Royal Mail, "I'm alright Jack"

Alan_M_2

So I was listening to Radio 4 on the way into work this morning and it felt as though I was listening to the 1959 comedy "I'm alright Jack". I was half waiting for Peter Sellers to pop up as the disgruntled shop steward.

This really is a throwback to the bad old days. The Royal Mail is bankrupt, it is in dire straights and requires private sector finance to prop it up. No one in their right mind is going to finance it with the union mentality as it exists.

It almost sounded like a bunch of kids saying "He won't talk to me so I'm not talking to him".

Take a look at the bigger picture please posties, by going on strike you've just increased the chances of a failure, it's not brain surgery.

purch

it's not brain surgery

I heard a postie on the Radio this morning saying...

"it's not like we work in a factory or summit, there ain't a bell that goes off at the end of the day, we have a job to do and we have to do it till it's finished"

Although, not today or tomorrow apparantly. :rolleyes:

thriftybabe

Our postie is great. He is really hard working and rushes about like mad all the time. He does look really stressed some of the time. I hope this can get worked out soon. The people that pay us are always looking for an excuse to get out of it so this is a great excuse for them. "see that cheque that I was meant to get to you 2 months ago. Eh I cannot give you it because of the postal strike!"

fedupfreda

Alan_M wrote: »

Take a look at the bigger picture please posties, by going on strike you've just increased the chances of a failure, it's not brain surgery.

I can understand their grievances. No one likes it if their job changes without their consent. However RM is practically bankrupt and things have to change if it is to survive. Most of us in the private sector learned that years ago, and have had to cope with change forced on us for purely economic reasons. And if we didn't like it - we could put up and shut up - or get out - 'cos there were plenty of others who were willing to do the work. Usually for less pay too.:mad:

I hope other public sector workers are looking at this and learning. I hear the Civil Service are planning to go on strike if the Conservatives get in next election. Hello - this is not a re-run of the winter of discontent. It may be a Labour Government, but the situation is not the same. Union power was effectively broken a long time ago. You can't cripple a government with industrial action these days.

I wish the posties luck - but am sorely afraid they have been led up the garden path and it will all backfire.

kennyboy66_2

purch wrote: »

"it's not like we work in a factory or summit, there ain't a bell that goes off at the end of the day, we have a job to do and we have to do it till it's finished"

It's worrying that people think there are still factories the size of a small town with chimneys belching smoke where a klaxon sounds to single the end of a shift. Followed several thousand men streaming out of the factory gate.
Perhaps there are still "knocker-uppers" tapping on people windows to wake them for work as well.

lemonjelly

To be honest, I don't feel that the majority of public sector workers are looking to strike. Most (IMO) appear to be relieved that they have a job still, and are also looking at the real risk of job losses with the fact that everyone is talking about savings for the public purse at the moment. So they're hoping that they can survive the cull. I'd expect a lot will keep their heads down & work hard enough to try to make themselves indispensable.

I'm kind of reminded of the recent-ish fireman strike, when they banged on about loads of job related stuff (most of which made a semblence of sense), then tagged on, at the very end that they wanted a 40% pay rise:eek:. The fire service & the union handled it all very badly, & as a result lost the support of the public. The head of the fire service union was a joke (can't remember his name). A mate of mine is a fireman, & we had some right debates at the time. I told him I expected the strike to fail ultimately, because the demands of the union became more far fetched, and their statements were well off the scale in respect of being in touch with public opinion.

I don't see the union winning this one, though I can see some of their points. At the same time, I've noticed 3 or 4 local reports of posties (NB generally I find posties to be good people) who have been not delivering/hoarding post, & subsequently have been taken to court for it.

If royal mail do recruit 30000 temps (as per media reports) - & lets face it, I'm sure there are many out there who would jump at the chance, even just for the temporary employment for several months, they could limit the impact of the strike, leaving the strikers with minimal gains.

As an aside, regarding the comment of a lot of public sectors workers having the concerns for their job security, what do people think of the possible implications of this? We're being encouraged to spend our way out of this recession. The public sector has a large volume of the population in its staff. If they are worried about their futures, will they cut back on spending etc, & could this impact on our national exit strategy?

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

"we have a job to do and we have to do it till it's finished"

Yes, welcome to the real world, you cretin....

This strike is counterproductive and will only hasten the end of Royal Mail.

Which is a real shame.

In theory organisations like the NHS and Royal Mail could be fantastic, if they could just lose the wasteful and lazy public sector mentality.

I would love to see the efficiencies of private sector working practices used in taxpayer funded entities, but without the profit being skimmed off by private organisations.

The best of both worlds is possible, and indeed, vital if these organisations are to survive without being privatised. The country can no longer afford to write a blank cheque to public services.

Why don't these dinosaur unions realise that if they don't get their heads out of the 70's, their employing organisations are unsustainable?

Graham_Devon

Peter Mandleson needs to just leave it alone and stop getting involved. Someone else needs to sort all this. The man is hated, and isn't helping.

lostinrates

I find it interesting this thread is, as I read it, next to a thread about bankers' pay and more outrage about that, how much were the Royal mail bonuses again?

The posties are mistaken IMO, in their action at his time. We are very fond of our postie, and he does a great job (and he isn't scared of our quite scray dogs either, even spending time each day when a new, nervous dog arrived, giving her a biscuit or a pat, so that she would be safe with him: so we know we are very lucky with him).

Good management would have, IMO, not taken bonuses at a time when RM is so finacially scuppered, it should have gone into the business, or in to the salaries of the people at the bottom who otherwise need to take more from any top ups.

ruggedtoast

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Yes, welcome to the real world, you cretin....

This strike is counterproductive and will only hasten the end of Royal Mail.

Which is a real shame.

In theory organisations like the NHS and Royal Mail could be fantastic, if they could just lose the wasteful and lazy public sector mentality.

I would love to see the efficiencies of private sector working practices used in taxpayer funded entities, but without the profit being skimmed off by private organisations.

The best of both worlds is possible, and indeed, vital if these organisations are to survive without being privatised. The country can no longer afford to write a blank cheque to public services.

Why don't these dinosaur unions realise that if they don't get their heads out of the 70's, their employing organisations are unsustainable?

Everything you write sounds like something from 'The Sun Says'

purch

My Postman has just delivered my post (strange that....cos he normally delivers my Milk :rolleyes:)

11:45......that's earlier than usual too !!!!