LTB 223/25 – NATIONAL BRIEFING – UPDATE ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH ROYAL MAIL GROUP/EP GROUP

[Smoothbackground]

If I'm right in thinking, you're not in CWU, But would you be willing to strike?

I’m not willing to strike, no. And nor am I a member of the CWU.

[qwerty2]

Looks like the CWU are belatedly realising they have been well and truly played like a fiddle yet again — the strongly-worded statement gives that away. Do they really think there will ever be industrial action again?!?!

If I'm right in thinking, you're not in CWU, But would you be willing to strike?

NO ONE will strike for these IDIOTS EVER AGAIN

[TopperGas]

Looks like the CWU are belatedly realising they have been well and truly played like a fiddle yet again — the strongly-worded statement gives that away. Do they really think there will ever be industrial action again?!?!

Th EP Group/CWU agreement was clearly just arranged in order to make getting approval of the takeover from the Government more straightforward, now that's out of the way they've reverted to the RM we all know, which is hardly surprising given most of the senior management were in place prior to the takeover.

Most likely the ODM changes will be rolled out further from early January (there's got to be some sound business decision to start using vertical frames and also colour coding all frames?) and new contract starters told to leave if they don't like their T&C's! This could well be the start of the end of the CWU if they are powerless to stop the changes, which, sadly, seems highly likely.

[Smoothbackground]

Th EP Group/CWU agreement was clearly just arranged in order to make getting approval of the takeover from the Government more straightforward, now that's out of the way they've reverted to the RM we all know, which is hardly surprising given most of the senior management were in place prior to the takeover.

Most likely the ODM changes will be rolled out further from early January (there's got to be some sound business decision to start using vertical frames and also colour coding all frames?) and new contract starters told to leave if they don't like their T&C's! This could well be the start of the end of the CWU if they are powerless to stop the changes, which, sadly, seems highly likely.

Agree with all of this. The CWU was naive in the extreme to truly believe EP wanted a reset in relations. They should have recognised that EP only took full ownership because of the legwork done under Simon Thompson’s reign and that they remain total supporters of his work and legacy, even if in CWU/EP talks they distance and separate themselves from that era and play a different tune.

[ted_e_bear]

Looks like the CWU are belatedly realising they have been well and truly played like a fiddle yet again — the strongly-worded statement gives that away. Do they really think there will ever be industrial action again?!?!

Th EP Group/CWU agreement was clearly just arranged in order to make getting approval of the takeover from the Government more straightforward, now that's out of the way they've reverted to the RM we all know, which is hardly surprising given most of the senior management were in place prior to the takeover.

Most likely the ODM changes will be rolled out further from early January (there's got to be some sound business decision to start using vertical frames and also colour coding all frames?) and new contract starters told to leave if they don't like their T&C's! This could well be the start of the end of the CWU if they are powerless to stop the changes, which, sadly, seems highly likely.

Yeah even RM must have realised it's a bit late in the year to f**k up any more offices just before Christmas, like you I predict it going ahead full steam early next year whether the CWU like it or not.

[worktotime]

Well it’s taken the CWU a while but I think they may finally be realising that the foreign Billionaire wants to make money. He doesn’t care about quality of service, he doesn’t care about staff well-being, he doesn’t care about equalising new entrants into better terms, he doesn’t care about dodgy Dave’s crazy schemes of expanding the role of postal workers and us all becoming carers for the elderly and vulnerable on our rounds. He wants maximum number of parcels coming through the network for as little cost as possible.
The amazing CWU-EP group agreement that the union keep heralding as our saviour isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. It’s not legally enforceable, it’s just a hopeful
Wish list that was never going to happen.
Pretty clear what’s gunna happen after Xmas, Royal Mail will start implementing their uso plan by executive action and we will be stuck with the union trying to rally us into more strike action. All downhill from here.

this is why an agreement should have been done and dusted before it was put to the members to vote on regardless how long it took and never mind the bullshit of we dont want you to wait for your back pay . but heho walsh , ward and co knew best .and now they are having to go running to the gov telling them that ep / rm are playing ball now , good luck with that one .

[TopperGas]

Well it’s taken the CWU a while but I think they may finally be realising that the foreign Billionaire wants to make money. He doesn’t care about quality of service, he doesn’t care about staff well-being, he doesn’t care about equalising new entrants into better terms, he doesn’t care about dodgy Dave’s crazy schemes of expanding the role of postal workers and us all becoming carers for the elderly and vulnerable on our rounds. He wants maximum number of parcels coming through the network for as little cost as possible.
The amazing CWU-EP group agreement that the union keep heralding as our saviour isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. It’s not legally enforceable, it’s just a hopeful
Wish list that was never going to happen.
Pretty clear what’s gunna happen after Xmas, Royal Mail will start implementing their uso plan by executive action and we will be stuck with the union trying to rally us into more strike action. All downhill from here.

this is why an agreement should have been done and dusted before it was put to the members to vote on regardless how long it took and never mind the bullshit of we dont want you to wait for your back pay . but heho walsh , ward and co knew best .and now they are having to go running to the gov telling them that ep / rm are playing ball now , good luck with that one .

