RMCtv : Simon Thompson : The changes we need

[norris9]

It definitely isn't quiet at the moment. I don't take everything as I can't complete the workload.

It's going to be fun having a shorter working day in the Summer and leaving even more in the frame.


There used to be quieter summers a couple of years back....but now parcel volumes are up significantly. Quiet summers don't exist.

[claretandblue]

It definitely isn't quiet at the moment. I don't take everything as I can't complete the workload.

It's going to be fun having a shorter working day in the Summer and leaving even more in the frame.


There used to be quieter summers a couple of years back....but now parcel volumes are up significantly. Quiet summers don't exist.

This.

I had the most parcels so far this year on Wednesday, we didn't take the lapsing.

[bo72]

It’s not really surprising that Royal Mail have a higher than average sickness rate. It would be more surprising if it didn’t. The postman job is far more physically demanding than the average job and therefore postman are more likely to suffer from injury and conditions related to physical exertion. Also the nature of the job demands that people are fully fit before returning to work unlike many other jobs. I don’t know what data Simon is using but if it relates to the last couple of years it is worth remembering that a large part of the countries workforce was either working from home or furloughed and therefore unlikely to be taking time off sick. Where as Postman were working extremely hard during the worst of the COVID situation therefore more likely than usual to take time off sick. It would seem likely that the Royal Mail proposal to have postman working longer days and later in the day during the winter months is likely to result in more injuries as people will be working in the dark and during the colder part of the day; it seems Simon is wilwilling to risk the safety of his work force in the pursuit of profit. Could the likelihood of more accidents due to his proposals have something to do with his desire to cut our sickness benefits?
Then there is the 5.5% pay rise that Simon likes to tell the press we have turned down. The truth of the matter is it isn’t 5.5% and never would be worth 5.5%. The only part guaranteed is 2% and that is only after a change of tact by the business. The 1.5% they mention is only payable once the changes they want are fully implemented to their satisfaction which could be never and certainly won’t be from the 1st. Of April which it would have to be to be worth 1.5% for this pay year. Then there is the bonus scheme that he is telling the media is worth 2%. Well there is no guarantee that anyone will ever receive this. The criteria is to be set by the business and no one currently knows what this is, if anyone is lucky enough to receive it it is capped at £500 which for most postmen is less than 2%. Then there is the hypocrisy of his stance. Making out we have been given a good offer while he pockets hundreds of thousands and is given a bonus worth five full-time postman?

[norris9]

Well, we have now given our feedback.

It is time for Simon to reflect and get back to us with a fair offer. The changes he wants to implement are too many and too much for such a small 1.5% increase on the 2% no strings offer. The 2% no strings offer is ridiculous when the national living wage is up by 6.6%. I won't even mention inflation, it doesn't need to be mentioned. We just need to reference that the government thinks it's right that people get a raise of 6.6%, but Royal Mail won't even offer us 1/3rd of that.

The job is exhausting. It's almost not worth doing it on our current pay before any pay rise. I personally enjoy it apart from the aches, pains and exhaustion, which are massive negatives. An essentially non-existent pay rise would be another massive negative and a job I thought I would enjoy having for life is now becoming a job I think I need to move on from.

Good luck to Royal Mail if this is the way they want to move forward. By disrespecting the Postal workers you will lose staff. Even more new starters will be out the door earlier than they are already. Nobody will want to be on such low pay for a ridiculously physical job with no thanks or appreciation from those above them. Meanwhile those above are taking bigger pay rises and getting ridiculous bonuses.

I feel most of the 'changes we need' have been written up purely as excuses to pay us less. One example is needing to go green because that's what our customers want. When was this survey done? customers also want a Sunday service - how is that making us greener? it does not add up. It is impossible to become greener if we work 7 days a week rather than 6.

Please reflect on all the constructive criticism and come back to us with a better offer. Thanks.

[fb1969]

The 1.5% has never existed and is a lie repeated endlessly by Simon - as a CEO and someone who loves spreadsheets you'd think basic maths was a requirement.

The "offer" was made a couple of months after the financial year started and the 1.5% applies only once the changes are in place. So it was impossible to ever have the whole 1.5% - if the changes were to come in on 1 August (which they won't) then it would only be worth 1% and every day that passes it is worth even less.

Even saying the offer was "up to" is a lie because it is impossible, if Simon Thompson is prepared to repeat such a blatant lie then you can only wonder what others there are.

[k979aaa]

The 1.5% has never existed and is a lie repeated endlessly by Simon - as a CEO and someone who loves spreadsheets you'd think basic maths was a requirement.

The "offer" was made a couple of months after the financial year started and the 1.5% applies only once the changes are in place. So it was impossible to ever have the whole 1.5% - if the changes were to come in on 1 August (which they won't) then it would only be worth 1% and every day that passes it is worth even less.

