Evening times article

[maximus]

Deleted

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Full Article

Gordon Brown today condemned the industrial action crippling postal services - as staff walked out at the start of a second 48-hour strike.

Speaking at his monthly Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister said it was a "very serious issue" and urged unions and management to reach a deal.

He added: "This is unacceptable. This is a disruption to people's lives. I want these people back to work."

But despite the Prime Minister's plea, there was no sign of an end to the bitter dispute.

alks between management and union leaders broke down last night, and the latest stoppage began at 3am.

Around 130,000 staff won't return to work until Wednesday morning.

Picket lines were mounted outside mail centres across the country this morning as business leaders urged the two sides to keep talking.

There is already a huge mail backlog following last week's 48-hour strike. And the Communication Workers Union has said the Christmas post could be hit unless a deal is hammered out soon.

The union has rejected a 2.5% pay offer and is challenging modernisation plans which they claim would cost up to 40,000 jobs.

A CWU spokesman said: "These modernisation plans will take the service backwards.

"The strikes will not be called off until an agreement is reached."

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "Royal Mail desperately needs to modernise and improve its efficiency.

"A key part of this is simply asking our people to work all the hours they are already paid to work, and to use the equipment Royal Mail is investing in."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Posted by: Big Mac, Scotland on 2:11pm today
Gordon Brown's goverment (Who are the owners of Royal Mail) are the ones to blame for this fiasco. They have told everybody to start and make provision for their retirement! The biggest issue about this strike is the way that Royal Mail ( Remember that the Govt is the owner)wants to change the pensions of the postmen/women. No-one wants to go out on strike but there comes a time in everyone’s working life when you have to say enough is enough and stand up against the bullies who call themselves management. The average postal worker stands to lose approx £75,000 from THEIR pension fund, because Royal Mail wants them to work an extra 5 years. [italic][bold]Remember the uproar when people were mis-sold endowments![/bold][/italic] Then this is ten times worse as these guys and women were sold their pensions on the belief that they would retire at 60 and not 65!! Now how can you expect folk who are over 20 - 30 years into a pension scheme to accept that kind of change thrust onto them without a fight? And to all the idiots on here who just like to see their own names on a forum no matter what they put up, Would you accept it? No doubt there will be the normal "If you don't like it, Leave" or " Sack them" Brigade on again but that’s life when you give a voice to the weasels of the world!
Gordon Brown's government (Who are the owners of Royal Mail) are the ones to blame for this fiasco.
They have told everybody to start and make provision for their retirement!
The biggest issue about this strike is the way that Royal Mail ( Remember that the Govt is the owner)wants to change the pensions of the postmen/women.
No-one wants to go out on strike but there comes a time in everyone’s working life when you have to say enough is enough and stand up against the bullies who call themselves management.
The average postal worker stands to lose approx £75,000 from THEIR pension fund, because Royal Mail wants them to work an extra 5 years.
Remember the uproar when people were mis-sold endowments!
Then this is ten times worse as these guys and women were sold their pensions on the belief that they would retire at 60 and not 65!!
Now how can you expect folk who are over 20 - 30 years into a pension scheme to accept that kind of change thrust onto them without a fight?
And to all the idiots on here who just like to see their own names on a forum no matter what they put up,
Would you accept it?
No doubt there will be the normal "If you don't like it, Leave" or " Sack them" Brigade on again but that’s life when you give a voice to the weasels of the world!

[strangler]

Why do they keep drumming on about people "working the hours they are paid to work". Do they think we sit about doing f**k all every day?
In fact someone help me out here cos I can`t think of many jobs where people work until it dries up, then go home, only to come in the next day early to make the hours up. And I`ve had several jobs before I came to work for RM.

[dogfood]

Management must think we do fcuk all all day like they do.

If we are doing fcuk all day why do screws move heaven and earth rather than carry a bag on their backs?

[peedofpostie]

most days i am on overtime so they d be owing me hours

[dvbuk55]

most days i am on overtime so they d be owing me hours

That's exactly their idea you would do the hours BUT you wouldn't get paid. When they now say "Job and finish" that's what they mean - a light day you work fewer hours and on a day when there is a heavy posting bills etc you will complete the workload regardless of the number of hours worked. This is the flexibility of annualised hours, which is a total crock of sh*t, but true. They will also be able to change your start/finish time.