Modernisation = 'Retail' Standards!!

[postal_jedi]

Wasn't sure where to post this but really needed to get it off my chest. I've spoken to several colleagues at work, with regards to what they believe they're entitled to from their employer. This includes our current level of pay, breaks, sick pay and redundancy packages. It's shocking that they actually believe that these things are going to stay at this level, on the grounds RM give us them now and that they are our right.

In my opinion 'Modernisation' is this - Minimum wage, 16hr contracts, legal minimum unpaid break, first 3 days sick unpaid - statutory thereafter, legal minimum redundancy pay and a lame duck union - any change simply being enforced on the workforce. Forget not being paid for D2D items, or scheduled attendance being removed. I believe this is the road we're heading down, for certain! Hello retail. On a good note we may get some sort of pathetic token bonus, to keep us interested... oh! We already do! 'Colleague Shares'.

Whenever, there is a postal strike the same things pop up. Lack of public support. Businesses taking to alternate measures, for example, email - which is free, a stamp isn't! Any business that has the opportunity to use email over a PPI contract and doesn't, well... doesn't have much sense. Or the competition grasping the strike opportunity and taking over, considering we process most of the competitions mail (Down Stream Access) and put it through the door for them too. Anyway these, to me, seem ridiculous issues as they occur every strike and yet we still made £321m profit. I could be wrong this time? I don't think so, at present, purely because of the panic, we're causing. For a business that has dwindling customers, dropping mail volumes and the constant threat of competition taking over, RM are certainly causing a mass panic... not to mention making £321m profit!

We have very little opportunity, but to threat/go on strike. If you like what you have now and want to keep it that way, then that's why you're striking and that's what I'd say to anyone who asks me. Is there seriously anyone who believes that, without the threat of strike, RM would sit at the table and seriously negotiate with the CWU? My god they won't with the threat, but at least we still have leverage! Royal Mail isn't interested in the working man, we're two a penny, and will stab each other in the back for £5.80/hr. Royal Mail are out for profit like all employers are, they don't and never will have our interests or the customers at heart. It's profit, profit, profit! Managers getting £10k bonus, that's an AG's wages!

For once the union put the message across loud and clear to it's members, this is about saving you're union and everything that goes with it.

Ok think that's about it, phew I feel better now!!

[La Poste]

Whenever I wonder what RM's plans for the future are I allways think of counters.
I think I am correct in saying counter staff were offered the chance to save their jobs by having their contracts renegotiated for a much lower wage.
The counter buildings were all sold off hence the reason we made 321million last year.
Counter staff now work for WH Smiths with no union (or maybe an ineffectual one) and are employed at WH Smiths wages.
Does anyone disagree with this?

[Big Daz]

Look at the legal minium reduncay payment and compare to what the MTSF entitles us to, a big difference!!!!

[banner18]

Many people are talking about going in and breaking the strike. They say that it is a London issue, we have no problems here etc...
I have reasoned the point that the consequences of RM breaking this strike will be devestating for our union. Once RM have finished with pegasus, brought in the machines and delivery aids, the business will still be in trouble. It is then that they will directly go for our pay and terms. Paid breaks, D2D payments, shift bonuses, holiday entitlements and sick pay will be attacked first because it will be easier, they are all above employment law minimum. Next, it will be pay cuts, never mind pay freezes. With no union, a disaffected workforce and tory government, what chance will there be to fight against it? The future looks bleak.
All of this comes off the back of the selfishness rotting at the heart of modern life. The 'I'm all right jack' mentality. It is fostered at the top of society, in government and high levels of business, but it seeps down to all levels of society, so that even many working men live by the same ethos. It is appalling to see it happening....

[headscrewedon]

The future looks bleak.

Yet you still want to stay ?

[rockytony67]

The future looks bleak.

Yet you still want to stay ?

If you read his post correctly, he's saying the future looks bleak if RM break the strike

[banner18]

The future looks bleak.

Yet you still want to stay ?

It is exactly that attitude that I was referring to in my post. Just run and jump ship, leave it to the dogs. I'm alright jack cause I can go and become a plumber or something. What about the people who are left? What about new starters? What about the job I would be going for? Was that left by irresponsible selfish people who just walk when their job is attacked? What conditions does that job have now?
It isn't wrong to try and fight for something is it, especially if you have worked for decades somewhere?

Your post says much more about you than it does about me, please take some time to read the article on the Royal mail chat homepage, it may open your eyes.

[headscrewedon]

If you read his post correctly, he's saying the future looks bleak if RM break the strike

And I say the future looks bleak if this goes the way of the miners and becomes a long-drawn out strike. Both sides acknowledge that there will be job losses under modernisation. All that striking will achieve is that RM will end up using compulsory redundancy as a tool in the face of diminished profits from the drain of business caused by the strikes

[BELIAL]

If you read his post correctly, he's saying the future looks bleak if RM break the strike

And I say the future looks bleak if this goes the way of the miners and becomes a long-drawn out strike. Both sides acknowledge that there will be job losses under modernisation. All that striking will achieve is that RM will end up using compulsory redundancy as a tool in the face of diminished profits from the drain of business caused by the strikes

Still at least we get the satisfaction of knowing your bonus will go down the pan, shortly followed by your job

[postal_jedi]

If you read his post correctly, he's saying the future looks bleak if RM break the strike

And I say the future looks bleak if this goes the way of the miners and becomes a long-drawn out strike. Both sides acknowledge that there will be job losses under modernisation. All that striking will achieve is that RM will end up using compulsory redundancy as a tool in the face of diminished profits from the drain of business caused by the strikes

Strikes are not what killed the mining industry. There's a multitude of reason that differentiate us from the miners, not least of all, you can't import a cheap postal service. In my opinion that battle was lost because of the rail workers, lorry drivers and ship workers who helped move and import scab and cheap imported coal. It had nothing to do with strikes, do a bit research before you spout utter rubbish. I'm interested to know what your alternative would be to the threat of strikes?

