sunday collections cease 21st oct

[lovejoy]

Dear Colleagues



Sunday Collection Operation - Cessation of Box Collections



Branches and representatives will be aware that there has been for some time speculation that Royal Mail were considering changes to the current Sunday Collection Operation. The business subsequently wrote to the Union in August 2007 to advise us that they had now taken an in principle decision following consultation with Postcomm and Postwatch to cease street box collections in view of the fact it was not part of Royal Mail's universal service obligation.



Their decision was also based on evidence that the demand for street box collections is very low with the traffic being less than one percent of mail volumes while the unit cost of handling is around four times more than mail posted at other times in the week.



The business are currently proposing that the last street box collection will take place on Sunday 21st October 2007. There will of course be a number of issues concerning this proposed cessation that will be subject to discussions with the Union as part of the current national negotiations on pay and associated issues.



Branches/representatives should note that the only aspect of the proposed change to the Sunday operation being affected at present is the street box collections. Currently there have been no changes proposed to the Sunday operation in respect of bulk mail customers or the overall Mail Centre/Network therefore this will be subject to future discussion and clarification with the business.



In order to ensure that the General Public are aware that the Sunday Street Collection Service is proposed to end we have been advised that notices are to be place on pillar boxes containing information regarding the change.



The business have agreed that should any individual CWU member not wish to display these notices on the pillar boxes then they will not be obligated to do so and local managers will undertake this work. It has also been agreed nationally that performing this activity will not prejudice the Union 's position in relation to the discussions regarding the proposed change to the Sunday Collection Operation.





Any enquiries on the above should be directed to the appropriate Occupational Officer.



Yours sincerely









Dave Ward Martin Collins Bob Gibson

DGS(P) Assistant Secretary Assistant Secretary





Ray Ellis Steve Fishwick

Assistant Secretary Acting Assistant Secretary

[deadbox]

Looks like the CWU are going to roll over on this issue....I detected a distinct lack of fighting talk on this one

[F0zziebear]

This is where I don't understand some people. Virtually no-one uses the sunday collection, and it costs a lot more to supply the service.

It's called basic economics. Some other services that are not profitable but are used should be safe-guarded, but this is a no brainer.

Anyway everyone should be in church on a sunday!

Canon F0zz

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Anyway everyone should be in church on a sunday!

Canon F0zz

Now now remeber DRAW. What about Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Shintoists, Sikhs, Pagans, Falun Gongists, Atheists and agnostics.

[L Tommo]

Im saving up to be a pagan this week.... Next week i might be a Shintoist,,, Last week i was a Agnostic.... And very painful it was too...


OUT

[Carla]

I will stick to being an atheist never did believe in anything lol

[L Tommo]

Na i dont believe that!!!!


OUT

[Carla]

:P

[deadbox]

QUOTE >>> "This is where I don't understand some people. Virtually no-one uses the sunday collection, and it costs a lot more to supply the service.

It's called basic economics. Some other services that are not profitable but are used should be safe-guarded, but this is a no brainer."<<<

This is where I don't understand Fozziebear.

Royal Mail is a PUBLIC SERVICE

PUBLIC SERVICES are provided by goverments to ensure the fabric of society is maintained....

Why is it so important to ALWAYS make a service decision based upon MONEY

Should the POLICE / NHS / FIRE SERVICE / POLITITIONS / CIVIL SERVANTS etc. make a profit ? --- NO !

I am NOT against RM making profits , but NOT at the expence of the SERVICE that we provide

And before you say that we have to because of European law....How come WE are the only EU country open fully to competition and others GOV.s have just voted to delay impementation for another few years ( and I expect that they will never feel that "The time is right" when they look over the water at how liberalisation has worked within the UK market )

There has been a conscience decision to change the nature of the POSTAL MARKET within this country

If the "BIG PLAN" was impemented all at once there would be uproar, so instead services are being chissled away one by one, with little being said

And WE with our jobs & the PUBLIC with their service are going to PAY the price !

