain as they are. If your SA starts before your duty ends then the duty time will be adjusted.

In our DO it's basically cut off an hour early if you want to do SA but then you lose an hour's SA pay, as RM is going to pay you double pay, after seeing what I was paid for last week's SA I'm not sure it's worthwhile cutting just to get an hours or so SA pay.

[norris9]

What happens if they change your day off, maybe you move duties and end up on that duties scheduling.... you were coming up to a 4 day week on your previous duties scheduling, but end up on a duty which schedule is the further 5 day week away from a 4 day week?

Surely in this situation you get mugged off ?

[TopperGas]

It's all load of nonsense ever since I started at RM I've done at least 10 hours OT a week but I can only work 1 hour a day now, otherwise I'm working when everybody else as gone home! Also doing SA is pointless.

The only alternative is work the extra Saturday off which I don't really want to do.

Come Christmas it'll be interesting to see if any of the usual docket kings are prepared to do their usual OT.

[Crowseer]

[/quote]

The agreement is 4 heavy, 4 light bags each. No more, no less. Genuine oversize gets done out of the van.
[/quote]


Thats the first ive heard. We're taking way more than that. This week its been more like 14 bags of heavy and havent had time for any light. One of the problems with heavy and light is the days are not equal ie day 1 is possible but day 2 loops are way bigger so its impossible to do them within the time. This problem then rolls onto day 4. RM are still partially stuck in the 90s with their thinking that both frames are equal. In general the workload is completely unbalanced ie 1 frame could be 70% of the workload despite being 50% of the calls. The managers cannot get their heads round this as they say "well you managed it yesterday". Theyve also underestimated the effect that a 90+% call rate has on the delivery span. A combination of those 2 issues alone makes the jobs impossible. Our office still cant do d2d. We often come in on a wednesday to a fully prepped frame jammed with d2d. Just what we need on the busiest day of the week. The atmosphere in our office is horrible. week 4 and everyone is fed up, angry, tired and stressed.

[tramssirhc]

The agreement is 4 heavy, 4 light bags each. No more, no less. Genuine oversize gets done out of the van.
[/quote]


Thats the first ive heard. We're taking way more than that. This week its been more like 14 bags of heavy and havent had time for any light. One of the problems with heavy and light is the days are not equal ie day 1 is possible but day 2 loops are way bigger so its impossible to do them within the time. This problem then rolls onto day 4. RM are still partially stuck in the 90s with their thinking that both frames are equal. In general the workload is completely unbalanced ie 1 frame could be 70% of the workload despite being 50% of the calls. The managers cannot get their heads round this as they say "well you managed it yesterday". Theyve also underestimated the effect that a 90+% call rate has on the delivery span. A combination of those 2 issues alone makes the jobs impossible. Our office still cant do d2d. We often come in on a wednesday to a fully prepped frame jammed with d2d. Just what we need on the busiest day of the week. The atmosphere in our office is horrible. week 4 and everyone is fed up, angry, tired and stressed.
[/quote]

The only way it will get better is if you do it as it's planned. Anything else wont see any changes made. Duties that could not complete were to go pink and 50/50.

[fadetogrey63]

It's crap, no matter what idea they think of, DM26, DM27 or whatever, it just won't work, there is just so many damn parcels and packets now you just can't fit in all the loops of mail, plus d2d, specials, collections, etc.. 170 tracked I scanned other day and they wonder why I bring back the loops I take out.. Every day is a day of just hopping in and out the van every minute!

[Crowseer]

The agreement is 4 heavy, 4 light bags each. No more, no less. Genuine oversize gets done out of the van.

