Bosses and union locked in talks

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Bosses and union locked in talks as Royal Mail now has just three days left to avoid strike

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news ... paign=1490" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail bosses and the Communication Workers Union are locked in talks this weekend in an attempt to reach agreement by Wednesday to avoid a threatened strike.

A national walkout by postal staff had been planned for the start of this month after most of the CWU’s 155,000 Royal Mail members voted in favour of industrial action.

But disruption was avoided after the union and bosses said they were making significant progress on talks over pay and working conditions.
Plan: The CWU has always insisted the strike threat relates to pay and conditions and not to privatisation

Plan: The CWU has always insisted the strike threat relates to pay and conditions and not to privatisation

They agreed to continue talks until November 13, at which time the union is set to make a decision on whether to reactivate its strike plan.

The postal giant, which was privatised last month, has already agreed a three-year pay deal higher than the 8.6 per cent that it previously offered. It is believed to be making further concessions on working conditions.


A spokesman for Royal Mail confirmed that talks would continue over the weekend. A CWU spokeswoman said: ‘There is lots of willingness on both sides to reach agreement, so talks are continuing. However, we haven’t ruled out striking if we do not reach agreement by Wednesday.’

If both parties fail to agree a deal, then a nationwide strike could take place as early as November 20. The possibility of future strikes has failed to dampen investors’ enthusiasm for Royal Mail shares.

On Friday they closed at 567p, up 72 per cent from the 330p flotation price and valuing Royal Mail at almost £5.7billion.

The CWU has always insisted the strike threat relates to pay and conditions and is not a strike in protest at the recent privatisation.

The turnover of shares on the stock market has been modest, suggesting that after an initial flurry of trading, most investors are now holding onto the stock for the long term.

Meanwhile, the investment banks involved in the valuation of Royal Mail are set to face a grilling by MPs, after being asked by the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee to appear before an inquiry later this month. MPs are querying whether the flotation price was set too low.

[halfull]

i wont hold my breath for an agreement. until the company realizes that the biggest problem is workload in delivery & b&h in delivery i cannot see the union moving with us to a vote. And as of yet all ive heard is the company don't recognize either is a problem! what a shock!

[worktotime]

to be honest that says it all if we no agreement is done it wont effect the shares prices now and any future strike action , typical r/m bideing time as usual , we should have gone out on the 4th to show these we wont it treated like s**t , come on cwu no more stalling weve had enough.

[biscuit1957]

I was told by a union rep last Thursday the offer on the table was 10% over 3 years pay deal,5 years terms and conditions with talks after 3 years,this seems to be the stumbling block

[tomangoe]

There should be no deal done until the mess that delivery is in gets sorted. Not further talks for sometime in the future, they need a proper and fair plan for delivery now. Park and Loop should never have been agreed under its current terms, it's all about savings and ripping out jobs, not weight off the shoulder. All of it is just time and motion under another name and you can't apply it to Royal Mail deliveries as you can't possibly know what each office is going to get on a daily basis, let alone each walk, there are too many variables-it's guesswork at best. Indoor work is timed to the last second by planners,even down to how long it takes to take yorks to the lift and loading bay with no allowance for anything. The same applies to walks-how long does it take to cross a road or Johnny to answer the door for his packet ? Walks at 4 to 5 hours in the heat of the day or pissing down or snow and ice are too long even taking your breaks (who wants to sit in a van wet through and freezing to eat your sarnies with filthy hands). Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum and indoor needs to be doable at a reasonable pace, not timed to every second on forecasts that are way below the actuality.

[mandelsons_toenail]

There should be no deal done until the mess that delivery is in gets sorted. Not further talks for sometime in the future, they need a proper and fair plan for delivery now. Park and Loop should never have been agreed under its current terms, it's all about savings and ripping out jobs, not weight off the shoulder. All of it is just time and motion under another name and you can't apply it to Royal Mail deliveries as you can't possibly know what each office is going to get on a daily basis, let alone each walk, there are too many variables-it's guesswork at best. Indoor work is timed to the last second by planners,even down to how long it takes to take yorks to the lift and loading bay with no allowance for anything. The same applies to walks-how long does it take to cross a road or Johnny to answer the door for his packet ? Walks at 4 to 5 hours in the heat of the day or pissing down or snow and ice are too long even taking your breaks (who wants to sit in a van wet through and freezing to eat your sarnies with filthy hands). Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum and indoor needs to be doable at a reasonable pace, not timed to every second on forecasts that are way below the actuality.

