The truth as I see it.

[foger]

I fear that any settlement with Royal Mail will be temporary. For the simple reason that those in power want to damage Royal mail. With socialism in decline, the European Union, Labour government, Conservatives and Liberals all want competition in the postal services and privatisation. If we were a company that those in power wanted to preserve, we would have more to negotiate with. We may win a battle, but I doubt if we will win the war.

[stevenshm]

I agree labour have already tried to sell us off and the tories have said they will!!
so i see a part time future in private hands

[steven100]

Yep i agree with the comments above, more trouble ahead for RM workers, workers should be looking for new jobs before they get forced to take a duff package to leave or forced to go part-time.

[OnAFlyer]

The problems as I see it.

Obviously mail delivery is a labour-intensive industry, and there's nothing you can really do (besides running ) to deliver any more in the same timespan. A postie can only do X amount of work per day.

RM doesn't make that much profit from a huge turnover (70-odd million from nearly a billion turnover wasn't it?)

Bear with me here....

The problem is we already have enough work (amount X).

But if RM cannot make a profit from us doing that amount of work, then what happens? They need to change amount X, so needing less staff and hence less overheads, meaning more (or some) profit.

Automation can only do so much, after that it's still in the hands (literally) of the posties. RM's wage bill must be somewhere in the £2billion a year region - RM is cutting that by droppping contracted hours, collapsing walks, cutting the number of walks and staff etc. Hence Amount X is constantly going up.

Posties and the CWU say RM's new version of X is unattainable. RM says volume is down so you can do more, instructing it's managers to ride out the backlash - unfortunately for RM people didn't just get p*ssed off, they walked out

And there's the big problem as I see it, the one thing that every postie needs an answer to.

What should amount X (the daily workload!) fairly constitute?

To me the CWU's idea of an independent assessor to come in and agree a fair workload is a great idea, and one the CWU NEEDS to keep pushing. It's also telling that RM want no such thing to happen. RM cannot afford an assessor to come in and lower the workload, it would be a disaster for them.

So here we are, and i've got a feeling it's going to be a long dispute.

[Exrep]

Fine if thats the way they want to play ball its time we all put on our tin hats and start preparing to win the WAR .

The battle has already been won buy us securing a YES vote.

SOLIDARITY will see us through chaps and we must not waver as we go over the top into battle .

This time we will not and can not lose simple as.

Lock and load bayonets on my whistle CCCCCCHHHHHHARRRRRRRGGGGGGEEEEEEEE.

[ade@cambs]

I'm right behind you, but if i don't make it will my wife still get my Death in Duty !.

[Exrep]

Only if your wearing your R/M uniform and havnt heckeld anyone ...

Im so P***ED off at the moment partly by our own work force ,some of the questions im being asked are starting to boarder on the ridiculous .
I do wonder sometimes whether these are mature adults or naughty school boys im dealing with.

I know at present there is a lot of posties who are feeling very intimadated in there work places to R/M tactics and maybe it is this that is driving them to ask so many questions but the majority of them are just plain common sense use your initative .

Our DIM is at his peak at the moment with his Bullying ,Harrassing and intimadation tactics and i suppose if the lads ask the rep they have some fall back which in turn puts the spot light on the rep. And i know in our office the DIM is after the rep due to the chaos thats been caused over the last 8 weeks.

Its due to our DIMS attitude aswell why im up for fight a good long hard slog if that what it takes sod the money its a bit more important than just money.

I will stand and be counted and i will not be bullied into submission by any DIM wit.

And this time around im not giving you lot a battle cry..............as in my previous post

[taxi4leighton]

yes i agree with most of that,i think the last card they are going to play, is to scrap saturday deliveries, this will save them tens of millions.the alternative on offer will be 8am to 4pm duties any 5 days from mon to sat. so that would be Hobsons Choice