Rumour...

[Thunderthighs]

That Ofcom wants us on a 5 day 9-5 week, by April?
Dunno if there's any "truth" in it, but interesting all the same.
Over to you...

[DGP1]

Unless the government change the law then.................no.

[hans solo]

thats fine lets deliver all business mail at 4.30
unless they pay otherwise

[comeracing]

That Ofcom wants us on a 5 day 9-5 week, by April?
Dunno if there's any "truth" in it, but interesting all the same.
Over to you...

heard this to and that there will b no more saturday working

[vanscragg]

I also heard the same today but not the 9-5 thing.
Its a great way to make the business instantly more attractive to privatisation by losing a shed load of jobs. No more floaters required.
Management could justify a change in the law by suggesting there is not enough mail for 6 days of delivery, they always mention "mail is down" almost every month.

[POSTMAN]

The only thing to come out so far from them similiarish is this...
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 18&t=47983" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[whatamess!!]

I think the USO is protected and can't be changed at present' so April I would say no, but in a couple of years most probably. Does anyone know how long the USO is protected for I have heard 18 months, 5 years and 10 years???

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postal Services Act 2011 - Part 3 - Regulation of postal services - Postal services

31Minimum requirements

This section sets out the services that must, as a minimum, be included in a universal postal service.
Requirement 1: delivery of letters or other postal packets
(1)At least one delivery of letters every Monday to Saturday—
(a)to the home or premises of every individual or other person in the United Kingdom, or
(b)to such identifiable points for the delivery of postal packets as OFCOM may approve.
(2)At least one delivery of other postal packets every Monday to Friday to the places within paragraph (1)(a) or (b).
(3)The references in this requirement to the delivery of letters or other postal packets include the delivery of packets posted outside the United Kingdom.
Requirement 2: collection of letters or other postal packets
(1)At least one collection of letters every Monday to Saturday from every access point in the United Kingdom used for the purpose of receiving postal packets, or any class of them, for onwards transmission in connection with the provision of a universal postal service.
(2)At least one collection of other postal packets every Monday to Friday from every access point in the United Kingdom used for that purpose.
(3)The references in this requirement to the onwards transmission of letters or other postal packets include their onwards transmission to places outside the United Kingdom.
Requirement 3: service at affordable prices in accordance with uniform public tariff
(1)A service of conveying postal packets from one place to another by post (including the incidental services of receiving, collecting, sorting and delivering them) at affordable prices determined in accordance with a public tariff which is uniform throughout the United Kingdom.
(2)The reference in this requirement to conveying postal packets from one place to another includes conveying them to places outside the United Kingdom.
Requirement 4: registered items service
A registered items service at affordable prices determined in accordance with a public tariff which is uniform throughout the United Kingdom.
Requirement 5: insured items service
An insured items service at affordable prices determined in accordance with a public tariff which is uniform throughout the United Kingdom.
Requirement 6: services to blind or partially sighted
The provision free of charge of such postal services as are specified in the universal postal service order to such descriptions of blind or partially sighted persons as are so specified.
Requirement 7: legislative petitions and addresses
A service of conveying free of charge qualifying legislative petitions and addresses.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

From section 34 - It does not looking at this seem that the USO is all that well protected, its possible it could be changed fairly quickly if the Government think its "expedient" to change it.

34Review of minimum requirements

(1)OFCOM may from time to time review the extent to which the provision made by section 31 reflects the reasonable needs of the users of postal services provided in the United Kingdom.
(2)A review under subsection (1) may, in particular, consider whether the requirements imposed by that section could be altered so as better to reflect those needs.
(3)OFCOM must send a copy of each review under subsection (1) to the Secretary of State.
(4)The Secretary of State may at any time direct OFCOM to carry out a review under subsection (1).
(5)Where OFCOM have carried out a review under subsection (1), the Secretary of State may by order amend section 31.
(6)The provision that may be made by an order under subsection (5) does not include the making of different provision in relation to different places in the United Kingdom.
(7)An order under subsection (5)—
(a)is subject to affirmative resolution procedure, and
(b)may include such amendments of this Part as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient in consequence of any provision made by the order.

[Hitcher]

Well they've already had the review so it's all down to the Secretary of State.

[bydand91]

Not this one again

[glenfiddich]

we're doomed i tell you doomedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RIgs3eygo

[meercat]

there are no light days anymore so if deliveries were only done Mon-Fri then rounds would have to be made smaller to allow for heavier traffic each day. Saturdays mail won't just disappear. smaller rounds means more walks which means floaters won't all be surplus to requirements and they may find no jobs are lost?

[plymouth3]

Moya is always stating how the UK is the only european country that delivers 6 days week, then the cwu is pointing to TNT etc that dont have to deliver on Sat or follow the USO, then the recent public survey says people dont bother about Saturday deliveries, all this equals no Sat deliveries, it will happen.

I guess a deal will be done if you want us to do a IPO, then we will if we dont do 6 day week. Instantly more attractive to the City with a near 20% reduction in wage costs.

Management will see it as a way of bulking up Monday and Tuesday workloads, the CWU will say its a requiement to protect full time jobs. Most jobs will be lost by natural wastage, voluntary redundancies and temporary contracts being stopped. Cant see it by April but an agreement in place before IPO.

UPS in states in massive debt and I am led to believe thay are now trialing 2 year no sat delivery to cut costs.

[steve1873]

As has been said above, why would it result in a 1/6th of the workforce being made redundant?

Is Saturdays workload just going to disappear? Clearly not. It would be absorbed into the working week Monday - Friday. Therefore, since 1 person can only do as much as they can do then deliveries would have to be re planned on the basis that in theory the workload on each day on delivery would be increasing by nearly 17% (if you assume the workload is split evenly across the 6 days at present).

Do we think deliveries at present could absorb a 17% increase in workload across the board?

If not, then it stands to reason that deliveries would need to be adjusted, and 17% additional duties would need to be created, rendering the scaremongering over job losses a little bit over reactionary!