Royal Mail ( No payrise since 1996)

cognitionsteve

I work for Royal Mail as a postman and have done so for nearly 7 years.
Although we've had rises in our wages over those years, we have never had an increase in payment for the door to door items (unaddressed leaflets) that we have to deliver. According to an ex union rep the payment for these haven't gone up since 1996.
These are in addition to our wages but we dont have the option of not delivering them. If you are on a walk duty then it is your responsibility to make sure they are delivered by the end of your shift each friday.
As we dont have the option of not doing them, then shouldn't this be part of our wages and therefore be part of the wage rise and not overlooked for 12 years.
I'd be very greatful if anyone has the knowledge to help me with this before i approach my employer..

Thank you..

ohreally

cognitionsteve wrote: »

I'd be very greatful if anyone has the knowledge to help me with this before i approach my employer..

Thank you..

As an individual you don't approach your employer as you are employed in a unionised workplace.This issue should be dealt with through procedural agreements/ collective bargaining, so raise your concerns with the appropriate trade union to raise with your employer.

I would be surprised if this hasn't been debated at your unions national conference to review the current package with management on a national basis.

Edit: From CWU conference 2005...

Composite Motion 5 A
(includes Motions 5.2 to 5.5 inclusive)

Conference agrees that immediate negotiations take place to increase the payments for Door-to-Door items. Conference further agrees that there be no agreement to increase the current maximum number of door to door contracts per week until such time that: -

1. A mechanism for future increases in payments at regular intervals be agreed

2. Weight on Delivery solutions are confirmed and in place for both the current and proposed maximum number delivered

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly.

Motion 5.6
Conference agrees that, with the advent of Postal Liberalisation in January 2006, it is important that we secure a comprehensive agreement covering the delivery of Door to Door items, that takes account of the wider implications of the overall CWU business strategy, especially in relation to new products and services. The PEC is therefore instructed to enter into immediate negotiations on this matter, with the aim of finalising an agreement before the end of 2005.

All aspects of Door to Door that impact upon the membership should be thoroughly examined and taken into consideration, with any final agreement being placed before the relevant membership for ratification.

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly

Motion 5.12
Conference agrees that our members perception of the delivery of Door to Door material, varies nationally office by office. With the liberalisation of the Postal Industry will come serious competition not only to Door to Door but also eventually Mailsort and could ultimately impact on employment.

Conference also recognises that Door to Door offers this Union the opportunity to secure an agreement that will protect full time employment and enhance the earning potential of our members. On that basis Conference instructs the Postal Executive to reach agreement with the employer and undertake a campaign with our members, to raise awareness of the importance of Door to Door, and the potential loss of jobs if an agreement is not reached.

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly

anewman

Can't you deliver all those leaflets to the local tip and save yourself and us the hassle?

Bismarck

cognitionsteve wrote: »

I work for Royal Mail as a postman and have done so for nearly 7 years.
Although we've had rises in our wages over those years, we have never had an increase in payment for the door to door items (unaddressed leaflets) that we have to deliver. According to an ex union rep the payment for these haven't gone up since 1996.
These are in addition to our wages but we dont have the option of not delivering them. If you are on a walk duty then it is your responsibility to make sure they are delivered by the end of your shift each friday.
As we dont have the option of not doing them, then shouldn't this be part of our wages and therefore be part of the wage rise and not overlooked for 12 years.
I'd be very greatful if anyone has the knowledge to help me with this before i approach my employer..

Thank you..

I'd be very cautious about approaching your employer over this if it has been dealt with collectively (whether it's made much difference or not)

glitterkitty

if you work in a unionised workplace (which you do) you cannot approach your employer about these things. They will not be able to do anything. The union will do it on behalf of all the members. You could ask your local workplace rep if there is anything being done about this, and what sort of conference policy they have for dealing with this situation.

ceridwen

Wondering whether it would be possible to turn this on its head - and lobby for it to be made easier for customers to stop these darn junk mail items being delivered to homes in the first place. As a customer I had quite a fight to stop these being delivered to me - I was specifically looking for a form on the Post Office website to stop this - and there didnt appear to be one. I had a Post Office denying they had these forms. Cant recall how on earth I managed to get hold of one in the end - then landed up wishing I had kept my how-to-find-that-darned-form details - as it got ignored and I had to go through the whole process again and again to get the junk mail stopped.

