Re-pick

[Dorset Plodder]

Well here's an idea try moving some of theses idle buggers around a bit,,,,You know the ones that have been on the same duty for the last 15 years and have NEVER done another duty.

Not 'idle buggers' at all pal,some people over 30 years in the job just want to do their own delivery and no others,nothing wrong with that is there?

I believe there is Bahia........ All Posties may well be equal.....BUT some are more equal than others!

We all get paid the same but some are allowed to cruise along on the same duty for literally decades, yet others are expected to move from duty to duty on a daily basis, often with zero notice, and be expected to cover at least 10 different duties. How would you like to be in the position of walking into the DO and being moved around different duties until the DOM actually makes up his mind, whose turning up, and which duties are in fact covered. Before you finally which duty you're on? Do you think there's nothing wrong there?

[Dorset Plodder]

Well here's an idea try moving some of theses idle buggers around a bit,,,,You know the ones that have been on the same duty for the last 15 years and have NEVER done another duty.

Not 'idle buggers' at all pal,some people over 30 years in the job just want to do their own delivery and no others,nothing wrong with that is there?

If you haven't worked in the private sector before (and I have) then you my friend, may well be in for a nasty shock........as the real world of commerce and business (RM can no longer be regarded as a public service) moves in cut-throat ways

If you say so 'my friend'

It doesn't need to get that "Cut Throat" Altrider. The Key words being bandied about are, "Reasonable Request" . Who decides what is reasonable...and what is not reasonable I DON'T KNOW. However it seems to give Carte Blanche to Incompetent Managers to mess their staff about without any come back.

[Bahia Feliz]

Well here's an idea try moving some of theses idle buggers around a bit,,,,You know the ones that have been on the same duty for the last 15 years and have NEVER done another duty.

Not 'idle buggers' at all pal,some people over 30 years in the job just want to do their own delivery and no others,nothing wrong with that is there?

I believe there is Bahia........ All Posties may well be equal.....BUT some are more equal than others!

We all get paid the same but some are allowed to cruise along on the same duty for literally decades, yet others are expected to move from duty to duty on a daily basis, often with zero notice, and be expected to cover at least 10 different duties. How would you like to be in the position of walking into the DO and being moved around different duties until the DOM actually makes up his mind, whose turning up, and which duties are in fact covered. Before you finally which duty you're on? Do you think there's nothing wrong there?

In my office every duty is covered by the duty holder,we have a day off cover man who covers 5 duties a week.All reserves cover annual leave,so they do the same walk all week.Obviously some people are asked to move to another delivery on a daily basis but on the whole it works well.If you have people at your office who are getting messed about then what can you do? Union? Get another job?

[Dorset Plodder]

In my office every duty is covered by the duty holder,we have a day off cover man who covers 5 duties a week.All reserves cover annual leave,so they do the same walk all week.Obviously some people are asked to move to another delivery on a daily basis but on the whole it works well.If you have people at your office who are getting messed about then what can you do? Union? Get another job?

As we know from postings on this site, no two DOs are the same, and with nearly a 1000 throughout the country I'd expect a few differences. Your DO is running as it should, and the system you describe is a familiar one. Consider yourself lucky that it's running that smoothly. Although you mention some are asked to move on a daily basis, it's those Posties I'm talking about. I doubt they see things as positively as you.

My DO is one of the best performing in the Region (so it's by no means a complete cock up), we are only slightly understaffed, but it just seems to be a Regular Management Style that people are moved about more than necessary. One morning we had a problem and 3 PT reserves were moved several times (in a little triangle) and when the DOM had finally made up his mind they all just looked at each other and said, "Now why didn't he just leave us on the duties we started on in the first place"?..... As you mentioned, asking the Union is an Option, but our Rep is not a particularly effective one, and quite a few staff (especially PT) are not willing to confront Management.

Your advice to "Get another job" is rather simplistic. We all know the current job situation. How many people do you think would be left in your DO if a new Employer opened up in town with comparable salaries?

