Reserves/floaters out?

[hewittinspain]

Hi. Ive just read a comment made regarding that if the postal service is reduced to 5 days a week in the next 5 years then it would be the reserves that would be under threat of a job even if they have a permanent contract? Can anyone shed any light or direct me on past threads discussing this, scaremongering perhaps or do we not know the outcome or where 'possible' jobs will be lost?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

It's a common held belief that if we went to a 5 day a week service we would lose a lot of jobs, that is technically correct technically if we went down to a five day service we wouldn't need floaters (not reserves) so that's 1 in 6 of staff no longer needed then approximately 1 in 6 reserves no longer needed so you are looking around a potential 1 in 5 reduction in head count

But at the moment we have a no compulsory redundancies policy with rm so they would need to change that if they wanted to make any compulsory redundancies so don't worry too much there are plenty of people who want a pay off to leave I would think that would take up quite a large percentage of any potential job loss coupled with the already high number of existing vacant positions and then with any natuaral wastage in the year or so it would take to implement (ihr retirement etc)

Coupled with fact it will need an act of parliament to reduce the USO And in certain areas Sunday deliveries are being tried out, I cannot see it happening for at least 3 or 4 years even if it happens

[Kobi72]

Full timers will go before reserves,

[hewittinspain]

Without sounding thick, I thought a floater was a reserve, is there a difference? I cover any one of the 40 duties in our office due to holidays and I was under the impression I was classed as a reserve?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Without sounding thick, I thought a floater was a reserve, is there a difference? I cover any one of the 40 duties in our office due to holidays and I was under the impression I was classed as a reserve?

As usual the terms have different meanings in different offices.

In my office a Reserve has no fixed duty/duties. Day off Covers (DOCs) is self explanatory.

In other offices a floater floats between 5 set duties, and in yet other offices a floater float over all duties as and when required (sometimes called a reserve as well).

[zzzidane]

Not convinced that we will become a 5 day a week company anytime soon. Customers still want packets/parcels delivered 6 days a week & in some cases, the way things r goin, 7 days a week. So talk of 1 in 5/6 jobs going is premature imo. Plenty of staff will still be needed to deliver these items.

[datasaint]

http://postandparcel.info/44462/news/co ... eliveries/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Dutch government, which has been carrying out a promised review of the universal service obligation two years after the Postal Act was laid, said 85% of the Dutch population did not mind if there was one day less of mail delivery each week.

Research from Ecorys suggested shifting from six to five days of delivery would bring the biggest savings for PostNL.

That was PostNL a private company at the end of 2011.

Fast forward to now, RM is steadily increasing the price of stamps and services until the point where this argument of dropping Monday delivery so the Postal Service can remain "affordable to all" becomes viable.

If some outside investor buys a majority holding in RM and lobbies to change the USO it could move quicker than you think.