Regional Directors Appointments

[postmanpat]

No Bob Storey in the North!!

have they found him a job yet?

any more appointments?

[Martin Walsh]

No Bob Storey in the North!!

have they found him a job yet?

any more appointments?

if you look at the Scotland and North Region there are still a couple of postions yet to be filled , this was because both Gerry O Rourke and Bob Storey were on holiday at the time of the appointments so the rummour is he will get one of those postions.

[bigbaws]

Sorry had to amend that post - you made allegations which even if true could get RMC closed down. As per the rules please don't name anyone, and certainly don't make allegations without proof - it could prove costly to you and RMC. Worst of all we could lose a good resource.

Except for nationally known personalities please do not name any individuals on here, rather use their 'work title' or 'my/a colleague' instead. When posting copies of articles available on the Internet that name individuals please ensure that links are provided to the original article.

Thanks Teebs

[bobbyden]

It is very agreeable to see Gary Milne up North after his period of tenure in the Midlands. I have to say Gary reminds me of Clare Balding, in so much as, he does every job it seems! If the Royal Mail decide to do for instance, Strictly Come Dancing, I would expect Gary to land the role as host...."I am Gary Milne, it is nice to see you, to see you, nice".

Our paths crossed round about 12 months ago and it was an experience I will not forget in a hurry, for all the right reasons, one hastens too add.

I was pre-warned to expect a lively personality, great wit and a turn of phrase to rival the best of them. I was not to be disapointed on any front and what is more I retained the shirt on my back. It was suggested prior to our short, eventful meeting that I would be leaving shirtless. I avoided that by the skin of my teeth. In the event of our paths crossing again, I might be not so lucky.

Our views on the Royal Mail are completely different and there is no way I could ever weigh in with his policies. Still, for all that, he does have the best interests of the Royal Mail at heart, something I have found lacking in other Royal Mail personnel, holding down similar positions in the company to Gary. Too many of them relate the same old stuff, which quite honestly is tired and jaded. We need to hear something more fresh and that in a nutshell is what Gary Milne provided.

Nailing my colours to the mast is a hobby of mine and to be honest I had largely forgotten about Gary Milne, even though he had made me think on my feet, until that is, I caught sight of his appointment in the North. I will say at this moment in time he is too far to the right to be a serious player at the very highest level of the Royal Mail. He does need to adopt a more considered approach in his thinking and overall strategy. Maybe, Gary, has mellowed in the 12 months or so since I met him. Maybe not.

Whatever, I shall be keeping a very close eye on his actions in the North, even not withstanding the fact, I will be quite a few miles away from the heart of the action. If concrete evidence of being a more centre ground senior manager can be provided, I will be back on here suggesting him as a future Chief Executive of the Royal Mail.

I have always believed the answer to the Royal Mail making its name again was actually in the company itself, and lo and behold, here it is possibly in the shape of Gary Milne. Only possibly. I am not convinced Gary is yet in a position to unite both sides of the organisation. The last few years have seen the gulf become more apparent and it has badly damaged the reputation of the Royal Mail. We are no further forward than say 2002 and time is running out. The appointment of Gary Milne is the piece in the jigsaw which could determine where the Royal Mail is in 2020. Amazing, but I think true. The fate of the Royal Mail is in the hands of Gary Milne. It probably always was and probably always will be.

Over to you Gary!!!

[bobbyden]

One postscript to my previous posting. I take this opportunity of wishing Mark Higson all the best. I did meet Mark, quite some time ago and I was impressed by him. Personally speaking, I thought he was unlucky not to become Chief Executive. I also thought the game was up for him, when the original renewal plan he devised was scrapped and replaced by a pacier version which I consider to be badly flawed and that is an understatement.

As long as Mark stays at the Royal Mail there is hope for the company. If ever he leaves, it will be curtains and not even Gary Milne will be able to do anything. Yes, Gary Milne failing, that is breaking news, but it will be true if Mark Higson leaves, of that there is no doubt.

[DirtyHarry]

Have no time for any of 'em.
Just wish they'd all follow Higson out the door.

[clashcityrocker]

I don't think that whatever bobbyden is taking is available on prescription.

[bobbyden]

To Dirty Harry

I know that have been terrible problems in London. Believe me, I am on your side and I want to put things right.

To Clashcityrocker

I understand your frustrations and fears.

Regards

Bobbyden

[bobbyden]

One further thought. I am opposed to privatisation, root and branch. There is no compromise on that. The Royal Mail is a Public Service, always has been, always will be. If both Gary Milne and Mark Higson are in favour of Privatisation, then the sooner they pack their bags and leave the Royal Mail the better.

[clashcityrocker]

The drugs are wearing off.

[bobbyden]

Clashcityrocker

That is the problem with the Royal Mail. Instead of being smarmy towards me, please be constructive. The reality is we have to have managers. Some are good, some bad and some are indifferent. They are no different from you and me in essence.

