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DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
TopperGas
Posts: 3520
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
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Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by TopperGas »

tramssirhc wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 14:21
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 13:46
There is no need to dig through trays looking for 1st class.
You are missing the point entirely. Thanks for your morning routine. I think most people understand how to prep in the morning, it was specifically Saturday that people were confused as to what they should be doing in the morning.

First class is not reliably put in the 1st class frame at our depot, neither is mail accurately placed in the correct pigeon hole for the correct duty. This means you have no choice but to take all the mail from the IPS and filter through it yourself or as you say dig through it on a Saturday. If you didn't you would fail to have all your first class.
Any mail in the non-core IPS stays where it is until the next day. The sorting and segregation for the core work should be correct. As long as the core workload is prepped that's all you have to do. There is no time value for checking. Checking the sorting is not part of the prep plan.
All our 1c & 2c is sorted into the same IPS frame, we don't have any options but to sort though it on a Saturday but that only takes minutes, there's no way we've got time to sort through and the mail trays from the MC for 2c mail which potential already as a 1c or Tracked item on a Saturday.
SpacePhoenix
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Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by SpacePhoenix »

TopperGas wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 15:01
tramssirhc wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 14:21
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 13:46
There is no need to dig through trays looking for 1st class.
You are missing the point entirely. Thanks for your morning routine. I think most people understand how to prep in the morning, it was specifically Saturday that people were confused as to what they should be doing in the morning.

First class is not reliably put in the 1st class frame at our depot, neither is mail accurately placed in the correct pigeon hole for the correct duty. This means you have no choice but to take all the mail from the IPS and filter through it yourself or as you say dig through it on a Saturday. If you didn't you would fail to have all your first class.
Any mail in the non-core IPS stays where it is until the next day. The sorting and segregation for the core work should be correct. As long as the core workload is prepped that's all you have to do. There is no time value for checking. Checking the sorting is not part of the prep plan.
All our 1c & 2c is sorted into the same IPS frame, we don't have any options but to sort though it on a Saturday but that only takes minutes, there's no way we've got time to sort through and the mail trays from the MC for 2c mail which potential already as a 1c or Tracked item on a Saturday.
You should be sorting 1C and 2C into separate IPS frames, that's the whole point of MCs sending 1C and 2C manual letters and flats in separate trays.
reddevils
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Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by reddevils »

You should be sorting 1C and 2C into separate IPS frames, that's the whole point of MCs sending 1C and 2C manual letters and flats in separate trays.
Yet again another person that does not understand the reality of lots of delivery depots across the UK. You work in a mail centre. What should happen and what does happen are two entirely different matters. We don't manage the depots, we just have to tolerate the incompetence around us. As already explained this isn't happening in every depot.

1) Through simple missorting

2) The 1Class IPS being used as normal due to lack of capacity in the pigeon holes in the second class frame.

I would like to know why the mail centre:

1) Sends items that are damaged without putting them into damage bags.
2) Repeatedly sends parcels and mail to the wrong depots.
3) Puts DPR Parcels with normal delivery parcels, vice versa.
3) Does not sequence the mail at times or sequences it the wrong way round.
4) Waits until the middle of the week to send this weeks D2Ds.
5) Mixes 1st class and 2nd together in trays including buddy boxes.
6) Sends special delivery parcels through normal packet yorks.
7) Separates a small percentage of foreign packets to go through special locker at the depot but regardless sends the bulk of foreign packets
through normal parcel yorks.

I don't begrudge the mail centre for these things happening. I accept the chaos that is royal mail that these things happen though they shouldn't. I however understand what should be happening and what does happen are two different things entirely.
ted_e_bear
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Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by ted_e_bear »

mr hil. wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 13:17
It's being overcomplicated by many on here.
  • throw in the mech mail from 1st wave

    Throw in manual mail from1st class (pink) IPS fitting

    scan and sort all small parcels/packets (including non tracked packets)

    Scan and sort all oversized/large parcels


    Wait for 2nd wave

    repeat four steps from above

    Collect all mail from 2nd class(blue) IPS manual fitting

    Mon-Fri throw in the 2nd class --all 2nd on heavy side, only where has already got a letter or parcel/packet on the light side

    Place any 2nd from light side not going out into a tray as you throw the mail in.

    Saturday only throw in any 2nd class that has already a 1st class or parcel/packet across whole duty

If we have any spare time between wave 1 and wave2 I personally get ahead by throwing the 2nd class in too, as above (where I am going or all on the heavy side) (I don't like standing around doing nothing waiting for the last wagon)

There is no need to dig through trays looking for 1st class.

