Royal Mail Pay and Future of the Company 14th May 2007

[NEWS]

A message from Dave Ward, DGS (Postal)

Dear Colleague

Royal Mail Pay and Future of the Company

We met Royal Mail today 14th May 2007, and the meeting concluded with
Royal Mail making what they presented as their latest 'full and final'
offer.

The only change from their previous proposal was they confirmed Door to
Door had now been removed from their offer.

However, Royal Mail reaffirmed that they intend to carry on regardless
with their Business Plan and drive through, if necessary, local change
by executive action. This means in reality their offer to remove
strings is meaningless.

Royal Mail is still refusing to include our admin members within this
offer.

The Union responded by stating that we were extremely disappointed with
their position but that the Executive Council will give their latest
full and final offer due consideration when it meets on Wednesday 16th
May.

In the meantime, our industrial action ballot will go ahead as planned.

We have told Royal Mail that we are available for further negotiations

Finally, we can also advise Branches that I have written today to the
Chief Executive Adam Crozier, stating the Union is willing to engage in
a public debate with Royal Mail on the future of the industry.

[DirtyHarry]

As I expected really. If I was Dave Ward I wouldn't be holding my breath as regards a public debate either.

[ROCKY]

FUTURE OF THE COMPANY ?UCKED BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS

[TrueBlueTerrier]

At least they are talking about an industrial action ballot instead of a strike ballot. If we work to rule I think Royal Mail will suffer instead of posties.

However, I would without doubt support a strike if that's what the membership want.

[KawasakiKid]

At least they are talking about an industrial action ballot instead of a strike ballot. If we work to rule I think Royal Mail will suffer instead of posties.

However, I would without doubt support a strike if that's what the membership want.

The Union can't piss about with this one, they'll call for a strike--------------KWACK

[side_door]

Our office rep reckoned that the Union these days favours one day strikes.

Personally I would prefer an all out actio. We need to show that we mean business. However, an initial work to rule does not preclude the possibility of action being escalated to a strike.

The thing about work to rule is that it would hit RM hard in the pocket whilst having a much less severe impact on the actual postman. Such an action could go on for weeks and even months, and accompanied by an overtime ban, the mail would soon start piling up.

A strike, especially one day strikes, get it all out of the way quickly. There is a strike, there is a negotiation, everyone back to work twice as hard to clear the backlog. If I were a gaffer I would be much more anxious about an action where there is no immediate end in sight, and where the other side don't seem to be suffering too greatly.

[F0zziebear]

Propaganda is an interesting one as someone said it seems both sides are putting it about at the moment. In the London Division one it mentioned that TNT have no intention of doing E2E deliveries. This is simply not true (and I know this from the inside of these companies before anyone challenegs me). TNT are still working on their business model to make it financially viable, without taking operational risks. They do not make much profit off Downstream Access, and in some instances are actually making a loss as they did some contracts assuming a 17.5% VAt exemption, which RM gets but is not extended to the competition. This is something they are not happy about. The only other competitor considering E2E is DHL and whilst they have successfully done this via a company in Holland, they are still looking a tthe options in the UK. It is far from simple setting up a rival firm to RM, but it will happen and all out strike might make it both operationally and financially practical.

If you are going to strike then the working to rule and one day strike format would be my suggestion. All out strike will play into the competitors hands and will not work against Leighton & Crozier.

Yours from a considered point of view

F0zz

[L Tommo]

Fozzie.. As you say a ALL OUT STRIKE WILL PLAY INTO COMPETITORS HANDS. This in mind RM should back down and be reasonable!!! YES??? Well as well you know RM and the word REASONABLE just dont go together.... The "work to rule" as you say is now unofficial industral action.... working to your 318 is legal... the other aint...... just a play on words but RM pick up on all this kind of nit picking.... So lets all get it right,,, WORK TO OUR 318'S PEOPLE!!! As stated before RM have a not so hidden agenda of THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM AND I FULLY BELIEVE IT!!!! They will feck Everything up and sweep in when we are all gone and with all the people with a care out the way. And take what they want and privatise as they please with no opposition.. This is my fear!!! I know ive said this before but i still and will think this until i see RM make a move to dispel these ideas!!! I cant understand IF? U are outside RM and the Business why do you think a ALL OUT STRIKE WONT WORK AGAINST BIG AL N lil adam???? WHY NOT??? Is it you know something we dont? Or in your opinion They cant back down because of Goverment pressure???? Same as Miners strikes with Thatcher???? Scargill was Tarred and feathered for rightly or wrongly standing up... Politics aside , Impossible i know at times, But he stood up and was counted for what was right to him and MANY OTHERS!!! WORKING CLASS PEOPLE.. I THINK WE STILL ARE WORKING CLASS EVEN IF WE ARE BRAIN WASHED WE AINT!!!! PIGION HOLED YES BUT IN THIS CASE WE ARE JUST THAT...

Fozz i await you opinion fella!!!