We couldn't wait until next year for this year's pay rise? Let's be honest it's looking like n agreement will ever be reached and RM will just bring in the ODM changes. Perhaps the CWU always knew that would be the case hence the split agreement.

[yellowbelly]

Looks like the CWU are belatedly realising they have been well and truly played like a fiddle yet again — the strongly-worded statement gives that away. Do they really think there will ever be industrial action again?!?!

If I'm right in thinking, you're not in CWU, But would you be willing to strike?

NO ONE will strike for these IDIOTS EVER AGAIN

I don't see there being an appetite to strike ever again....

[funkflex55]

Looks like the CWU are belatedly realising they have been well and truly played like a fiddle yet again — the strongly-worded statement gives that away. Do they really think there will ever be industrial action again?!?!

If I'm right in thinking, you're not in CWU, But would you be willing to strike?

NO ONE will strike for these IDIOTS EVER AGAIN

I don't see there being an appetite to strike ever again....

I think that would depend on what RM were actually doing. Not equalising the contracts, ODM bollocks, not strike worthy.

RM waiting until the new contracts are at 50 percent then reducing the pay of the old contracts to put us all on the same pay. I think we'd have a strike then!

[Valentina@1]

[Playmail]

But will the new contracts strike for you

[Scointer]

But will the new contracts strike for you

Exactly… The old contracts wont strike to equalise new contracts up but expect all to strike if they want to equalise them down when they are 50/50.
What argument would you give to the new starters to strike, they could just say they are making it fair by putting everyone doing the same job on the same pay….
You defeat your own argument for not strike worthy and show the larger issue and why EP group will get exactly what they want in the end.

No one ever wants to strike and there are other alternatives as a first step. Things like work to rule so no one works anytime beyond their set hours. That would cause a massive issue for the company over Christmas peak but relies on all keeping to it. I think the union had/have the uso reform as the only ace but that is looking more and more like it will be sneaked in via the back door.


(Talking about funkflex55 comment not playmail)

[funkflex55]

But will the new contracts strike for you

Exactly… The old contracts wont strike to equalise new contracts up but expect all to strike if they want to equalise them down when they are 50/50.
What argument would you give to the new starters to strike, they could just say they are making it fair by putting everyone doing the same job on the same pay….
You defeat your own argument for not strike worthy and show the larger issue and why EP group will get exactly what they want in the end.

No one ever wants to strike and there are other alternatives as a first step. Things like work to rule so no one works anytime beyond their set hours. That would cause a massive issue for the company over Christmas peak but relies on all keeping to it. I think the union had/have the uso reform as the only ace but that is looking more and more like it will be sneaked in via the back door.


(Talking about funkflex55 comment not playmail)

Good point. I suppose we'll all be screwed eventually. We need to hope that the CWU actually puts enough pressure on to get the new contracts up to the old contracts rate and terms.

[Mr Rush]

This could well be the start of the end of the CWU if they are powerless to stop the changes, which, sadly, seems highly likely.

We're well past that. The beginning of the end was the start of the 2022 industrial action, the middle was the climbdown in 2023, and thus the end of the end will be early 2026 when the ODM is implemented over the impotent remains of the CWU.

I said it in August 2022 when everyone was having fun on the picket line with music playing and hot food coming off the barbecue - the existence of the CWU was going to hinge on how that industrial action played out. The company wrote off Christmas 2022 in the short term in order to eliminate the threat of the union to their long term strategic plans.

[TopperGas]

Looks like the CWU are belatedly realising they have been well and truly played like a fiddle yet again — the strongly-worded statement gives that away. Do they really think there will ever be industrial action again?!?!

If I'm right in thinking, you're not in CWU, But would you be willing to strike?

NO ONE will strike for these IDIOTS EVER AGAIN

I don't see there being an appetite to strike ever again....

I think that would depend on what RM were actually doing. Not equalising the contracts, ODM bollocks, not strike worthy.

RM waiting until the new contracts are at 50 percent then reducing the pay of the old contracts to put us all on the same pay. I think we'd have a strike then!

I can't see RM can legally reduce our pay, they could buy out our delivery supplement so we're all on similar T&C's apart from pay.