Post staff to hold national strikes (22+23 oct)

jasmineswhiskers

Is everyone carrying on listing as normal over this period? I am thinking of holding off items ending on and around these days but wonder when mail deliveries would likely get back to normal.

Cissi

jasmineswhiskers wrote: »

Is everyone carrying on listing as normal over this period? I am thinking of holding off items ending on and around these days but wonder when mail deliveries would likely get back to normal.

Probably not until after Christmas. There are still backlogs from the wildcat strikes a month ago; a 2-day national strike doesn't bear thinking about.

I'm not an ebay seller but have my own website (came here on advice from the Small Biz board) so unfortunately I don't have the option of not listing over the strike period. Just thoroughly fed up with Royal Mail at this point, but haven't so far found a viable alternative either.

RFW

Cissi wrote: »

To be honest: as I see it I'm the customer here, and a very good one at that, having had at least a hand in keeping our local post office open in the latest closures (together of course with a number of other similar businesses). As an entrepreneur I don't have (nor do I expect) job security. I and my family have made a lot of sacrifices over the past couple of years, including risking our own hard-earned savings to pay for stock, not taking a salary while building the business from scratch, working ALL hours (late evenings, weekends, Bank Holidays).

I don't dispute that RM workers may be hard done by, however I work too hard to subsidise anyone else in addition to the people who already depend on me (family and employees) - I make no apologies for this! For me, it's a clinical, business decision: if RM doesn't provide the service I need, I'll have to look elsewhere. If others like me do the same and that then means that RM have to make further cuts, then tough.

I just don't think these strikes are going to achieve anything productive for anyone, including the RM workers. Seriously hurting your customers can never be a great idea

I'm pretty much in the same position as you, except I changed my business model somewhat after a strike in 2003, we largely use couriers now.

I'm largely against strike action but the postal workers seem to have a point, if my staff were as consistently unhappy as RM staff have been over the last 6 years plus I'd have been doing something about it. Management seem to have been consistently making it worse.

It strikes me that the main problem with Royal Mail is it acts like a private company although it is government owned, it seems to have the worst of both worlds.

For everyone concerned I'd hope that the strike does not go ahead. I'd certainly hope that as a result of some bad management that families (of mail workers and those businesses affected by strike action) don't end up with a miserable time ahead.

Mortgage_Help_4

okay I will come clean my girlfriend is a Postie of 8 months and the crap treatment she has had and what she has witnessed over the last 8 months is beyond belief. It all comes down to the management in my limited knowldge so far. Why do people like us take the psot system for granted and only when the wheels come off we moan etc. I believe in basic human and employment rights. Some people may not like the working class people but although I am a director and have been for previous companies I am working class and damn proud of it and I support people with genuine reasons to strike. Yes people should go elsewhere if they don't like it but every so often in all jobs things can be unjust an action is required. If we can stop this government screwing the postal service then the clients will benefit in the future (post strikes) or is nobody concerned about peoples health and safety and futures anymore and is more people selfish and non-concerning???

custardy

Cissi wrote: »

To be honest: as I see it I'm the customer here, and a very good one at that, having had at least a hand in keeping our local post office open in the latest closures (together of course with a number of other similar businesses). As an entrepreneur I don't have (nor do I expect) job security. I and my family have made a lot of sacrifices over the past couple of years, including risking our own hard-earned savings to pay for stock, not taking a salary while building the business from scratch, working ALL hours (late evenings, weekends, Bank Holidays).

I don't dispute that RM workers may be hard done by, however I work too hard to subsidise anyone else in addition to the people who already depend on me (family and employees) - I make no apologies for this! For me, it's a clinical, business decision: if RM doesn't provide the service I need, I'll have to look elsewhere. If others like me do the same and that then means that RM have to make further cuts, then tough.

