Will the post be suspended soon?

andyman606 · Post by **andyman606** » 16 Mar 2020, 21:15

Surely in a couple of weeks the post will be suspended for health reasons if not the disease will spread through the office and out into the communities. We touch everything not a chance of not getting it via the close proximity to each other in the office handling the same stuff or all the doors, lifts handles customers we come into contact with each day.
Frankly it's irresponsible to carry on delivering death to vunerable people's doors and to pass it on to our vunerable family and friends.

iHateD2Ds · Post by **iHateD2Ds** » 16 Mar 2020, 21:47

I reckon so ,a couple of managers today thought we would be in lockdown by end of the week ,maybe this thought has trickled down from above ?.
When it happens, will we be paid?
I can’t imagine Royal Mail paying 120,000 employees wages for sitting at home, it would be so unsustainable!

DMarvesley · Post by **DMarvesley** » 16 Mar 2020, 21:50

Couldn't agree more. We have a duty to protect our families, work colleagues and the wider community. Surely this is more important than "the mail must get through" attitude of RM. Only problem is that common sense doesn't always apply with our employers. Probably get to the stage where upper echelons of the company are working from home, most managers and DOMs spend day on computer anyway, and we are left to deal with the fallout.

DMarvesley · Post by **DMarvesley** » 16 Mar 2020, 21:54

iHateD2Ds wrote:I reckon so ,but the big question is will we be paid?
I can’t imagine Royal Mail paying 120,000 employees wages for sitting at home, it would be so unsustainable!

At the end of the day they would be paying us anyway and we going to have to deal with back log when it's all done and dusted.

Ren Hoëk · Post by **Ren Hoëk** » 16 Mar 2020, 21:56

I honestly don't think it will be and or should be. BUT! Only if RM relaxes it's culture on management harassing staff to be present when sick. RM MUST create a culture where staff feel free to be absent if they have the slightest inkling they have this thing. Mild cough etc. Staff should feel able to ring up in the morning, utter the word coronavirus and be met with "Thankyou for telling me, Please stay home for 14 days and I hope you feel better soon/Don't have it".

It would help to stop the spread of the virus within the company and thus help keep the company operational. It will also help us not become the spreaders.

Im quite happy with the current procedures. Not allowing customers to touch PDA and distancing ourselves from customers.

RTP · Post by **RTP** » 16 Mar 2020, 22:51

A quick look on google says that post is still being delivered in Italy apart from the Lombardy region. Also an apparently fit and healthy 46yr old paramedic has recently died from coronavirus in Lombardy.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/w ... s-17929745" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

andyman606 · Post by **andyman606** » 16 Mar 2020, 23:00

Somewhere it was stated he had a unknown problem with his heart....try to stay safe comrades wash them hands wipe the PDA even if with baby wipes etc....keep a distance and get some sleep we are hopefully pretty immune to flu with been exposed each day but let's keep it right and look after ourselves and everyone else whilst we are still going at it.
Goodnight early start obviously Lol!!

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 16 Mar 2020, 23:06

Not a hope in hell

Deadly · Post by **Deadly** » 16 Mar 2020, 23:22

It's probably mail centres that will be the main worry, hundreds of workers in close proximity. Would logistics be ok as if they stop working then there'll be no mail moving around the country anyway?

ssdd · Post by **ssdd** » 16 Mar 2020, 23:36

Deadly wrote:It's probably mail centres that will be the main worry, hundreds of workers in close proximity. Would logistics be ok as if they stop working then there'll be no mail moving around the country anyway?

I'm sure with contingency measures they would have a skeleton service at minimum.

hero22 · Post by **hero22** » 16 Mar 2020, 23:56

Some family members have just been made redundant and its brutal. As much as I agree with comments about the risks I think the stress of being out of work is seriously damaging also. Its difficult but I think I wud rather be working. Probably sounds a selfish point of view but I definitely understand those who don't want to work too.

LouBarlow · Post by **LouBarlow** » 17 Mar 2020, 05:19

Ren Hoëk wrote:I honestly don't think it will be and or should be. BUT! Only if RM relaxes it's culture on management harassing staff to be present when sick. RM MUST create a culture where staff feel free to be absent if they have the slightest inkling they have this thing. Mild cough etc. Staff should feel able to ring up in the morning, utter the word coronavirus and be met with "Thankyou for telling me, Please stay home for 14 days and I hope you feel better soon/Don't have it".

It would help to stop the spread of the virus within the company and thus help keep the company operational. It will also help us not become the spreaders.

Im quite happy with the current procedures. Not allowing customers to touch PDA and distancing ourselves from customers.

The problem with this tactic is you don't exhibit any symptoms for up to 5 days, so going into work you are unknowingly infecting everyone around you.

Ren Hoëk · Post by **Ren Hoëk** » 17 Mar 2020, 05:30

The problem with this tactic is you don't exhibit any symptoms for up to 5 days, so going into work you are unknowingly infecting everyone around you.

True. If that is the concern though everyone in the country needs to take the next 5 days off work. If they show no symptoms then resume working. If they do then obviously take the next 14 days as per the advice.

Where as this company definitely has a problem with coercing people back/in to work when sick.

manchesterpunk · Post by **manchesterpunk** » 17 Mar 2020, 06:36

I don’t think the post should be suspended. Millions of people - especially vulnerable people will be relying on us right now and if things get worse. As long as management are sensible by allowing people to go sick the rest of us can work to best endeavours.

Personally I’d rather be working through a lockdown. At least we’ll have good reason to be out of the house. There’s talk if things get serious here like France/Spain there could be £1,000 fines if outside during lockdown. I’d rather be working than sat at home for a month.

GRS · Post by **GRS** » 17 Mar 2020, 06:37

Hopefully no one is using threads like this as an excuse to “get one over RM and f**k em up” or cos they’re a lazy bastard who wants a few days at home. This is a s**t storm in the making and hundreds of thousands maybe millions may lose their jobs as well as loved ones and friends. I’m perfectly happy to be guided by government and my employer on this. The reason being is I don’t know any more about this or what route it’s gonna take us down than the next person. All we can do is hope for the best and pray we win this battle.