whats going on ?

mags999 · Post by **mags999** » 13 Jun 2020, 10:19

you might be able to predict how much you can take out with parcels but letters are a different ball game due to age and speed of each individual

Deadly · Post by **Deadly** » 13 Jun 2020, 11:29

So if we do lose Saturdays,will this trickle down to mail centres, collections and network?

Post by **Munchboii** » 13 Jun 2020, 11:51

97gaz wrote:There is only one reason the review into the USO was brought forward and that was because it had to be at the companys request. OFCOM would have no reason to bring it forward otherwise.

I've been predicting for quite a while that when the review happens the first thing to go will be Saturday mail delivery. However I think this pandemic has been good for RMs case when we take into consideration the losses the company will have made. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that we are losing Saturdays and rural are moving to alternate days.

And for the posts above. The new route manager program will eventually have the ability to predict what you need to take out that day based on traffic.

Saturdays will go but Rurals will go to 5 day USO like walks will.

The public would not support having to get their mail only 3 times a week especially when mail on some rurals is still significant due to poor IT infrastructure. Rurals with farms on them get loads of invoices ect still through the post.

Also consider that some MPs and rich people will live on rurals and they wont want a 2nd class service will they?

Post by **97gaz** » 13 Jun 2020, 15:21

Munchboii wrote:
Saturdays will go but Rurals will go to 5 day USO like walks will.

The public would not support having to get their mail only 3 times a week especially when mail on some rurals is still significant due to poor IT infrastructure. Rurals with farms on them get loads of invoices ect still through the post.

Also consider that some MPs and rich people will live on rurals and they wont want a 2nd class service will they?

The public won't all be getting their mail 3 days a week though . Only the deep rural will go to alternate days . We have about 35 rural and 12 walks. Most of theses rurals will probably still deliver to the main towns but won't go out into the sticks except with packets. My guess is they can cut about 15-20% of rural by jigging stuff around. Add that to removal of Saturday mail and the savings will be massive.

I personally have no doubt that it will happen but I didn't think it would happen for a long time. Coronavirus and lockdown has changed that timeline. Let's not forget that Royal Mail is a private company now and has shareholders breathing down the neck of the management. The shareholders won't give a toss about the punters as long as there's big savings.

wallan · Post by **wallan** » 13 Jun 2020, 15:39

Boxes at the end of drives , no more driving up half a mile or so to an isolated house / farm
If they want there Refuse collected where do they have to leave there Bins , at the end of the drive

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 13 Jun 2020, 15:43

wallan wrote:Boxes at the end of drives , no more driving up half a mile or so to an isolated house / farm
If they want there Refuse collected where do they have to leave there Bins , at the end of the drive

Combined office where they pick all the mail up from, combined with the functionality of a post office?

Post by **rogersh** » 13 Jun 2020, 16:57

A2B wrote:
rogersh wrote:Awaiting the review decision by Ofcom, due this year, this should clarify whether a 6 day USO is sustainable.
You would think that would be delayed due to exceptional circumstances

If this crisis has proved anything it's that when most things shut down people still rely on the postal service to deliver even if it's not been a regular service

In December 2019 Royal Mail stated "The regulator has begun the review of the Universal service."

The delay you state is probable, but hopefully a decision will be forthcoming by the end of the year.

yubin282 · Post by **yubin282** » 13 Jun 2020, 17:42

wallan wrote:Boxes at the end of drives , no more driving up half a mile or so to an isolated house / farm
If they want there Refuse collected where do they have to leave there Bins , at the end of the drive

Boxes at the end of drives - like every country in the world except us

JKSmudge · Post by **JKSmudge** » 13 Jun 2020, 18:24

I hope CWU drop this 35 hour business - I'm 30 hour contract doing 40-45 hours atm. All it will mean is we start ( and finish ) even later.

Grumpyoldmailman · Post by **Grumpyoldmailman** » 13 Jun 2020, 18:25

JKSmudge wrote:I hope CWU drop this 35 hour business - I'm 30 hour contract doing 40-45 hours atm. All it will mean is we start ( and finish ) even later.

Why would anybody not want to work 35 hours for the same pay as 38?

GRS · Post by **GRS** » 13 Jun 2020, 18:43

I hope that RM are looking at us collecting returned items from peoples houses on our way round. With the amount of parcels being delivered you can’t tell me that everyone is happy with their purchase or receiving items that fit them etc. It would be so easy for us to pick up returns whilst out there and we need to capitalise on it now whilst volumes are so high. Strike while the irons hot not get round to it in 2 or 3 years time. Will be a big money spinner.

2yearpostie · Post by **2yearpostie** » 13 Jun 2020, 18:59

GRS wrote:I hope that RM are looking at us collecting returned items from peoples houses on our way round. With the amount of parcels being delivered you can’t tell me that everyone is happy with their purchase or receiving items that fit them etc. It would be so easy for us to pick up returns whilst out there and we need to capitalise on it now whilst volumes are so high. Strike while the irons hot not get round to it in 2 or 3 years time. Will be a big money spinner.

Where you gonna put it our bags are heavy enough taking stuff out with collecting more on the way round!

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 13 Jun 2020, 19:33

There's a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the pandemic and the detrimental effect this has on our economy. Royal Mail are trying to exploit this to the full. However, let's not forget that the company have kept running whilst many organisations couldn't operate. British Airways,for example, probably have more valid reasons to make staff redundant (even though it recorded profits at the end of 2019 after tax of £1.1bn and had cash reserves of £2.6bn). Royal Mail are not in the same position as it's main focus is still transformation.

That said, not paying overtime to complete deliveries is not on when there are many staff willing to actually do the work! I've seen this happen on quite a few occasions and the excuse Royal Mail have been using is that we are in a pandemic. We cannot allow this to continue when there are part-timers unable to get extra hours and the CWU are trying to achieve a 35 hour working week. From past experience though, getting just an hour off the working week has been something of an uphill struggle. Maybe the Union should focus one of their pillars on something else?

A2B · Post by **A2B** » 13 Jun 2020, 20:34

postslippete wrote:
That said, not paying overtime to complete deliveries is not on when there are many staff willing to actually do the work! I've seen this happen on quite a few occasions and the excuse Royal Mail have been using is that we are in a pandemic. We cannot allow this to continue when there are part-timers unable to get extra hours and the CWU are trying to achieve a 35 hour working week. From past experience though, getting just an hour off the working week has been something of an uphill struggle. Maybe the Union should focus one of their pillars on something else?

Interested in how you think the CWU can dictate to RM how they allocate their money? RM are openly saying they are losing money due to the drop in mail and increased absence, will throwing more money into the fire do any good?

Not sure where you're going with the lack of overtime for pt staff and the reduction in the working week for ft staff, surely there will be potential for pt staff to pick up more overtime and their hourly rate will increase, win win?

twoloops · Post by **twoloops** » 13 Jun 2020, 20:57

A lot of the part timers would jump if the carrot was dangled & cheaper to get rid of