It was one heck of a palaver to stop the junk mail - and took me months and much persistence.

so - if you could lobby to make it easy for customers to stop the junk - then you wouldnt have so much to deliver and therefore wouldnt be doing so much of this "reduced salary" work.

Conor_3

cognitionsteve wrote: »

I work for Royal Mail as a postman and have done so for nearly 7 years.
Although we've had rises in our wages over those years, we have never had an increase in payment for the door to door items (unaddressed leaflets) that we have to deliver. According to an ex union rep the payment for these haven't gone up since 1996.
These are in addition to our wages but we dont have the option of not delivering them. If you are on a walk duty then it is your responsibility to make sure they are delivered by the end of your shift each friday.
As we dont have the option of not doing them, then shouldn't this be part of our wages and therefore be part of the wage rise and not overlooked for 12 years.
I'd be very greatful if anyone has the knowledge to help me with this before i approach my employer..

Thank you..

I'm sorry but could you remind me what your job is again? Oh yeah, Postman. So your job is to put post through letterboxes. Which is what you're doing. So why should you get extra for doing what the job description states in the first place? Considering the public on a whole is so fed up with the dire service RM offers that they're reducing the amount of mail they send, I'd have thought you'd be grateful to get something that keeps you in a job.

going2die_rich

This isn't aimed at you peronally, as everyone wants a pay rise. But the Royal Mail on a whole isn't profitable. I think it actually might make a loss each year. Since the government (I believe) are paying taxpayers money towards the business, I don't think anyone at the Royal Mail should get a payrise. In fact many of the mangement need sacking for failing to make profits.

I personally think the Royal Mail needs broken up and have lots of private companies take it on as they will actually drive for profits more.

custardy

going2die_rich wrote: »

This isn't aimed at you peronally, as everyone wants a pay rise. But the Royal Mail on a whole isn't profitable. I think it actually might make a loss each year. Since the government (I believe) are paying taxpayers money towards the business, I don't think anyone at the Royal Mail should get a payrise. In fact many of the mangement need sacking for failing to make profits.

I personally think the Royal Mail needs broken up and have lots of private companies take it on as they will actually drive for profits more.

actually many areas of the business are in profit
the D2D's originally raised in this post(dont know why the OP is being attacked but hey ho) is one of RM's biggest money makers and a growing business
do you think RM charge the same prices as 1996? the workers are working within the system set in place by managers
the duties are longer and the mail may technically be going down the weight isnt.
to the OP i agree the payment should be increased however i doubt it will and in the future i expect some deal to be done and the whole D2D issue to be absorbed in some new working system

custardy

going2die_rich wrote: »

I personally think the Royal Mail needs broken up and have lots of private companies take it on as they will actually drive for profits more.

in what sense? you mean like it is now with companies being tied to the same non profitable universal service obligation and delivering mail to every UK address?
oh no thats right the competitors dont have to do that,they can do the profitable parts like dealing with business mail and getting RM to deliver it anyway
thats progress,cant understand why the letters section of RM isnt making profit,can you?

custardy

ceridwen wrote: »

Wondering whether it would be possible to turn this on its head - and lobby for it to be made easier for customers to stop these darn junk mail items being delivered to homes in the first place. As a customer I had quite a fight to stop these being delivered to me - I was specifically looking for a form on the Post Office website to stop this - and there didnt appear to be one. I had a Post Office denying they had these forms. Cant recall how on earth I managed to get hold of one in the end - then landed up wishing I had kept my how-to-find-that-darned-form details - as it got ignored and I had to go through the whole process again and again to get the junk mail stopped.

It was one heck of a palaver to stop the junk mail - and took me months and much persistence.

so - if you could lobby to make it easy for customers to stop the junk - then you wouldnt have so much to deliver and therefore wouldnt be doing so much of this "reduced salary" work.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?catId=400126&mediaId=500081

D2D continues because the companies continue to generate sales from the delivered material
heard of shooting the messenger?