I just don't think these strikes are going to achieve anything productive for anyone, including the RM workers. Seriously hurting your customers can never be a great idea

right so the proposals from RM will have no impact on your service?
if you believe that you are living in a dream world.
the customer is further down RM's list than its staff in its cuts.

there have been many profitable PO's shut in central Scotland that were profitable so dont think providing business makes a difference

working ALL hours (late evenings, weekends, Bank Holidays).

worked as a chef for over 15 years so this sort of statement cuts no ice with me

wileycat

cally6008 wrote: »

The Communication Workers Union said it had made a "genuine offer" to avert a national strike and accused the Royal Mail of rejecting it without proper consideration.


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20091015/tuk-post-staff-to-hold-national-strikes-6323e80.html

Genuine offer that never could have been accepted.
You can't stop modernisation, agreeing a proper way to introduce it yes, but you can't say stop it all dead till we've agreed it all to the minute detail.

Also there is quite a big difference in opinion between posties in Mail Centres and delivery offices. Different treatment as well.
(Not sure what you work in Custardy?)


As for the strikes,
Thursday - You will get deliveries Thursday as normal, Collections by local delivery offices will take place but not if you get a large collection.
Friday - Limited deliveries, Special Deliveries will be delivered.
Large collections from mail centres will take place.

cyberbob

I know none of our local ones are striking so we will get local deliveries

custardy

wileycat wrote: »

Genuine offer that never could have been accepted.
You can't stop modernisation, agreeing a proper way to introduce it yes, but you can't say stop it all dead till we've agreed it all to the minute detail.

Also there is quite a big difference in opinion between posties in Mail Centres and delivery offices. Different treatment as well.
(Not sure what you work in Custardy?)


As for the strikes,
Thursday - You will get deliveries Thursday as normal, Collections by local delivery offices will take place but not if you get a large collection.
Friday - Limited deliveries, Special Deliveries will be delivered.
Large collections from mail centres will take place.

well in MC's this 'modernisation' will end in job losses
in delivery is a bit more complex

eg we are supposed to (well for years and years) be getting walk sequencing machines
these supposedly sort all the letters into the order of the posties frame(They dont do A4 flats though)
RM say this will save X time for delivery posties.
however in trial offices the machines havent saved anywhere near that,break down often and dont handle the levels of mail required

so you can see again if RM say X machine saves Y time how those figures will end in disagreement.
then you have the fact the machines dont do flats/stairs at all
so for someone like myself with all stairs(im in delivery) thewn wheres the saving?
offices where walk sequencing has been trialed have been getting their mail sorted later and getting out later,progress?
then for my own office we were recently moved to a 'larger' office along with another office to be combined.
so we have less space than we had in the old office(RM are selling off delivery offices so this is why we moved)
so where will the machines go?

as you can see from this little snapshot its not a simple answer

oh and to add.right now we get 'coded' bundles first thing in the morning
these are letters mech sorted to the walk order (not sequenced though) however on busy days this mail is 'crash' sorted
because theres no enough staff and the machines cant cope.
so lots more manual sorting
if theres not enough capacity to do coded bundles,what are the walk sequencing machines going to produce
according to RM we will have nothing to do with these wonder machines

HalfPint

As a wife of a RM employee.....I know exactly what my OH is going through...he works long and hard, and seems to be the dumping ground of the depo...there'sthe posties with their own walks, the drivers, the floaters, the reserves and then him...his own round was taken away and made part-time, leaving him as a loose end (he's FT) I know the strikes are hurting RM through losing customers but we treat our animals better than RM treats the loyal postie!

Custardy says it all really...those outside RM, or have never glanced into the workings of RM generally have no idea what goes on!

At the end of the day, I would like my OH to come home without a sore back/legs/hands etc because he has no choice but to push or carry overweight bags and trolleys...please don't say he does have a choice....he is one that will get the job done cause he does actually care that someone's grandson or granddaughter gets their birthday card or present on time!

anyway...rant over

HP x

cyberbob

There are huge problems with RM and its incredibly complex but all I can see the strikes doing is damaging RM and them losing more business so therefore more job loses.

The government seemed happy to bail out the banks. The mail service is basically a social service and should be supported. We pay less to send a basic letter than almost the rest of europe.

The government should be forcing both sides to go to Arbitration with ACAS. I know the union are willing but the management are not. The government were willing to step into other disputes so why not this one.