[headscrewedon]

Strikes are not what killed the mining industry. There's a multitude of reason that differentiate us from the miners, not least of all, you can't import a cheap postal service. In my opinion that battle was lost because of the rail workers, lorry drivers and ship workers who helped move and import scab and cheap imported coal. It had nothing to do with strikes, do a bit research before you spout utter rubbish. I'm interested to know what your alternative would be to the threat of strikes?

There's also a multitude of reasons that make this dispute much harder to win, 25 years after Scargill's Pyrrhic victory.
Employment law has changed massively since then. Secondary picketing & mass picketing are illegal now, laws which Labour did absolutely nothing to reverse, I might add.

Scargill was trying to get a sitting government to change policy, and desist from importing cheaper coal. The only way he could do this was by organising strikes against the National Coal Board, the miners' employer (but ultimately controlled by the government). His objective, I assume, being either a change of policy or the ousting of the Tory government, resulting in a General Election and an incoming Labour government that would be sympathetic to NUM's demands.

Contrast this with the CWU trying to get a sitting government to change policy by organising strikes against Royal Mail, owned by all of us taxpayers, and run by the government. If our objective is to reverse the opening of postal markets to competition, it is clear that the EU would not permit it, even if Labour wanted to. Getting the government to take responsibility for the pension deficit would perhaps be something the CWU & RM should best be making joint representations to Mandelson to achieve. If we stay on strike and f**k ordinary people and businesses over the Christmas period, just how much resistance are the public going to put up when the Tories get in next May (a virtual certainty now) and announce their intention to privatise 100% of Royal Mail ? Virtually none, if the hostile comments they've submitted to newspapers are anything to go by.

I do not know what alternative there is to the threat of striking. But once the employer is showing signs of willingness to engage in proper negotiations (as they've been forced now to do), is going ahead with that strike really the wisest move ?
If we lose a lot of big customers, it could prove an expensive 'victory'.

Yes, the operation was a great success, but the patient died

[BELIAL]

[postal_jedi]

Strikes are not what killed the mining industry. There's a multitude of reason that differentiate us from the miners, not least of all, you can't import a cheap postal service. In my opinion that battle was lost because of the rail workers, lorry drivers and ship workers who helped move and import scab and cheap imported coal. It had nothing to do with strikes, do a bit research before you spout utter rubbish. I'm interested to know what your alternative would be to the threat of strikes?

There's also a multitude of reasons that make this dispute much harder to win, 25 years after Scargill's Pyrrhic victory.
Employment law has changed massively since then. Secondary picketing & mass picketing are illegal now, laws which Labour did absolutely nothing to reverse, I might add.

Scargill was trying to get a sitting government to change policy, and desist from importing cheaper coal. The only way he could do this was by organising strikes against the National Coal Board, the miners' employer (but ultimately controlled by the government). His objective, I assume, being either a change of policy or the ousting of the Tory government, resulting in a General Election and an incoming Labour government that would be sympathetic to NUM's demands.

Contrast this with the CWU trying to get a sitting government to change policy by organising strikes against Royal Mail, owned by all of us taxpayers, and run by the government. If our objective is to reverse the opening of postal markets to competition, it is clear that the EU would not permit it, even if Labour wanted to. Getting the government to take responsibility for the pension deficit would perhaps be something the CWU & RM should best be making joint representations to Mandelson to achieve. If we stay on strike and f**k ordinary people and businesses over the Christmas period, just how much resistance are the public going to put up when the Tories get in next May (a virtual certainty now) and announce their intention to privatise 100% of Royal Mail ? Virtually none, if the hostile comments they've submitted to newspapers are anything to go by.

I do not know what alternative there is to the threat of striking. But once the employer is showing signs of willingness to engage in proper negotiations (as they've been forced now to do), is going ahead with that strike really the wisest move ?
If we lose a lot of big customers, it could prove an expensive 'victory'.

Yes, the operation was a great success, but the patient died

Shame you have no alternative, I was kind of hoping to see something. You know I'm not a particularly militant person, the one thing I do stand by is never give up anything you've got. Lose the CWU and lose it all in an instant. As I wrote the thread starter it is clear to see what I believe this dispute is about. I don't think it's to reverse the opening of postal markets or to prevent new machinery or fill pension deficits. It's pure and simply a fight to keep the obstacle that stands in the way of RM's plans to cut jobs, hours, pay, breaks, sick pay, redundancy packages, shift allowances and all the other things, our union and it's members have fought to get and keep! Unfortunately, I think we live in a day and age where the threat of a strike is simply not enough and is considered an idle threat. Again I hear the words 'losing big customers'... to what, who? If you mean DWP, BT contracts etc... again, at present, they can only go down the road of getting the likes of UKMail, TNT, etc... to collect it from them and bring the work to us to process and deliver! I say this because I firmly believe that RM is aware of this and more than happy to let it happen. The money still comes in. Even when the CWU is dead and buried and RM is privatised it will do what the hell it likes, because it knows the public and businesses have no alternative.