Royal Mail's proposals in the current pay, pensions and change strategy negotiations

[meercat]

So monthly pay is a smoke screen to get people talking about anything but the pipeline plans which are:

9-5 shift at delivery offices
One wave with filtering of manual into the bundle in the van and working from two bundles the other being D2D
Heavy and light days with only 1st class+packets going on light days
Seasonal hours - longer shifts (working week) in winter, shorter in summer
Compulsory cover - as a group you cover absence/holiday from other colleagues in your 'Team'.

Well you can't say that doesn't make sense as a business proposal for a company in this market. It all depends on how flexible we think as a work force we should be. Should we agree to these changes to help RM move forward? The CWU probably thinks we should as I can see sense in it. If all job redundancies are done on a voluntary basis there is not much here we can object to. I can't see these five areas as an attack on conditions, they are logistical proposals. Maybe the compulsory cover one is a bit iffy.

[Zicomurphy]

dingo, Royal Mail won't even test duties, in our office, because they know full well that they are unachievable if workers stick to their guidelines. Why on earth would they care about the outcome of any multi-bundle trials? They will bring in what they want.

So true. Managers are quick to make comments and give grief to people who cut off but mention testing the walk and they go very quiet.

[Zicomurphy]

Haven't they already tried these new delivery methods, in Walsall I think, or was that another new delivery method? What was the outcome of that?

[citypostie]

So monthly pay is a smoke screen to get people talking about anything but the pipeline plans which are:

9-5 shift at delivery offices
One wave with filtering of manual into the bundle in the van and working from two bundles the other being D2D
Heavy and light days with only 1st class+packets going on light days
Seasonal hours - longer shifts (working week) in winter, shorter in summer
Compulsory cover - as a group you cover absence/holiday from other colleagues in your 'Team'.

Well you can't say that doesn't make sense as a business proposal for a company in this market. It all depends on how flexible we think as a work force we should be. Should we agree to these changes to help RM move forward? The CWU probably thinks we should as I can see sense in it. If all job redundancies are done on a voluntary basis there is not much here we can object to. I can't see these five areas as an attack on conditions, they are logistical proposals. Maybe the compulsory cover one is a bit iffy.

If the cwu think that we should accept any of that without a fight we are in big trouble!
Covering sickness and leave a bit iffy! If they bring that in i hope they do away with sick pay altogether because the amount of people i work with who love a holiday sicky would mean you'd be doing their work all the time and at least with no sick pay it might stop them taking the piss

[Pidleypoo]

I thought the multi bundle thing had been thrown out in Canada on health and safety grounds through the courts. As for the other delivery stuff i.e. Later starts then they will have to massively adjust their outdoor planning methods because in the summer we'd be out in the hottest part of the day and in the winter we'd be in the dark, and I know we used to but we don't have the parcels and trolleys and d2d that we have now.

[Stunl3y]

Is royal mail killing it's work force ???

No they just want to kill the long term full timers so they can ship staff in who don't know any better

[Tman]

Why? Because it's now beholden to shareholders, and as such has a "duty" to reduce costs and maximise profits. Up to now, the T&C's have been largely comparable with the old Civil Service etc T&C's, but now RM want them to be comparable with other national carriers.
Anyone with any drive, ambition or transferable skills should look to get out ASAP, because this process isn't going to stop long-term no matter how well the CWU fight (or not).
Monthly pay and team-working are just little bargaining points in the bigger game, and nothing to make a big deal over, unlike the pensions/sick pay and allowances removals.

[Tman]

Instead of talking like some third-rate Brian Blessed, why not say where that scenario is incorrect...in your humble opinion, of course.

[tonytucker]

Me and my Girlfriend have based all our bill paying on my weekly pay, moving to monthly would be an absolute disaster, especially on 5 week months.

Dumpster your bird mate

[jetblack]

Monthly pay is neither here nor there IMO - its barely worth talking about/ is trivial in the grand scheme of things. You'll still be paid the same amount FFS. Most of my bills are monthly direct debits anyhow. Monthly pay wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Nothing to see here gentlemen.

[Tman]

Instead of talking like some third-rate Brian Blessed, why not say where that scenario is incorrect...in your humble opinion, of course.

Tman. Please don't be a retarded human being life form...

You know s h I t..

Come now, insults are for the retards.
Tell me where that scenario is incorrect then, show what a clever old Brian you can be.

[wacko74]

Monthly pay is neither here nor there IMO - its barely worth talking about/ is trivial in the grand scheme of things. You'll still be paid the same amount FFS. Most of my bills are monthly direct debits anyhow. Monthly pay wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Nothing to see here gentlemen.

Monthly pay isn't a trivial matter when part timers are relying on large amounts of overtime, they've got to keep a precise record of what overtime they've done for a whole month... then they've got to wait another whole month when (not if) they've been underpaid.

[aiden01]

Instead of talking like some third-rate Brian Blessed, why not say where that scenario is incorrect...in your humble opinion, of course.

Tman. Please don't be a retarded human being life form...

You know s h I t..

Come now, insults are for the retards.
Tell me where that scenario is incorrect then, show what a clever old Brian you can be.

why do hell do some threads disintegrate into silly fu..ing name calling especially the word retards sad sad people..

[Tman]

Beats me.
He's been on the pop by the looks of things.

[bustedflush]

All roads lead to Rome.

Rome in this case being 50% of the workforce under 30, maximum 30 hours per week, less sick pay, reduced pay for 3 years and a poor pension likely to be the minimum permitted by law. The new intake are likely to be of a generation less knowledgeable about Unions and conditioned that it's normal to feel happy to get just above NMW for a manual job. Their lower wages will mean them far less likely to want to pay CWU subs. The end result is a less-Unionsed, younger, fitter and cheaper workforce that are far more malleable for managers to bully.

The present class of FT's, over 50's, Union stalwarts and those experienced enough to object to this race to the bottom will be decimated over the next 4-8 years, mark my words. The huge savings RM will make (and they WILL get some of this agreed by the CWU) will subsidize the one-off costs of EVRs and ERs.

So in 4-8 years the most dramatic transformation ever will have taken place. You'll have a majority of younger PTs working hours between 09/10:00 to 16:00 or 17:00 and little Unionization. The one-off costs of ER/EVR will have been paid off and the operating profits will become huge. The revenue will be similar to today, or slightly higher but the costs far lower. The new workers will get their wages made up by the WFTC system to replace what RM aren't paying. The board will be slapping themselves on the back and pocketing huge bonuses, and the people paid off will be sat watching Jeremy Kyle in those 'no man's land' years between ER and state pension age.