The truth on the National Talks

[clashcityrocker]

I realise these are very difficult times.
I realise we are facing some truly monumental changes.
But this jumped out from the page: made progress on the new attandance procedure

It is clear they are using the attendance procedure as an extension of the conduct code.
It is clear they are using sick absences as an excuse to try and sack full time staff. (Identify possible stage 3 candidates)
No amount of talking is going to change the reality on the ground.

[mogsyboy]

Thanks once again Dingo, it is good to hear some information about what is happening and what the problems are. Any information is always welcome even if it is not what we want to hear.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thanks once again Dingo, it is good to hear some information about what is happening and what the problems are. Any information is always welcome even if it is not what we want to hear.

Yes I agree. Its also nice so be able to discuss it as well.

[Big Daz]

I always enjoy Dingos unoffical LTB's shame we cant have some offical ones.

[Judgee]

Oh while they're at it Dingo can you ask why MG got a big fat bonus when our phantom shares were apparently worthless? They say there's no money in the pot but there was enough to give that greedy overpaid cow money wasn't there?

[Martin Walsh]

Fishtank I totally agree that the issues within Royal Mail's grasp need to be bottomed out as quickly as possible. However the fear is that Royal Mail are reluctant to move the things linked to BTA without knowing for sure that state aid is in the bag and the terms are ok. Remember if as feared the profitable GLS is taken away from Royal Mail that changes the business plan again for the worse.

Now in terms the neighbour trial , post comm orginally wanted stop this from happening as they believe it broke Royal Mail's universal service lience. They have now agreed on the basis that customers can opt out. The trial is happening in late November in 7 areas across the country. Each area with be a dsm area where 50% of the offices will trial the neighbour trail and 50% deliver packets to the address. They will then scope the percentage of packets being delivered and Whether Royal Mail' share of the packet market increases pass the current 37%. A number of big packet companies are interested in this trial. There are safeguards in the trial agreement for individuals but let's see how the trials go.

Clash the attendance procedure talks are aimed at reducing the number of people on the attendance. As of August 2011 25% of all Royal Mail staff are on a stage of the attendance procedure. The vast majority are on stage 1 , in fact last year only 272 got dismissed out of 160 000 staff.

The aim of the talks is too introduce an informal stage where no warning can be issued , appeals at Stage 1& 2, the union are asking for a seat on the case conference , the union also want appeals to be held by an appeals manager who is more senior than the manager who has either given the warning or have dismissed the indivdual. In addition the union is demanding that appeal decisions must be given within an agreed period and not dragged on.

Of course Royal Mail has an agenda for the talks as well and some of the issues they want to have in a new procedure are : to tighten up the trigger points , to remove the wording that absences due to accidents on duty would normally be discounted and decide on the basis whether the indivdual is blame worthy , they want to get individuals back to work in most cases within 8 weeks and they want the ability to dismiss individuals on long term absences.

So there are still differences between the union and Royal Mail but they have got to drafting stage.

Dvbuk so would you rather the union not be talking and trying to sercure the memberships pensions , the ownership of the company and listen to what reps and the membership are saying over the BTA agreement.

In terms of the survey , The Pulse Company who conducted the survey have completed it and the information will be released over the next couple of weeks. Some of it is interesting reading.

[Dorset Plodder]

Again thanks for the info Dingo. The only thing that surprises me is that RM think it's problems are being caused by the CWU! I wish they did cause a few more problems for the Management! As many posts on here point out they seem to be ignoring the feelings of the majority of members.

Glad to see that some everyday practical problems have been highlighted for discussion. Please add the "Angard Problem" and the continuing use of long term Part Timers Covering Full time Duties.

[Wessex]

Again thanks for the info Dingo. The only thing that surprises me is that RM think it's problems are being caused by the CWU! I wish they did cause a few more problems for the Management! As many posts on here point out they seem to be ignoring the feelings of the majority of members.

Glad to see that some everyday practical problems have been highlighted for discussion. Please add the "Angard Problem" and the continuing use of long term Part Timers Covering Full time Duties.

Well they can't blame themselves Dorsetplodder so it must be our fault

[ldsposti]

And so it should be two stormy days next week with regards to the d.o revisions but have the union got all the facts on what is going on in our offices and will rm listen, or will it be down to staff not performing ? . I hope something set in stone comes out of these talks because believe me our members deserve it, i have never known morale so low and so many knackered staff. Thanks for the update dingo keep up the good work

[wandle]

It's good that the union are seeking the right of appeal at Stage 1 & 2 of the attendance procedure, but when I first joined RM, we used to have that. So why the feck did the CWU ever agree to whichever pay deal it was (Way Forward, perhaps) that removed the right of appeal ?

Also, a question for Dingo on the 3 possible privatisation scenarios. I take it option 1 was meant to read an equity company ? If some company buys all the equity (shares) of Royal Mail, what you in effect are saying is Option 1 is a takeover ?

[dvbuk55]

These are some of the issues that have plagued front line staff since the inception of the agreement and must have been obvious almost from the start, so why has it taken so long to do anything about it, even though it's only more chattering.

lack of planning resource to actually introduce revisions in lifespan of the BTA agreement
most delivery method revisions failing and only working by members picking up overtime
Royal Mail are trying to introduce a 10 week revison process in some areas
Lump sums not being paid on time
Mail centres not getting the mail to delivery offices early enough to support the attendance patterns
The 1 week off in 4 not being introduced
equipment not being used
Photo graphic evidence that door to door work is being tipped to recycling waste by managers
Members being displined for not completing deliveries
management trying to force offices to agree 100bsi
Bullying by managers
Unreasonable levels of absorption
Plus loads of other issues.

[spoodoo]

The royal mail would be on its knees if we didnt do any overtime and no coming in early for say a few weeks ,to show them the fkin mess theyve got us in !!!!!!!!! WHY DOES THE UNION NOT GO ROUND NATIONALLY ADVISING THIS ? We get the brunt of ,were useless,were not doing enough,mails down (thats why weve been past our time last few weeks and lapsing too), all we here is conduct code conduct code ,weve not enough staff by a mile . Part timers are all doing full time walks,no walk sorting though,,,,,,lets do no overtime and no coming in early ,,,then well see an even bigger messsssssssss!

[keithposty]

at last

some body who has the balls to say it and mean it

man after my own heart

[hans solo]

Now to give you a taste of what Royal Mail are saying , well they are blaming the union for some revisions not working and for slowing down revisions. Royal Mail have said if they were a normal company facing the financial position they are in then they would be having compulsory redundancies , they would withdraw from the financial commitments given in MTSF and they would be having zero pay rises and reducing benefits.

That's a very confrontational position to take when entering talks dingo and to be honest i'm tired of hearing their threats.
It seems like that's all we've heard for the last 5 years.I would like to hear some tough responses to that kind of attack on our terms and conditions.
Talks are fine but without a targeted end to them there is a danger they just become a stalling tactic.
The E3 motion has definitive aims and there has to be some point where it becomes obvious that RM won't meet those aims.A plan B must be drawn up and both RM and the membership should be made aware of what that involves.
It feels like we are passengers in this whole farce rather than driving forward a membership led solution.which is why i wont be leaving someones valuables with another
Perhaps if the consultation exercise had not been a sham we may have felt more engaged.

As for the leave with neighbour trial,i'm surprised the union is touching it.
I would want a cast iron agreement that NO member will be conducted as a result of an allegation of missing packets from a neighbour and i doubt that will be forthcoming.

[gb93]

Thanks Dingo for the titbits
But... 'Only 272...'