I personally have a system where I mark any address that is getting a parcel (put in docket or turn first letter round) many don't and rely on remembering but I am too old to trust my memory now especially with the increased volumes of parcels, it does save time when out because I don't have to constantly dig around for a possible parcel in the back of the van and makes it easier to throw in the 2nd class coincidental on the light side.

When I get back I throw in the deferred 2nd class ready for the next day (if I have time)
Are you my long lost twin brother, that's exactly what I do 👍

Most of the others do the same, although we have a couple of proper tools that think chucking a York of parcels in the back of the van is acceptable as opposed to putting them in order :arrrghhh
tramssirhc
Posts: 1965
Joined: 04 Sep 2012, 20:19
Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by tramssirhc »

TopperGas wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 15:01
tramssirhc wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 14:21
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 13:46
There is no need to dig through trays looking for 1st class.
You are missing the point entirely. Thanks for your morning routine. I think most people understand how to prep in the morning, it was specifically Saturday that people were confused as to what they should be doing in the morning.

First class is not reliably put in the 1st class frame at our depot, neither is mail accurately placed in the correct pigeon hole for the correct duty. This means you have no choice but to take all the mail from the IPS and filter through it yourself or as you say dig through it on a Saturday. If you didn't you would fail to have all your first class.
Any mail in the non-core IPS stays where it is until the next day. The sorting and segregation for the core work should be correct. As long as the core workload is prepped that's all you have to do. There is no time value for checking. Checking the sorting is not part of the prep plan.
All our 1c & 2c is sorted into the same IPS frame, we don't have any options but to sort though it on a Saturday but that only takes minutes, there's no way we've got time to sort through and the mail trays from the MC for 2c mail which potential already as a 1c or Tracked item on a Saturday.
The sorting should be segregated. That's the whole point of the delivery method and the algorithm.
"The leadership will sabotage the fight and only make the slightest move under fear of powerful working class action" - Des Warren
clashcityrocker
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Location: strummerville

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by clashcityrocker »

There is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in Royal Mail.
Ironically there is a woeful lack of communication.

On Saturday we were told everything in the mech tray had to go.
After the usual suspects started crying, the manager told them they only had to take first class mail.

Then, because they had put on the rota people who were actually on holiday, they believed we were overstaffed and sent people to other offices leaving duties in the office uncovered.
Obviously the poor sods who then had to try and cover bits of those duties weren't expected to do anything other than 1st class.

What needs to happen on any given day needs to be clearly communicated. It isn't.
The plan needs to be adhered to. It isn't.
The managers need to manage. They can't.
Result = dog's breakfast.
The societies of consumption and squandering of material resources are incompatible with the idea of economic growth and a clean planet.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12194
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by SpacePhoenix »

reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
I would like to know why the mail centre:
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
1) Sends items that are damaged without putting them into damage bags.
Havn't seen any damaged bags for flats and letters for ages, don't know if we can even order them anymore. The damaged bags for packets are crap, they break open way too easily.
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
2) Repeatedly sends parcels and mail to the wrong depots.
Most likely been sorted by machine. If it's a packet the machines go by what is encoded in the 2D barcode. If you know that's wrong, use a black marker to obscure the 2D barcode. The letter sorting machines go by what is encoded in the orange barcodes.
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
3) Puts DPR Parcels with normal delivery parcels, vice versa.
We don't sort DPR parcels separately, we have just large and small setups
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
3) Does not sequence the mail at times or sequences it the wrong way round.
If we know that a certain posting is going to cause lots of jams then we'll often send it as manual. If the sequencing is wrong, you need to check that the Route Planner data is up to date for all walks. When the machine sort plans are written (they get written centrally somewhere, probably at Swindon) they use the data from Route Planner. Wave 2 is always walk sort only.
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
4) Waits until the middle of the week to send this weeks D2Ds.
That'll be wohoever upstream of us sending it late. Any D2D will head out to the DOs the day that it arrives at the MC.
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
5) Mixes 1st class and 2nd together in trays including buddy boxes.
We sort 1C and 2C manual letters and flats into separate frames and they get boxed up separatly. We only sort manual letters and flats down to office level. For the mech if a 2C or DSA item has been released by the DTS then it's due for delivery and will get sequenced (wave 1) or walk sorted (wave 2).
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
6) Sends special delivery parcels through normal packet yorks.
Happens to us as well from the outward MCs. Don't know if the packet sorting machines are programmed to extract SD items.
reddevils wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:14
7) Separates a small percentage of foreign packets to go through special locker at the depot but regardless sends the bulk of foreign packets
through normal parcel yorks.
Only foerign specials that are "express" ones go via lockers now, everything else goes through normal packets.

