Do you think working for RM kills the joy of Christmas

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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[dvbuk55]

There is no Christmas spirit at Royal Mail nowadays...even our managers cannot be bothered to put up our lethargic looking Christmas tree this year...not one merry Christmas yet from any customer...just the usual ..you are late today...where is the regular postie...I bet you are busy this time of year...yes the great British public basically doesn't seem to give a toss about us..much like our managers who by the time physically shattered and mentally drained staff get back from their park and loops late into the afternoons these very same managers are either in the pub or long gone!
Happy New Year folks.

Has Royal Mail destroyed Christmas? No it's not RM but consumerism that has destroyed it. It's now buy, buy, buy and latterly everything is delivered hence the increase in workload. Years ago our primary Christmas concern was cards by the hundreds and thousands easily dealt with and by and large within the time scale of an ordinary delivery span with guaranteed hours to boot. Time enough for a quick pie and pint before waddling off home to the wife telling her how horrendous the day had been and regaling her with the amount of tips you got - duly spent already Now of course the workload is such there isn't time for all the frippery there used to be mainly because there is a good deal of under manning and part time hours. It's not the same finishing in the dark as it was finishing at 12 is it?

[Stormproof]

I've no tree or decorations up. I'm really not interested in Christmas anymore

[krussel]

There is no Christmas spirit at Royal Mail nowadays...even our managers cannot be bothered to put up our lethargic looking Christmas tree this year...not one merry Christmas yet from any customer...just the usual ..you are late today...where is the regular postie...I bet you are busy this time of year...yes the great British public basically doesn't seem to give a toss about us..much like our managers who by the time physically shattered and mentally drained staff get back from their park and loops late into the afternoons these very same managers are either in the pub or long gone!
Happy New Year folks.

Has Royal Mail destroyed Christmas? No it's not RM but consumerism that has destroyed it. It's now buy, buy, buy and latterly everything is delivered hence the increase in workload. Years ago our primary Christmas concern was cards by the hundreds and thousands easily dealt with and by and large within the time scale of an ordinary delivery span with guaranteed hours to boot. Time enough for a quick pie and pint before waddling off home to the wife telling her how horrendous the day had been and regaling her with the amount of tips you got - duly spent already Now of course the workload is such there isn't time for all the frippery there used to be mainly because there is a good deal of under manning and part time hours. It's not the same finishing in the dark as it was finishing at 12 is it?

No your not wrong there old mate.

It's sat night ( well almost) and I am struggling to function on a normal level let alone be merry. My feet still hurt with a blister and if I dare cross my legs I am getting cramp. I feel like I want to eat and just go to bed.

I know retail and hospitality jobs are also busy but I think it's more over quicker if that makes sense. Christmas at RM starts mid Nov with the build up of parcels and packets. People are just not stopping either. I had a customer come out today telling me his just ordered 5 items from Amazon and they have told him that they are no longer putting any work through their delivery system but are sending everything 1st class as they cannot cope. Ffs.

He said "will I get it Monday". I replied " when I get it you will get it".

I don't know. I feel I would like to take the misses jump on a plane and just fluck off to the sun for a month, on some beach somewhere.

I am glad it's not just me anyway. Other than the " lucky to have a job" post it seems everyone else is also just worn down with it all. Yes I do know it could be worse and believe me personally I've had some pretty shite Christmases buy like dvbuk I think the work load has zapped the Christmas spirit.

[Dorset Plodder]

Not that anyone, who can do anything, about anything visits this site (please prove me wrong Moya) but I would REALLY appreciate RM doing something about sorting out these stupid odd days we have to work . Like Saturday. Just quoting the USO is Bollocks, surely they could reward all the hard working Posties by just giving them a decent break?

I bet you wont see much Management about that weekend! I try not to treat Christmas Deliveries any different to the rest of the year. If RM are expecting 50% more mail and 50% more packets than surely they should be employing 50% more staff and hiring 50% more vans for the parcels? It's their Corporate Responsibility. I find it pathetic that they have to resort to "Guilt Trips" to try and convince their staff that, "They owe it to the customers not to spoil their Christmas"! FFS This is a Business, it should be run as a Business, not some Festive Charity delivering Food Parcels to the needy.

[dvbuk55]

Festive Charity delivering Food Parcels to the needy.

Can you stretch to a turkey in mine, that'll save me a bob or two because I can keep the one I have for the new Year instead.

[wozza1000]

I feel sorry for you guys, I know exactly what you mean. I left royal mail in the summer (well I was dismissed for being in hospital, due to being pressured into working while unwell)... working for royal mail ruins Christmas!!! I've been in my new job 6 months, and I'm really enjoying Christmas this year. I broke up Friday for 2 WEEKS HOLIDAY, the last week was really relaxed, and on Friday a buffet was laid on and pretty much nothing done by all. 8 years ago I thought being a postman was going to be an enjoyable job... I now realise what a despicable employer royal mail is! You guys are being exploited, and no matter how the union placates you, or what cash pay offs they throw at you... you deserve better!!! TRY and have a happy Christmas, I know its difficult... I feel for you.