[lovejoy]

i'd say this issue and the one of drivers pay from RTD being sorted are key indicators to the fact that an agreement is coming.

In addition to this all senior managers have been called to London on Wed of next week and a national briefing for reps has also been pencilled in!

Get the feeling that reps will be 'sold' the agreement at the briefing

[dvbuk55]

QUOTE >>> "This is where I don't understand some people. Virtually no-one uses the sunday collection, and it costs a lot more to supply the service.

It's called basic economics. Some other services that are not profitable but are used should be safe-guarded, but this is a no brainer."<<<

This is where I don't understand Fozziebear.

Royal Mail is a PUBLIC SERVICE

PUBLIC SERVICES are provided by goverments to ensure the fabric of society is maintained....

Why is it so important to ALWAYS make a service decision based upon MONEY

Should the POLICE / NHS / FIRE SERVICE / POLITITIONS / CIVIL SERVANTS etc. make a profit ? --- NO !

I am NOT against RM making profits , but NOT at the expence of the SERVICE that we provide

And before you say that we have to because of European law....How come WE are the only EU country open fully to competition and others GOV.s have just voted to delay impementation for another few years ( and I expect that they will never feel that "The time is right" when they look over the water at how liberalisation has worked within the UK market )

There has been a conscience decision to change the nature of the POSTAL MARKET within this country

If the "BIG PLAN" was impemented all at once there would be uproar, so instead services are being chissled away one by one, with little being said

And WE with our jobs & the PUBLIC with their service are going to PAY the price !

It would be true to say that we are a service - but a limited service and we need to be self sufficient.

The other services you describe are just a service to the community, but it would be true to say that they too have experienced job cuts and a denigration of their position. There are Community support officers, private traffic wardens, volunteer ambulance drivers, special constables, closure of part time fire stations etc etc etc

[BELIAL]

The other services you describe are just a service to the community, but it would be true to say that they too have experienced job cuts and a denigration of their position. There are Community support officers, private traffic wardens, volunteer ambulance drivers, special constables, closure of part time fire stations etc etc etc

True but 10,000 wrongs still don't make a right.

[deadbox]

dvbuk55 Wrote >> "It would be true to say that we are a service - but a limited service and we need to be self sufficient. "

WHY do we NEED to be "self sufficient. " ?

How old is the Royal Mail ? (about 370 years I think )

How many of those years has it been "self sufficient. " ? ( about 20 years I think )

And HOW did it manage to stay in buisness the other 350 or so years ?

So my point is WHY NOW do we have to concentrate upon SERVICE, but only when it is cost efficient

In London there were 9 deliverys a day 100 years ago.....Now people are lucky to get one a day !

Thats PROGRESS ! NOT

[BELIAL]

dvbuk55 Wrote >> "It would be true to say that we are a service - but a limited service and we need to be self sufficient. "

WHY do we NEED to be "self sufficient. " ?

How old is the Royal Mail ? (about 370 years I think )

How many of those years has it been "self sufficient. " ? ( about 20 years I think )

And HOW did it manage to stay in buisness the other 350 or so years ?

So my point is WHY NOW do we have to concentrate upon SERVICE, but only when it is cost efficient

In London there were 9 deliverys a day 100 years ago.....Now people are lucky to get one a day !

Thats PROGRESS ! NOT

Very true. Don't know if you are familiar with it but "Small is Beautiful " by E.F Schumacher , certainly nails the lies of all this wrongheaded modern economic wisdom.

[dvbuk55]

We need to be self sufficient because we are wholly dependant on income from outside sources!

Forget the loan from the Government - they have had and will still expect their pound of flesh.

The services you are talking about are solely financed by the tax payer and the community they serve and do not raise their own revenue.

It's no good harping on about the 9 deliveries a hundred years ago - maybe you'd like to go back to 9 deliveries together with the wages they got.
Times move on, for good or bad, we are a prisoner of the system unless we choose to leave - at least we have a choice.