I don't begrudge the mail centre for these things happening. I accept the chaos that is royal mail that these things happen though they shouldn't. I however understand what should be happening and what does happen are two different things entirely.
[/quote]
Trumanity
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Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by Trumanity »

claretandblue wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:26
SpacePhoenix wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:24
clashcityrocker wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:20
We have enough trouble delivering the first class and Tracked that is due for delivery.
If we have to start mithering with DTS stuff it will still fail.

We still get buddy trays of flats. Anything that isn't first class gets piled on top of them and they sit under the frame until the next day.
If the DTS has released it then IT IS DUE for delivery. We only sort flats down to office level.
Doesn't matter, it's going under the frame.
Is its going under the frame a euphemism for the job is utter s**t now...
tramssirhc
Posts: 1965
Joined: 04 Sep 2012, 20:19
Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by tramssirhc »

clashcityrocker wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 16:47
There is a distinct lack of joined up thinking in Royal Mail.
Ironically there is a woeful lack of communication.

On Saturday we were told everything in the mech tray had to go.
After the usual suspects started crying, the manager told them they only had to take first class mail.

Then, because they had put on the rota people who were actually on holiday, they believed we were overstaffed and sent people to other offices leaving duties in the office uncovered.
Obviously the poor sods who then had to try and cover bits of those duties weren't expected to do anything other than 1st class.

What needs to happen on any given day needs to be clearly communicated. It isn't.
The plan needs to be adhered to. It isn't.
The managers need to manage. They can't.
Result = dog's breakfast.
And it's why DM26 has crashed on the rocks.
"The leadership will sabotage the fight and only make the slightest move under fear of powerful working class action" - Des Warren
TopperGas
Posts: 3520
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by TopperGas »

Trumanity wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 18:23
claretandblue wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:26
SpacePhoenix wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:24
clashcityrocker wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:20
We have enough trouble delivering the first class and Tracked that is due for delivery.
If we have to start mithering with DTS stuff it will still fail.

We still get buddy trays of flats. Anything that isn't first class gets piled on top of them and they sit under the frame until the next day.
If the DTS has released it then IT IS DUE for delivery. We only sort flats down to office level.
Doesn't matter, it's going under the frame.
Is its going under the frame a euphemism for the job is utter s**t now...
No it just means out of sight, out of mind! Unless managers ever start checking the trays then literally anything could be in them!!
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12194
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by SpacePhoenix »

TopperGas wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 18:50
Trumanity wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 18:23
claretandblue wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:26
SpacePhoenix wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:24
clashcityrocker wrote: ↑
25 Sep 2026, 17:20
We have enough trouble delivering the first class and Tracked that is due for delivery.
If we have to start mithering with DTS stuff it will still fail.

We still get buddy trays of flats. Anything that isn't first class gets piled on top of them and they sit under the frame until the next day.
If the DTS has released it then IT IS DUE for delivery. We only sort flats down to office level.
Doesn't matter, it's going under the frame.
Is its going under the frame a euphemism for the job is utter s**t now...
No it just means out of sight, out of mind! Unless managers ever start checking the trays then literally anything could be in them!!
Probably only a matter if time before the higher ups start making managers check the trays. They should have plenty of time to check every tray.
clashcityrocker
Posts: 16700
Joined: 22 Sep 2009, 13:50
Gender: Male
Location: strummerville

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by clashcityrocker »

SpacePhoenix wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 19:46


Probably only a matter if time before the higher ups start making managers check the trays. They should have plenty of time to check every tray.
But how will they know what is due for delivery and what isn't?
Unless somebody is dumb enough to hide Tracked or 1st class mail. (which is a possibility I suppose)
The societies of consumption and squandering of material resources are incompatible with the idea of economic growth and a clean planet.
funkflex55
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Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by funkflex55 »

Do you lot hide foreign letters, blind articles and whatever else RM decides is RM that day under the frame too?
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
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Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by SpacePhoenix »

funkflex55 wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 20:14
Do you lot hide foreign letters, blind articles and whatever else RM decides is RM that day under the frame too?
Foreign letters and articles for the blind are 1C, they always have been.
TopperGas
Posts: 3520
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: DM26 First Class/Second Class/DSA adherence in individual offices

Post by TopperGas »

funkflex55 wrote: ↑
28 Sep 2026, 20:14
Do you lot hide foreign letters, blind articles and whatever else RM decides is RM that day under the frame too?
Unless foreign letters and articles for the blind are now so rare you do have to wonder if the MC's aren't stock piling all of them.