[iminavest]

Is there a set period of time when a re-pick should occur?

[Bahia Feliz]

Is there a set period of time when a re-pick should occur?

Normally after a revision.

[postielatic]

Is it just me or is it the junior men who want seniority scrapped! A postman aged 58+ with 35 years plus should be entitled to a walk a little bit easier! Not the bosses cousin or fishing buddy!
Don't forget we all got moved around as spares! I was spare for 15 years covering walks across the area not just office!

[Postie45]

A postman aged 58+ with 35 years plus should be entitled to a walk a little bit easier!!

Why ? is he taking a pay cut ?

[centenaryman]

nah lets have seniority scrapped and ive been in royal mail quite a while,,,only to loose my walk due to the revision allowing brand new starters there own walk,,,,,so after years im back spare....we have this 75% f/t 25% p/t split and im senior to every 1 of the part time but cos I was prob 76th % on the full time list

[graybenham]

Fairly new to the Royal mail, 8 years service. Definitely not one for seniority. It seems so antiquated. New people start at the office and work really hard, learning the job and doing it right. Then see someone who's been there years dragging his feet and cutting corners. They then get disillusioned knowing no matter how hard or diligent he/she is they will never move up the seniority while ever numnutts has been there longer. You watch them drifting into the bad ways or they move on to better careers leaving only the numnutts as the future of RM. Not saying scrap the Seniority but there has to be something else besides how long you have been there as a factor to decide situations. It may sound bitter but there are people in our office who have been there 13 years or more who don't have their own duties, while the numnutts pick and chose at leisure knowing no matter how bad they are they will always be favoured over better posties due to seniority. That surely isn't going to improve the workforce?

[Greenbaum]

I think seniority is rewarded enough with better pensions, holidays and redundancy packages without giving them pick of the duties as well. BUT letting managers pick duties for people would be a disaster. I wouldn't give them that stick to beat us with.

[miles_peters]

put the shoe on the other foot for second, if they scrapped seniority and you had say 20 years with royal mail and you had a duty, they did a re pick and someone with less than a year working for royal mail got a duty, how would that make you feel? id say it would probably make you feel pretty let down. This is how its always been, I knew it before I joined royal mail, i've worked for royal mail for over 10 years, I don't have a duty, however I know that eventually i'll get one if I stick with it, and when I do, I will be gutted if I lost it to someone with far less seniority.

[fishtank]

I've argued for and against seniority depending on its use and misuse but the most important thing to remember is that you need to come up with a viable and fair alternative.

Believe me you don't want to leave this in the hands of management, talking about using "suitability" is absolute bollocks, you might think you're the new shithot reserve kid on the block, fast as f**k and super efficient but i've seen it all before. Give you a duty to protect and you'll start to see life a little differently. That duty becomes your daily workload and only an idiot makes it easy for management to increase your daily workload. Most duty holders understand that.

[centenaryman]

put the shoe on the other foot for second, if they scrapped seniority and you had say 20 years with royal mail and you had a duty, they did a re pick and someone with less than a year working for royal mail got a duty, how would that make you feel? id say it would probably make you feel pretty let down. This is how its always been, I knew it before I joined royal mail, i've worked for royal mail for over 10 years, I don't have a duty, however I know that eventually i'll get one if I stick with it, and when I do, I will be gutted if I lost it to someone with far less seniority.

ah with the office I work on in a 75-25 % split that's exactly what happens,,,,,,ive years in and lads with 1 or 2 years are on duties,,,im spare after 10+ years,,,,i feel a tad more than let down

[themailman]

Here's a solution.

Why not put people into seniority 'groups' for things such as choosing new duties.

less than 2 years
2-5 years
5-10 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
20-25 years
25+

Once split into these groups, pull names out a hat.
Gives people a fairer chance whilst also giving a 'nod' to those who have been with the company longer.