[rhino49]

There should be no deal done until the mess that delivery is in gets sorted. Not further talks for sometime in the future, they need a proper and fair plan for delivery now. Park and Loop should never have been agreed under its current terms, it's all about savings and ripping out jobs, not weight off the shoulder. All of it is just time and motion under another name and you can't apply it to Royal Mail deliveries as you can't possibly know what each office is going to get on a daily basis, let alone each walk, there are too many variables-it's guesswork at best. Indoor work is timed to the last second by planners,even down to how long it takes to take yorks to the lift and loading bay with no allowance for anything. The same applies to walks-how long does it take to cross a road or Johnny to answer the door for his packet ? Walks at 4 to 5 hours in the heat of the day or pissing down or snow and ice are too long even taking your breaks (who wants to sit in a van wet through and freezing to eat your sarnies with filthy hands). Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum and indoor needs to be doable at a reasonable pace, not timed to every second on forecasts that are way below the actuality.

I would love to think that your post would find it's way to the discussion table - sums up the whole problem in words even the management should understand

[banner18]

If deliveries are the sticking point and they are locked in these talks due to this then it is great. Something to get our teeth into and will be well worth going on strike for. I think they have to be weary of a set of agreements, we need built in solutions not lip service.
Another idea which would remove the need for lapsing would be to work a half hour more per day over winter and half hour less per day over summer. No more lapsing and RM save on ot over xmas and winter and the pressure on delivery staff is lifted. Park and loop will not go because too much investment has been put behind it.
It needs to be recognized that a major conflict has developed around deliveries. This is the USO being upheld at all costs, even at the expense of a posties right to a fair days work. The USO is our friend in providing employment to many but is also our enemy on an individual level when managers have to cover no matter what.

The fact is that the union needs to remove the onus being on posties to say what they can deliver exactly. In no other industry does anyone state the workload they will complete, they do their time and any extra is a total voluntary matter which is asked politely by managers and can be refused. We should be allowed to finish on our time regardless and any mail brought back that fails is hard luck.

[Cut Off King]

Trouble is that CWUHQ still think that BT2010 was a good deal, but I suppose they don't have to live with it day in - day out.
Billy & Dave need to admit that they got it wrong.

They gave away too much to RM, and RM won't want to give up those gains easily !
And we have paid the price of the "Deal of the century" in delivery.

[Chelseablue]

Totally agree unmanageable workload and b and h are the big ones that need sorted . 4 and a half to 5 hrs walking in stimes below zero freezing temperatures is way too long .

[clashcityrocker]

Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum .

That's fine if you want a predominantly part=time workforce.

[DirtyHarry]

Workloads in deliveries are nothing but vicious.
They need to be made more achievable as a matter of the utmost urgency.
Too few staff/duties, too much work = a recipe for disaster.
Why Royal Mail management keep using the words, efficient, and, efficiency......Is quite beyond me, as nearly every change introduced to working practises, leads to more inefficiency.
When it comes to Royal Mail, the lunatics truly do run the asylum.

[DirtyHarry]

Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum .

That's fine if you want a predominantly part=time workforce.

5hrs out in all extremes of weather every working day, is not conducive to good health.
Something needs to be done about that.

[halfull]

There should be no deal done until the mess that delivery is in gets sorted. Not further talks for sometime in the future, they need a proper and fair plan for delivery now. Park and Loop should never have been agreed under its current terms, it's all about savings and ripping out jobs, not weight off the shoulder. All of it is just time and motion under another name and you can't apply it to Royal Mail deliveries as you can't possibly know what each office is going to get on a daily basis, let alone each walk, there are too many variables-it's guesswork at best. Indoor work is timed to the last second by planners,even down to how long it takes to take yorks to the lift and loading bay with no allowance for anything. The same applies to walks-how long does it take to cross a road or Johnny to answer the door for his packet ? Walks at 4 to 5 hours in the heat of the day or pissing down or snow and ice are too long even taking your breaks (who wants to sit in a van wet through and freezing to eat your sarnies with filthy hands). Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum and indoor needs to be doable at a reasonable pace, not timed to every second on forecasts that are way below the actuality.

[halfull]

Walks need to be 3.5 hours Maximum .

That's fine if you want a predominantly part=time workforce.

wat?