OUT

[ROCKY]

work to rule has to be the way forward(sorry had to use that)for all of us,i presume it is a coincidence that the tvs are starting now at a time like this,i could agree with rm if there business model made sense a few bits do,but most of it seems to be suicidal,ignoring the propaganda for a moment what do rm really want this seems again to be a case of every worse case scenario lumped together,maybe we should let them have everything they want then sue the arse out of them when they fuc? it all up,
we need publicity,the union are not reaching people and a lot of the mindless sheep will do what they are told we need national detailed coverage and we need it now

[F0zziebear]

The company still a bureaucratic mess so don't think they have some communications plan with the TV's, that is a co-incidence. If they are that intelligent I can't say I saw it when working right at the top of the company.

The work to rule idea makes sense in terms of highlighting some of the around the edges favours that people do to ensure offices clear etc... In good offices this happens be it walkers/drivers/indoor staff or even mgmt (I know you might not think this).

My view is that the public will have little sympathy with the union when going out on strike. TNT will pop up with their bolshi communications approach and say, 'don't worry Manchester we will deliver your urban mail' oh and by the way postcomm have given us exemption from the zonal tariffs whilst the strike continues (something to that affect).

Unofficial industrial action is a no no as again you the postie and Royal mail are seen as been old public sector not in the 21st century trouble-making work-shy etc.... Who are the public going to believe on TV the likes of Allan Leighton and Adam Crozier or Dave Ward etc... Personally Crozier and Leighton carry enough public PR weight to beat the union on this front. The public also forget that the quality of serive in recent years has been amazing, and will jump on your backs once their exams papers, bank statements etc... don't arrive. Also companies will lose patience very quickly and opt to give their contracts to the competitors and it will take at least a year if not longer to win any of them back, as the remaining big contracts (most have gone) require stationary and process changes (wish costs money to change back).

I expect there will be a compromise where x no. of jobs will go, with better conditions for those remain with some strings (possibly not all). This happened with Single Daily Delivery where a compromise was agreed. The company saved face both in terms of the union and the mgmt, jobs went (with many actually prepared to take early retirement or a compensation package) and get jobs elsewhere. In a climate where the market is quite good for employment I reckon a number should consider taking a tidy sum, invest in property and accept a decent re-training programme, or possibly consider doing some owner driver delivery or goign to work in deliveries for the competition, though the terms and conditions would be somewhat poorer.

I say this without a vested interest (well unless one of them comes along with a big fat pay cheque for my advice, but personally I've had enough of the industry in general).

I can't see any other way to work on the pension deficit (which will keep being a problem) and upgrading the processing and delivery machinery to compete primarily against TNT and DHL (UK Mail will get bought by someone at some stage).

A company that is looking exclusively inwards and fighting is likely to miss looking at it's competition. An alternative approach is to work on radically new products that customers really want, but again this requires considerable operational change and investment mainly in IT systems to improve real time data for direct marketing campagins from the banks etc... RM is still way to slow at changing as it's operation is almost too large to change. When was the last time a really new product came along (I don't mean 9am as that was a slight modification to an existing product)?

Rant over

[KawasakiKid]

Fozz gives his version of the big picture and no doubt some of what he says may be correct, but what happens in your unit if we have a work to rule? RM won't sit on their hands while we draw our pay. Don't forget they are threatening exec action anyway and will impose their changes on us with or without the unions agreement. Here's a little scenario. There you are working to rule and your manager says you have got to do it this way (exec action) you refuse and he suspends you ! What do you do now?----------------KWACK

[ROCKY]

WHEN I TALKED ABOUT PUBLICITY FOZZIE I MEANT A PANORAMA STYLE INESTIGATION MUCH AS HAPPENED TO THE SCIENTOLOGY PEOPLE,OPEN AND HARD HITTING ITS A FAIR BET THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE A LOT OF TINNED WORMS TO HIDE WITH US MUPPETS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

[johno47]

Fozzie, i actualy agree with your last sentence, about company infighting, RM have caused this infighting by their negative attitude towards its workforce and competition, the CWU last year agreed to work with RM towards new products and ways of fighting the competition, RM have panicked in the face of competition, what was it they said they did not realise how much business they would loose to competitors, Leighton and Crozier are on life changing ammounts of money to out think the opposision and come up with a foreward looking business plan, THEY FAILED, and we are all paying the price for their incompetance, and competion might be planning E2E deliverys but lets be honest about this they only want the big towns mail, the scummy estates and rural communitys are not on their agenda so its still not fair competion is it, and when the public realise this, it will be too late, there seems to be a mad rush to force goverment busnesses into privitisation, there is not one public owned company that is any better off after privatisation, will people ever learn.

[DirtyHarry]

Only when it's too late, johno47 , and they realise they own nothing and are at
the complete mercy of market forces.

[POSTMAN]

WHEN I TALKED ABOUT PUBLICITY FOZZIE I MEANT A PANORAMA STYLE INESTIGATION MUCH AS HAPPENED TO THE SCIENTOLOGY PEOPLE,OPEN AND HARD HITTING ITS A FAIR BET THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE A LOT OF TINNED WORMS TO HIDE WITH US MUPPETS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

Where's channel f***ing 4 when you need them
Good point though Rock,with the business(Government run) failing so miserably,surely someone has to be looking into it