I am just as good as Gary Milne and Mark Higson. Surprise,surprise, Clashcityrocker, is just as good as Bobbyden, Gary Milne and Mark Higson.

We need to get away from this Them and Us mentality which has been a pain in the backside to the Royal Mail for longer than I care to remember. It is boring, meaningless and repetitive.

Remain the way you are Clashcityrocker and sure as night follows day, the Royal Mail will still be in a mess.

What you should do Clashcityrocker is believe in yourself and do something worthwhile. If you have a good idea get on with it and make your workplace better for you and your colleagues. Never mind what others think, get on with it and prove you are right.

I do not have all the answers and neither does Gary Milne, Mark Higson and Bobbyden. The fact is, every member of staff at the Royal Mail has the answer. Some people of course do not care a stuff about the Royal Mail and you Clashcityrocker are in that category at present. Prove me wrong because I know you can with an idea that will change your workplace and make it better for you and your colleagues.

Over to you Clashcityrocker.

PS: The Royal Mail is about everybody. We do deliver to every mainland address in the country. A great pity certain elements and I include Moya Greene in this do not realise this and believe in your own workforce. Moya might then not have devised some of the most disastrous policies in the history of the Royal Mail. The pacier renewal policy, due to expire in 2016 should expire now, because if it continues for much longer, there will be nothing left.

[clashcityrocker]

Clashcityrocker

The reality is we have to have managers. Some are good, some bad and some are indifferent. They are no different from you and me in essence.

In the past few years I have seen a sorry parade of incompetents, charlatans, liars and bullies pass through my office. They might be no different from you in essence, but they are certainly different to me.
It would appear that they have been promoted quite simply because liars and bullies are what the business requires. Once promoted they then become s**t scared of being returned from whence they came, so in order to stay in their manager's good books they redouble their efforts. They abuse the Attendance Procedure. They abuse the Conduct Code. They carry on lying and bullying.
This "Them and Us" is a reality on the shop floor, not some figment of my imagination. They cause it, not us. Most people just want to go to work, do their job and go home. They shouldn't have to worry about the manager's fictitious performance standards or being paid for the hours they work. They shouldn't feel obliged to work for free so their manager can pocket a bonus.
The mess Royal Mail is in is down to piss poor managers. Ask Hooper.

Maybe life is a lot different in Processing. Maybe life is a lot different in the circles you move with Higson and Milne.
Perhaps if you spent a month or two in delivery, you might have a different attitude.

[fishtank]

The fact is, every member of staff at the Royal Mail has the answer.

The answer to continued job cuts,privatisation,erosion of the USO,our pay,terms and conditions flushed down the toilet,DSA,end to end competition...
Cuddle a manager?...really Bobby..that'll make it better?

While we sit here dreaming about removing the animosity between management and staff,senior management discuss the dismantling and selling off of the company.
While we try to protect jobs and earnings,junior managers try to cut budgets and bully staff to make bonuses for themselves.
We have polar opposite aims and aspirations from the shop floor to the boardroom.
Of course it's us and them.

[Pinky 1]

Dear bobbyden
I don't know what life is like in a mail centre, I've never worked in one, but life in a delivery office i know something about.
I've been in one for more than half of my natural life.
The biggest change has been in the last five years or so. We have had a steady stream of managers who have been failed postmen for one reason or another, or have never even worked on 'the floor'. The man management skills that these people possess are hardly visible, and to try and compensate for this they resort to bullying. Yes, i realise that they are under pressure from their peers to get a job done, but this is not the way to go about it. Not just is it unpleasant to witness, it is illegal.
We all have a framework in place, negotiated nationally, to work within to get the job done. Is it too much to ask that everybody abides by this ?
These agreements are consistently ignored or broken by managers, with a blind eye turned from their managers.
Why should delivery people work before and after their contracted hours for free, just to get the job done ? Why should they have to use their own transport using their cars as a mobile bag drop, and forsake meal breaks, just to get the job done ? They are forced into this by managers on a quest to get everything out of the door and delivered for the least possible expense. They may know the rules but they are beaten with the stick ' if you can't do the job the way i want it done you know where the door is, or, remember, you contract is up for renewal soon. '
This is not some story i have read on the internet, this is reality as i see it every day.
Is it mere coincidence that managers get a bonus for achieving these targets ? Of course it isn't, and so the incentive is there to encourage more bullying and harassment. It is a vicious circle ...... where will it end ?
I'll tell you what bobbyden. Get yourself an interview and a job in a delivery office. Then take two weeks holiday from your MC work and come and join us. I can assure you that two weeks will be enough for you to form an opinion on whether the 'Them and Us' syndrome is alive and kicking.
Your dream of Utopia with us all working hand in hand and pulling in the same direction may well be in tatters.

[fishtank]

The axe falls with only a month's notice, gone completely from the business, did he jump or was he pushed and does this mean SC is heading back north?
Tune in next week for another exciting episode of musical regional directors.