Post sacks face the axe

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-fe ... ce-the-axe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Changes to the way the post is delivered are in the pipeline, with plans for posties to do their rounds in vans.

The image of the postman on the beat who struggles with his heavy load come rain or shine could soon be a thing of the past, with Royal Mail proposing that postmen and women go out in pairs in a van and stop at specific stops on a route to deliver the mail.

At the moment, postmen do the rounds on foot, with extra mail and heavy parcels being dropped off at secure locations along the route, so they can pick up more mail as they go along.

But with each postman carrying around 70kg of weight in any given working day, many complain of back problems, and absenteeism rates are high.

Ted Stead, the secretary of the Oldham and Rochdale branch of the Communication Worker’s Union, said: “These moves represent big changes to the way that postmen and women work and we welcome them.

“It would reduce the physical demands of the job and lead to a drop in the level of sickness, which is a massive cost at the moment.

“It will also cut out dead walking time, when postal staff are walking between different areas.”

The move is one of a series of changes which could be put in place as part of modernisation package created in 2007.

Other changes include the use of trolleys to carry heavy loads and the introduction of new automated sorting machines.

Royal Mail has been trialling the new van system for two years, but a national scheme could still be some months away, with the Communication Worker’s Union yet to agree the finer details with Royal Mail.

While strongly supporting the plan, the union is looking for specific agreement on how the new system will work in practice, including how many hours the postmen and women will be in the vans and when they will be allowed to take their breaks.

Mr Stead added: “We think this a great idea, but it is vital that we have provisions in place for those who can’t drive, that people can choose who they go out in the van with and that the postal staff know how many hours they’ll be expected to work.

“We want an agreement on all these issues before anything is put in place.”

Because agreements have not been reached, the union will hold a ballot this month on whether they should call a national strike.

It is understood that the vans have already been bought and a phased introduction could take place once an agreement has been reached.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We continue to look at ways we deliver the mail as efficiently as possible with any changes being discussed with our people first and we will continue to use a range of vans, trolleys and bikes where appropriate.

Customers should see no significant changes to their daily deliveries.”

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Customers should see no significant changes to their daily deliveries.”

Depends on who and how they measure significant I suppose. If someone is used to getting their mail at 10am now and under the new CDV gets it at 1.45 I just hope they feel comforted its not a significant change.

“It will also cut out dead walking time, when postal staff are walking between different areas.”

Yep now the dead walking will be only about going back to the van

[Phantom]

Fun and games when one says "i wanna go out and deliver now and the other says, i'm having my break first" - load of crap, this has been trialled at my office and it doesn't work!!!

[DGP1]

The van share duties can only work if they are properly planned and not done like in my office which was 'just work it out for yourself' and 2 and a bit rurals bolted together (this has resulted in the van share duties being anything from 1 hour over to 3 hours over per day).

[pickaname]

120 duties at my DO.

Thats 60 vans and 120 trolleys. Theres 25 drivers at my DO and we have a shortage of vans. Is it cost effective to buy 40 more vans?

What if you dont drive? What if your driver is on leave or sick? My office cant fill the reserve driver duties as it is.

Where are they gonna keep all these extra vehicles?

What if your 'buddy' goes over his/her time? How do you get back to the office on time?

How do you load your trolley into the van and how do 120 people do this at the same time?

Trollies slow the pace of the round down.

Flats? Where do you leave the trolly on a dodgy estate?

Have these questions been answered?

[Big Daz]

I would suggest any walking deliveries are converted to bike deliveries.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I would suggest any walking deliveries are converted to bike deliveries.

Lets hope he does not live in Hovis country like I do.

[mailsort6]

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-fe ... ce-the-axe

Changes to the way the post is delivered are in the pipeline, with plans for posties to do their rounds in vans.

The image of the postman on the beat who struggles with his heavy load come rain or shine could soon be a thing of the past, with Royal Mail proposing that postmen and women go out in pairs in a van and stop at specific stops on a route to deliver the mail

This sounds to good to be true and delivery staff will get shafted. If there are 2 posties to a van when delivering mail I bet you that they will be doing the job of probably 3 to 5 posties which means RM will be working you to your grave

[bexhil palace]

Hope i get paired with a runner, they can bomb round and do most of my delivery as well.
Blooming sweet sounds like a winner to me.

[solcat]

I would suggest any walking deliveries are converted to bike deliveries.

Lets hope he does not live in Hovis country like I do.

Good for you Brown Bread

[westlondonpostie]

RM took exec action 10 weeks ago in my office and imposed a resign and allocated duties, this is how were working now, everything now goes out on a van, walks, van calls and bulk items, for an office that was clear everyday were now having cut-offs,undelivered mail building up, vans unable to complete deliveries and customer complaints through the roof, but so long as top management are making big savings for they're bonuses they dont give a monkeys, thats the way forward I guess!

[pickaname]

I would suggest any walking deliveries are converted to bike deliveries.

What do you mean by this?

We already have 120 bike deliveries. If theyre doing away with the bikes and getting us into vans it will be a calamity beyond all measureable means. These managers are out of their minds.

[janitor]

I would suggest any walking deliveries are converted to bike deliveries.

What do you mean by this?

We already have 120 bike deliveries. If theyre doing away with the bikes and getting us into vans it will be a calamity beyond all measureable means. These managers are out of their minds.

So using vans instead of bikes, probably been said before but so much for RMs concern for the environment, why not horses and carts the smell of horse s**t would make a change from the smell of the Bullshit we get from management.

[DGP1]

I would suggest any walking deliveries are converted to bike deliveries.

What do you mean by this?

We already have 120 bike deliveries. If theyre doing away with the bikes and getting us into vans it will be a calamity beyond all measureable means. These managers are out of their minds.

So using vans instead of bikes, probably been said before but so much for RMs concern for the environment, why not horses and carts the smell of horse s**t would make a change from the smell of the Bullshit we get from management.

We could always get donkeys to carry the mail but the main problem is that donkeys need to be treated better than us