London Dispute - Mark Higsons letter to RM managers

[Geezer]

Dear Colleague,

As you will be aware we have a very real risk of the CWU announcing Industrial Action in London over the next few weeks and we have developed a robust set of contingency plans to minimise the impact on our customers.

These plans will rely heavily on the support of the wider management team across Royal Mail and I have agreed with Moya that every function will need to make a contribution as the scale of the challenge cannot be met by Operations alone.

I recognise this is a difficult task given the rest of the challenges we are all facing but your wholehearted support and ownership of this is much appreciated.

Your function will have been appointed an Industrial Action Co-ordinator. This individual will be in touch with you in the near future outlining what may be asked of you. For further information on who your IA Co-ordinator is and how to contact them please visit the Managerial Support Homepage.

Many thanks,

Mark Higson

[Dee Plish]

Never mind an agreement with Moya, why doesn't Higson try and get an agreement with the CWU so that industrial action doesn't happen? Better for customers surely? Unless it's a strike he's after?

The man is an arrogant fool.

[fishtank]

If it wasn't so serious it would be comical.
They roll over the non-ops managers forcing some of them out the door on reduced terms after threatening them with compulsory redundancy...and then they twist their arm to bail them out in London.
Will the spineless little feckers tell Higson where to shove his plans?....NO.
Where's the CMA?

[Danelectro]

Industrial Action Co-ordinator.

hidden message

[Lincox]

I reckon Higson must have invented Buckaroo, he is a genius at passing the buck.

[GHOSTman]

Industrial Action Co-ordinator.

hidden message

made me smile this , cheers.

[bunkerland]

Industrial Action Co-ordinator.

hidden message

Couldn't find the hidden message!
Usually i'm really good at these things!
Now,It's about Higson isn't it?
Tell me what it is,i just can't see it.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Industrial Action Co-ordinator.

hidden message

Couldn't find the hidden message!
Usually i'm really good at these things!
Now,It's about Higson isn't it?
Tell me what it is,i just can't see it.

Something to do with stopping the tide perhaps.

[Thehair]

Industrial Action Co-ordinator.

hidden message

Couldn't find the hidden message!
Usually i'm really good at these things!
Now,It's about Higson isn't it?
Tell me what it is,i just can't see it.

c*** ( /ˈkʌnt/) is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia,[1] specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane. Scholar Germaine Greer has said that "it is one of the few remaining words in the English language with a genuine power to shock."[2]

c*** is also used informally as a derogatory epithet in referring to a person of either sex, but this usage is relatively recent, dating back only as far as the late nineteenth century.[3] Reflecting different national usages, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines c*** as "an unpleasant or stupid person", whereas Merriam-Webster has a usage of the term as "usually disparaging & obscene: woman",[4] noting that it is used in the US as "an offensive way to refer to a woman";[5] the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English defines it as "a despicable man", however when used with a positive qualifier (good, funny, clever, etc.) in countries such as Britain, New Zealand and Australia, it conveys a positive sense of the object or person referred to.[6]

The word appears to have been in common usage from the Middle Ages until the eighteenth century. After a period of disuse, usage became more frequent in the twentieth century, in parallel with the rise of popular literature and pervasive media. The term also has various other derived uses and, like f**k and its derivatives, has been used mutatis mutandis as noun, pronoun, adjective, participle and other parts of speech.

[Dorset Plodder]

Nuts has got an "S" in it! Thought it was Nuts because these Managers have got to be Nuts if they let Higson pull this stunt on them.

Reminds me of when I was made Redundant in a Previous Life. After they'd given us all three months notice they asked us if we'd like to work Overtime as they had a lot of big orders to fill! WTF

[Dee Plish]

Expectations of the Management Support

Feedback from previous disputes has identified where managers and business expectations have not been matched with the reality on the day. The following guidance is provided to assist Regional/Functional co-ordinators in managing people's expectations.


• Flexible working hours- Industrial Action will affect all 3 shifts: Early, Late and Night. The management support needs to be aware that they may be asked to work shifts that are outside of their regular work times.
• Prepared to work a full duty- The vast majority of manager's who have given their support in previous disputes are aware of this. With a reduced management population compared to 2009 it is important that each individual is prepared to work an 8-hour shift.
• Those managers who live within a reasonable travelling distance to London will be expected to commute within the day unless the duty attendances make an overnight stay essential.
• For staff attending from distant locations, Regional/Functional co-ordinators need to manage travel plans which ensure full duty attendances; this may require overnight stays on occasions. (Further Travel guidance is provided here).
• All relevant Health and Safety Health declarations are completed and ensure that they are in receipt of safety briefing.
• Management support is prepared to work as directed- The wide reach of Industrial Action will mean that a number of operational functions will be affected. Consequently, management support may be asked to work flexibly across a number of work areas dependent on their capabilities that may include Network, Processing and Deliveries. Individuals are reminded that local management will have a clear set of operational priorities on the day, it is critical that individuals stick to their assigned roles.
Management Support Expectations

Based on feedback from the 2009 dispute the 2011 plan seeks to address the following areas:
• Utilised efficiently- Improved resource planning at unit level to avoid scenario of people being asked to travel between units during the shift.
• Suitable duty allocation- It is essential that the business takes into account the welfare of the Management Support. Local manager's will risk assess an area with regards to the employment of a buddy system etc.
• Local Managers of multi-managed units will be required to undertake operational duties alongside Managerial Support wherever possible if not required to organise Managerial Support on a full-time basis.

[Lovemoney]

I reckon Higson must have invented Buckaroo, he is a genius at passing the buck.

[DGP1]

Prepared to work a full duty- The vast majority of manager's who have given their support in previous disputes are aware of this. With a reduced management population compared to 2009 it is important that each individual is prepared to work an 8-hour shift.

That alone is going to kill them, imagine working for a whole 8 hours (although I'm not sure if a MC day is actually a full 8 hours ).

[Danelectro]

That alone is going to kill them, imagine working for a whole 8 hours.

aye that made me chuckle,no cakes/mars bars/coffees within easy reach,,or locking themselves in the office to do
xmas shopping online or going to meetings with ASM via argos/currys/golf club.Also i think the letter is implying
that travelling time will be over and above the 8 hour shift,ruddy marvelous

[dvbuk55]

Yes it really looks like the higher echelons of Royal Mail are definitely looking to negotiate. The last action we took the CMA wrote to their members asking them not to do postmans work....................................and of course they supported us the whole way

It's not a coincidence that just weeks ago they advertised for stand ins and no doubt they will be "persuaded" how good for their career it will be if they travel to London..........................