Even saying the offer was "up to" is a lie because it is impossible, if Simon Thompson is prepared to repeat such a blatant lie then you can only wonder what others there are.

The thing about all the is MONEY the CEO believes we as a workforce are overpaid for the work we do yet say the business cannot afford or grow yet he pays himself £142,000 bonus? This whole dispute is about power of the worker vs the employer some seem to think none of this will effect them but it will in time, The equilibrium of the rich and the poor will tip in favour of the rich if we don't rise up we need action not reaction and strength through unity this is what unions are about protecting us from the corruption of CAPITALISTS.

[norris9]

Doesn't make sense to think we are paid too much. Imagine living on our wage, especially in the more expensive areas of the country. Rent on a 2 bedroom house is £1400 or more in affluent areas. That's almost all your wages gone on rent. Then if you want to purchase a property a 2 bedroom house is £330,000+. You can only borrow 4.5x your salary. So a Postie can borrow £110,000. We are earning peasant money.

Minimum wage these days should be £20 or more, not under £10 still.

[norris9]

So in the Courier magazine it says by moving to a fleet of electric vehicles Royal Mail will save 37% on vehicle maintenance and there will be 73% savings on fuel.

Is Simon telling us that there are no funds available to give us a decent pay rise and make all the changes necessary?....

If Royal mail are going to be making the above % savings on vehicles then when will Posties be rewarded in the future for their sacrifice, living on beans and toast for years whilst our pay essentially goes backwards versus inflation....

Forget 'the customers want us to go green' narrative. Our shareholders want us to go green because we will make massive savings.

Massive savings on vehicles and we pay our staff a pittance. Win win.


The combustion engine vehicles can be phased out as they die off so what investment is needed? instead of purchasing new combustion engine cars you buy electric vehicles instead.... are the electric vehicles more expensive to buy?

[k979aaa]

Doesn't make sense to think we are paid too much. Imagine living on our wage, especially in the more expensive areas of the country. Rent on a 2 bedroom house is £1400 or more in affluent areas. That's almost all your wages gone on rent. Then if you want to purchase a property a 2 bedroom house is £330,000+. You can only borrow 4.5x your salary. So a Postie can borrow £110,000. We are earning peasant money.

Minimum wage these days should be £20 or more, not under £10 still.

So what should our wages be ? I gave up on the labour party as soon as keir starmer was appointed i knew then life would be very hard for the working man/woman but it would be even harder under the tories/conservatives but even so with brexit where are the benefits? is the £350 million a week going on parties every week? are we as a nation stronger? can we make decisions on our own? what the hell was this for my best bet is subjugating the nation while they strangle every penny out of us!

[norris9]

So what should our wages be ? I gave up on the labour party as soon as keir starmer was appointed i knew then life would be very hard for the working man/woman but it would be even harder under the tories/conservatives but even so with brexit where are the benefits? is the £350 million a week going on parties every week? are we as a nation stronger? can we make decisions on our own? what the hell was this for my best bet is subjugating the nation while they strangle every penny out of us!

A 6.6% pay rise to match the national living wage increase would be a fair pay rise.

But like I say, our hourly pay and the national living wage are ridiculously low compared to the cost of buying a house.

[POSTMAN]

New PDF added...

https://www.myroyalmail.com/sites/defau ... 200622.pdf

The change we need 200622.pdf

[k979aaa]

AH the bonus scheme will change oh just like the last time this guy must think we are goldfish's What is the fool doing they basically recruited young women and old dads so they can pick their kids up from school for the last 15 years. Now s**t brains wants a full time work force at any time of the day year do the work schools will not do this what about child care it is against the law of the land to allow children under 11 unsupervised is he aware of this! OK the pervious guys wanted a transient workforce with part timers coming and going but you cannot undo the mistakes from the past in one year. Nor can you expect us as postmen/women to suffer the injustice of being attacked on delivery on only pay SSP of £99.30 if you get bitten this is so posterus that soldiers would not be paid if shot by enemy forces.

[Pharox]

FFS, I really do wish RM would NOT say that we are paid 40% more than our competitors, as we have NONE. As far as I know, RM are the only company that delivers letters and parcels. The likes of Amazon, Hermes, DPD etc just deliver parcels and NOT letters.

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

So stage one triggered by 12 days or three absences from current 14 days or four absences in a year and only the first absence keeps current full pay, rest is SSP which gets zero pay for first three days.

And we are apparently overpaid, while Si gets 3.6% and a £142k bonus on what was already ~550k salary.

[Clappedoutpostie]

This must be what they have knocked together for work time learning tomorrow then, should be lively.