why are we modernising?

[axeman]

modernisation a big bullshit word for screwing the work force and try to force more for less the term 'modernisation' is being used for the cover of forcing workers into submision every where to accept they are not worthy of the renumeration that they recive whilst the fat cats get richer by the day

[Night Tonic]

One perspective I suppose. Now if only we could persuade everyone to stop using email and forums to communicate, letters would be a real winner.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

One perspective I suppose. Now if only we could persuade everyone to stop using email and forums to communicate, letters would be a real winner.

Just get the Militant Posties Front to explode a low yield nuclear bomb at say 50,000 feet and hey presto - without hardened and otherwise protected computers the Electro Magnetic Pulse will solve all our problems.

[Night Tonic]

Or lots of people armed with scissors

[chrisj]

I am sorry to disagree nighttonic. Personal letters have dropped but the overall mail volumes including (explosion) packets and now special/recorded have not reduced Royal Income significantly, if at all.

A personal letter cost 39p or so but a recorded letter cost 1.39 (that about 4 times income). Lots of packets costing more and increasing our work load and bulk mail is so cheap from RM and competitors that they are also increasing. And then D2Ds.

It is not the income for RM that is the issue but the profitability and the cost to automate* (yes, it is needed), and the huge Pension deficit. Other issues include Universal Service and cost of postage and punitive regulators/unfair competition.

Since the govt has shifted the goalpost from providing a service to making profit then Royal Mail and its workforce was in for it. Our jobs are provided because we are still considered to providing a service and essential not just the monet made. Did someone not say in another post that RM is running out of operationg capital?

I have highlighted before when people talk about keeping their jobs, you cannot turn back the tide of technology and advancement in our lives just because it affects jobs. Why not go back to using coal or horsedrawn carts or typewriters (bring back the typists and stenos).

Moreover, income/revenue in itself does not protect jobs but it is the profitability. Why would the likes of HMV go into receivership if they still continue to sell loads of stuff. Woolworth was sadly missed but it became outdated and unprofitable even though it is very much loved.

[Lincox]

How can you modernise for the future, when nothing stands still for more than 24 hours. It is sheer lunacy. Rather than doing wholesale changes with vast costs involved and no way of knowing what the results will be, in what time scale etc etc, surely it is more cost effective to evolve with the structures you have, modification rather than spending billions on vans that are sat in fields waiting to rust away, on a system that was always doomed for failure.

[Straight4ward]

chrisj wrote;
I am sorry to disagree nighttonic. Personal letters have dropped but the overall mail volumes including (explosion) packets and now special/recorded have not reduced Royal Income significantly, if at all.

Taken from RM's published accounts
External revenue £million
2007 - 6,857
2008 - 6,830
2009 - 6,707
2010 - 6,564

[POSTMAN]

The mail volume drop (there i said it) would not off been as bad for us income/profit wise if it wasn't for DSA.
But we all know that tbh.Take out DSA prices,we'd be in a much better position income/profit wise.But again,we all know that as well.

Funny how everyone knows it but still.....

[Night Tonic]

I am sorry to disagree nighttonic. Personal letters have dropped but the overall mail volumes including (explosion) packets and now special/recorded have not reduced Royal Income significantly, if at all.

You can disagree all you like but packets and parcels have not made up for the loss in revenue from letters. Thats just a fact. As Postman said, it would not have been as bad without DSA. Letters now make up barely 1% of RMG revenue these days.

[BELIAL]

Letters now make up barely 1% of RMG revenue these days.

That is an incredible statistic Nighty ,care to share the raw data?
Liked the Hellmail report of the E-substitution study by the way; 'point 3 our methodology cannot measure the level of e-substitution'.Here's a study it's bollocks , Mails down, "what do you expect in the biggest economic collapse the world has ever seen"

[Night Tonic]

I'm not going to do the work of those too bone idle to do their homework and who keep all their knowledge on the back of a fag packet.

[fishtank]

I'm not going to do the work of those too bone idle to do their homework and who keep all their knowledge on the back of a fag packet.

So it was bollocks then....

[Night Tonic]

Only to those that can't read

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bb15a00-e662 ... z1BtbHJQeq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[POSTMAN]

Only to those that can't read

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bb15a00-e662 ... z1BtbHJQeq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gis your username and password then Nighty.

[BELIAL]

Only to those that can't read

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bb15a00-e662 ... z1BtbHJQeq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You read it then Addendum * 3