[krussel]

Like Saturday. Just quoting the USO is Bollocks, surely they could reward all the hard working Posties by just giving them a decent break?

Yes this has really upset some people in my office. One guy has an elderly parent who lives miles away and is very unwell and was hoping to spend a few days away but cannot make the trip because of the 27th.

Do people REALLY want a delivery on that sat. Its prob only going to be gas and water bills going through the door. Yes we will get the odd parcel delivered which was ordered Christmas eve but that extra day would have made a big difference to how we could spend our Christmas.

[dvbuk55]

I remember being given a Saturday off for RM when this occurred in the past when the workload was far less than it is now. It should have been organised by the union long ago that this would be a "free" day - what happened - well the CWU asked RM for it to be given - RM said Ofcom wouldn't have allowed it so they weren't going to ask and the CWU said OK and that was that. Bet your arse 150 will be closed on Saturday.

I wonder what the odds of 120,000 having a winter bug that day

[krussel]

I remember being given a Saturday off for RM when this occurred in the past when the workload was far less than it is now. It should have been organised by the union long ago that this would be a "free" day - what happened - well the CWU asked RM for it to be given - RM said Ofcom wouldn't have allowed it so they weren't going to ask and the CWU said OK and that was that. Bet your arse 150 will be closed on Saturday.

I wonder what the odds of 120,000 having a winter bug that day

Are there 120k of us left, I recon we are down to 80-90k.

It would have been nice to get that day off. The thought of myself pushing that trolley around on sat morning is not a happy glow one. However it must be done.
I guess we are in the wrong job this time of year.

I do think the other post was correct and RM should be more set up for Christmas. The parcel traffic is only going to get worse and yes I understand about rival companies taking our work but this time of year they simply hold up there hands and place all their work into our system.

Overtime is needed at Christmas but is it healthy for the staff to be allowed to book unlimited hours and to be outside on a delivery for up to 6 hours a day.

[Stormproof]

Not only do we have the Saturday at work to look forward to, lapsing will be back on the 29th........got to love RM!

[dvbuk55]

Not only do we have the Saturday at work to look forward to, lapsing will be back on the 29th........got to love RM!

D'you know years ago the post Christmas mail was even worse than Christmas all the stuff that hadn't been delivered like mailsort suddenly appeared by the shedload far and away more than the cards and it was more of a struggle than Christmas itself.

[krussel]

Not only do we have the Saturday at work to look forward to, lapsing will be back on the 29th........got to love RM!

D'you know years ago the post Christmas mail was even worse than Christmas all the stuff that hadn't been delivered like mailsort suddenly appeared by the shedload far and away more than the cards and it was more of a struggle than Christmas itself.

Yes I remember it well. Coming back after Christmas to back breaking holiday cruise flats by the dozen. Heavy bags all the way around without the extra driver support. That killed any Christmas spirit which was left esp when half the world was still on holiday.

[Stormproof]

Not only do we have the Saturday at work to look forward to, lapsing will be back on the 29th........got to love RM!

D'you know years ago the post Christmas mail was even worse than Christmas all the stuff that hadn't been delivered like mailsort suddenly appeared by the shedload far and away more than the cards and it was more of a struggle than Christmas itself.

Yes I remember it well. Coming back after Christmas to back breaking holiday cruise flats by the dozen. Heavy bags all the way around without the extra driver support. That killed any Christmas spirit which was left esp when half the world was still on holiday.

Yep I remember Christmas from years ago, back then we used to have a casual to help out during the Christmas pressure. Also most of that extra stuff was rebate and used to get dumped on top of the frame and you just worked your way through it during the week.

[Dorset Plodder]

We've been working under this "Constant Pressure Delivery System" for quite a while now. Depending on your DO I suppose some have for several years. It's NOT Healthy and I suppose we all just have to get the message and Start Working Properly, I'd like to think the CWU would start a new campaign in the New Year but I doubt it.

Each DO has a few Posties who do Work Properly, and I believe they probably get more than their fair share of crap, but it really needs the majority of the DO to stick together and say, "We're understaffed, The Duties need Re-Testing, we haven't got the time to Lapse, Absorb etc"! There's probably the right feeling in the majority of DOs to start this type of Campaign as I've noticed a lot of Posties getting stressed and snapping at each other over this Festive Period, as the workloads increase and Posties are getting tired and irritable. Strangely it's normally the Duties that are the "Easy" ones and have IMHO had an easy ride for most of the year....Now they know how some Duties have been Delivering for most of the year!