Thats the first ive heard. We're taking way more than that. This week its been more like 14 bags of heavy and havent had time for any light. One of the problems with heavy and light is the days are not equal ie day 1 is possible but day 2 loops are way bigger so its impossible to do them within the time. This problem then rolls onto day 4. RM are still partially stuck in the 90s with their thinking that both frames are equal. In general the workload is completely unbalanced ie 1 frame could be 70% of the workload despite being 50% of the calls. The managers cannot get their heads round this as they say "well you managed it yesterday". Theyve also underestimated the effect that a 90+% call rate has on the delivery span. A combination of those 2 issues alone makes the jobs impossible. Our office still cant do d2d. We often come in on a wednesday to a fully prepped frame jammed with d2d. Just what we need on the busiest day of the week. The atmosphere in our office is horrible. week 4 and everyone is fed up, angry, tired and stressed.
[/quote]

The only way it will get better is if you do it as it's planned. Anything else wont see any changes made. Duties that could not complete were to go pink and 50/50.
[/quote]
Sorry. What on earth is pink 50/50? our office seems a "bit unusual"

[funkflex55]

The agreement is 4 heavy, 4 light bags each. No more, no less. Genuine oversize gets done out of the van.

Thats the first ive heard. We're taking way more than that. This week its been more like 14 bags of heavy and havent had time for any light. One of the problems with heavy and light is the days are not equal ie day 1 is possible but day 2 loops are way bigger so its impossible to do them within the time. This problem then rolls onto day 4. RM are still partially stuck in the 90s with their thinking that both frames are equal. In general the workload is completely unbalanced ie 1 frame could be 70% of the workload despite being 50% of the calls. The managers cannot get their heads round this as they say "well you managed it yesterday". Theyve also underestimated the effect that a 90+% call rate has on the delivery span. A combination of those 2 issues alone makes the jobs impossible. Our office still cant do d2d. We often come in on a wednesday to a fully prepped frame jammed with d2d. Just what we need on the busiest day of the week. The atmosphere in our office is horrible. week 4 and everyone is fed up, angry, tired and stressed.

The only way it will get better is if you do it as it's planned. Anything else wont see any changes made. Duties that could not complete were to go pink and 50/50.
[/quote]
Sorry. What on earth is pink 50/50? our office seems a "bit unusual"
[/quote]

I've read that for the deliveries that cannot be made to work then there's the option to have them out of scope. I guess that means they then become 50/50 and pink. Will probably take strong willed staff and union reps to make this happen.

[Perseus]

Isn't it staring everyone in the face that the way to make DM26 work is to make every duty singleton, an agreed size (bigger than a current singleton), which then allows them to go 50/50. Everbody. 1 person, 1 50/50 duty.

[endoandthebunnymen]

Isn't it staring everyone in the face that the way to make DM26 work is to make every duty singleton, an agreed size (bigger than a current singleton), which then allows them to go 50/50. Everbody. 1 person, 1 50/50 duty.

The fleet costs for this would be astronomical. Every van share would need a second van and it would be the final straw for any non-drivers who aren't attached to a HCT round.

[Crowseer]

[/quote]

I've read that for the deliveries that cannot be made to work then there's the option to have them out of scope. I guess that means they then become 50/50 and pink. Will probably take strong willed staff and union reps to make this happen.
[/quote]

Well thats our office out then. They're all spineless in our office. After week one they were coming in early "just to get ahead of things" and staying late to get the following days workload into the frames. The manager is already patting himself on the back saying most of the other offices in the area are struggling but our office is fine apart from a few selected jobs. Currently theyre taking people off these walks and putting someone else on them. No actual testing, just finding someone faster who is prepared to forego their breaks and show them DM26 works.

[Chelseablue]

Were same the usual ppl , coming in early banging stuff in. Even them who are in early paid to sort etc, are breaking off to go to frames and bang in theres also. No backbone , thought it would change with this mess but no.

[yellowbelly]

Isn't it staring everyone in the face that the way to make DM26 work is to make every duty singleton, an agreed size (bigger than a current singleton), which then allows them to go 50/50. Everbody. 1 person, 1 50/50 duty.

Of course that would make DM26 work as would staffing all walks, but the ongoing plan is to reduce the biggest cost - staffing - that's the whole point of 4 walks to be done by 3 people - one less person. Once the 'no redundancies' clause from the last agreement expires when DM26 is 'fully deployed' (as per the agreement) then the gloves are going to come off IMHO. '...with a view....overall business performance...market conditions....'

