What other options do we have?

[Bouncing Souls]

To start of with i am totally against any sell off of RM, be it 1% or 33%
so with that were can we go?
as its been said and no-one is in any doubt that we need to modernise,
will walk sequencing machines not lead to pay offs as well? less full time needed.
with this i mean if the bulk of the mail is coming ready to be prepped into the frames and the only ips sorting required is packets and oversize letters or stuff that wouldn't go through the machines and any missorts (internal and external)
This in turn means less people are needed in at that time in the morning. if the mail in your hand runs the same as the frame in front of you how long is it going to take to throw in?......not long.

At the moment in our office we have roughly 3 hours to get the IP up and our own mail prepped in, tied up etc (6-9) this also includes prepping the part time duties
how many duties could a regular postie throw in if the mail was as above in 3 hrs?
keeping in mind if the mail is running the same as the frame any postie could technically prep in the mail regardless if they have never prepped in that particular frame.

Has any office actually got these machines in yet and are fully operational? i know a few were being trialled around the country.
how much are these machines?
i keep hearing we need investment to modernise but no figures are forthcoming.

My biggest fear is even if we avoid this sell off, this goverment is on its way out, the incoming Goverment comes in, needs cash straight away to ease the treasury purse, RM is an easy target yet again, and we're back to square one.think about it, how much is RM worth in Billions of instant cash to a Goverment.
The flip side is this Govt is wanting the instant cash (through part sell off) to fight the election with the promises of various tax cuts, help for certain sections etc etc

my other fear is that RM and TNT become one, Royal Mail TNT with the arguement that mail volumes are declining rapidly so its best if they merge together. The competion issue would be waived away ala the recent banks merger
the USO is still there thanks to Royal Mail having the ability to deliver to every address, TNT will continue to pick up the business mail and RM will still clear Post Offices/ Post Boxes and then using each others Hubs sort the mail for final delivery.
It would be put across that this is best for the consumer.

again just my thoughts and not trying to be negative but i feel we need to look at all the alternatives re job losses, the way forward, etc etc and then see what we, the front line staff can come up with and maybe put our ideas to the Union.

[banner18]

I think there are a number of solutions but I favour this one:

The front line delivery part of RM has proved itself to be a natural monopoly as nobody else is willing to do it. Therefore, to protect the USO RM needs to be split apart into the post office, sorting, distribution and deliveries. The deliveries side of RM can remain in the public sector with a monopoly, charging its customers(anybody or organisation wishing to send mail) to deliver. It can then charge what it actually costs to deliver the USO and maintain this service.

[fmrPOSTIE]

I think there are a number of solutions but I favour this one:

The front line delivery part of RM has proved itself to be a natural monopoly as nobody else is willing to do it. Therefore, to protect the USO RM needs to be split apart into the post office, sorting, distribution and deliveries. The deliveries side of RM can remain in the public sector with a monopoly, charging its customers(anybody or organisation wishing to send mail) to deliver. It can then charge what it actually costs to deliver the USO and maintain this service.

Has this happened anywhere else in the EU/World? Most of the national postal companies have remained as a whole and not been broken up?

[BELIAL]

I think there are a number of solutions but I favour this one:

The front line delivery part of RM has proved itself to be a natural monopoly as nobody else is willing to do it. Therefore, to protect the USO RM needs to be split apart into the post office, sorting, distribution and deliveries. The deliveries side of RM can remain in the public sector with a monopoly, charging its customers(anybody or organisation wishing to send mail) to deliver. It can then charge what it actually costs to deliver the USO and maintain this service.

I think Mandy and the Fat Cats might just be ahead of you on this one But you will be working for minimum wage,on 1hr contracts with no pension and minimum sick pay if any,and probably alongside a casual workforce with zero union representation - so delivery costs will be very low and the private MC's ;hubs and network distribution will cream it

[banner18]

I think there are a number of solutions but I favour this one:

The front line delivery part of RM has proved itself to be a natural monopoly as nobody else is willing to do it. Therefore, to protect the USO RM needs to be split apart into the post office, sorting, distribution and deliveries. The deliveries side of RM can remain in the public sector with a monopoly, charging its customers(anybody or organisation wishing to send mail) to deliver. It can then charge what it actually costs to deliver the USO and maintain this service.

I think Mandy and the Fat Cats might just be ahead of you on this one But you will be working for minimum wage,on 1hr contracts with no pension and minimum sick pay if any,and probably alongside a casual workforce with zero union representation - so delivery costs will be very low and the private MC's ;hubs and network distribution will cream it

Deliveries would be in the public sector and therefore not subject to the same laws of competition thus protecting them from pay being driven down. It is a service primarily which would be being preserved so driving down wages and conditions would threaten the service and would not be in any private individuals interest. If they go private then what you have said will happen without a doubt.
Unfortunately the rest of RM operations have competition that can carry out the operation quicker and more efficiently and so they won't be protected in the same way.

The whole point of liberlisation is that the EU recognised that most of the aspects of postal operations have the potential to exist in a free market and make profits and operate without government and offer choice for consumers. Correct yes. The thing they didn't take into account was the vital final mile aspect which is regulated, unprofitable and costly and therefore cannot operate in a free market because nobody wants to do it.

If only the idiots at the top had thought this out properley before we got to this point!

[Broxi51]

I can see your point and hope that those at the top table can see it also. If TNT take part of RM then it will give them access to setting up their own final mile delivery. If they do that then they can continue to cherry pick and take the cities and leave the rural areas to RM. Under this level playing field it would mean that RM would have to increase prices on pretty much a 6 monthly basis to stop themselves from going under as their would be no profit from only rural. This would threaten the USO very seriously and lead to RM becoming fully privatised before long. It would be in the best interest of all couriers to leave the final mile to RM or everything would go t*ts up

[BELIAL]

They did ,but they think you will work for peanuts and line their pockets.
Who took a pay cut last year? Who is forced to work five years longer for their pension last year?
We are in the public sector now, and forgive me if I've got it wrong but service levels have plummeted and the laws of competition have been amended to actively drive down pay and conditions.

Big money wants the USO on the cheap ,and fragmentation and asset stripping is the perfect mechanism

[borders]

spot on Belial, to split into 4 units would be exactly what RM management want , in effect you would have 4 different businesses all on different pay and conditions and with less power when there is a dispute. RM should remain as one in the public hands , run for the benefit of everyone.