5.7 USO Reform
Both parties recognise the value and importance of ongoing discussions between Royal Mail and the
CWU regarding pilots of the proposed USO reforms. Following the outcome of the pilots, EP Group
and the CWU commit to reaching a full agreement on how any changes to the USO will be
implemented, in a mutually beneficial way. EP Group accept that any final agreement with the CWU
on USO Reform is also conditional on progress and implementation within the agreed timelines of
the issues set out in section 5 of this agreement.

As an upfront commitment, EP Group confirms that there will be no compulsory redundancies
throughout the period of implementation and full deployment of any agreed USO reform. The above
commitment is conditional on reaching a full agreement on the exact timeline and scope of the
implementation of agreed USO reform.

At the point of full deployment of any agreed USO Reform, both parties will agree a new long term
job security agreement with a view to extending the no compulsory redundancy commitment –
taking into account a joint assessment of the overall business performance and market conditions at
that time.

[Mr Rush]

Isn't it staring everyone in the face that the way to make DM26 work is to make every duty singleton, an agreed size (bigger than a current singleton), which then allows them to go 50/50. Everbody. 1 person, 1 50/50 duty.

The fleet costs for this would be astronomical. Every van share would need a second van and it would be the final straw for any non-drivers who aren't attached to a HCT round.

In terms of fleet, the only way to make that work when yards are already overflowing with vans is to implement shift working. Simon Thomson was muttering about that in regards to vans being idle in the afternoon a couple of years back. Since then ours are sitting idle almost the entire AM because our times have shifted so far into the afternoon.

As for non-drivers. These vans aren't single-seaters, right? I would be over the moon if I were dropped off to do the heavy side on my own in peace while the driver handled oversized and the light side(s). That's midway between a pairing and a singleton - it eliminates the inefficiency of P&L by making the pod a little crewbus operation consisting of one driver and one walker.

On that subject, it ocurred to me that most of the 20-25 year guys who now just want to drive around doing packets would have become crewbus drivers if that option still existed. All the ones who did it when I joined had that length of service. Come to think of it, they're the only people who started in the second half of the 80s still in the job.

[endoandthebunnymen]

Isn't it staring everyone in the face that the way to make DM26 work is to make every duty singleton, an agreed size (bigger than a current singleton), which then allows them to go 50/50. Everbody. 1 person, 1 50/50 duty.

The fleet costs for this would be astronomical. Every van share would need a second van and it would be the final straw for any non-drivers who aren't attached to a HCT round.

In terms of fleet, the only way to make that work when yards are already overflowing with vans is to implement shift working. Simon Thomson was muttering about that in regards to vans being idle in the afternoon a couple of years back. Since then ours are sitting idle almost the entire AM because our times have shifted so far into the afternoon.

As for non-drivers. These vans aren't single-seaters, right? I would be over the moon if I were dropped off to do the heavy side on my own in peace while the driver handled oversized and the light side(s). That's midway between a pairing and a singleton - it eliminates the inefficiency of P&L by making the pod a little crewbus operation consisting of one driver and one walker.

On that subject, it ocurred to me that most of the 20-25 year guys who now just want to drive around doing packets would have become crewbus drivers if that option still existed. All the ones who did it when I joined had that length of service. Come to think of it, they're the only people who started in the second half of the 80s still in the job.

Shift approach would work best in offices without DPR. Wasn't that the approach through Covid as well with one postie out doing one walk whilst the other was I prepping and then swapping when the first one returned? I've seen pictures of those vans however and I don't think I'd want to experience that level of volume...

I think that once a lot of pods have settled in at ours, the model of light and heavy being done independently will prevail, but there will be some where the driver will refuse to swap because 'they've always been the driver' and that will lead to diminishing returns as the fatigue catches up with the walker through the week.

As ever, it comes down to how you choose to manage your day and workload - I don't think I've ever worked in a place where you're expected to be responsible for how you build and execute your daily work plan for a little over £13.50 per HR.