Michelle Posted 15 October, 2009 Share Posted 15 October, 2009 Oh FFS, here we ****ing go again... not quite sure whether me having next week off is a good thing or not now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadeem Hardison Posted 15 October, 2009 Share Posted 15 October, 2009 The army should be made to deliver our mail. Take the troops out of Afghanistan so that I can get my mail order chinos on time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 15 October, 2009 Share Posted 15 October, 2009 The army should be made to deliver our mail. Take the troops out of Afghanistan so that I can get my mail order chinos on time. Can you imagine the grief they'll be giving everyone in ten years time, when they recall how they were made to deliver the mail using bags with holes in them, vans that wouldn't go past 30mph and shorts that came down over their knees? I'd rather run the risk of not getting the mail if that's the alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 15 October, 2009 Share Posted 15 October, 2009 LOL...... and some people didn't understand why Maggie wanted to get rid of the unions....few more years and they will have got rid of themselves. Bunch of idiots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 15 October, 2009 Share Posted 15 October, 2009 They should be sacked and the jobs go out to the 2 million people that are unemployed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Bateman Posted 16 October, 2009 Share Posted 16 October, 2009 Know the feeling well, been subjected to it for the past 11 years! "You've lost my parcel!" - yes, of course I have, because I personally deliver your item from behind the flamin' counter, don't I!? Understand people, just bloody understand! As an employee within the Post Office, you are the public face. People hand their parcels to you and some pick them up from you. Therefore, when they say "you have lost my parcel", they are of course entirely right. YOU work for the Post Office, you are the public face, therefore, you are the Post Office as far as they're concerned. Why don't you have a little more understanding for how old Mrs Tibbins who gave her parcel to you 3 weeks ago, is feeling, when her great grandson hasn't received his present. I get the same in what I do with who I work for and I'm not even an employee of the company. But it's to be expected; as it turns out, I AM able to get things fixed and looked in to (as The9 can testify), so as the public face of the Post Office, you are the one helping them out and are solely responsible. Don't tell me, you never whinge to the person serving you in Tesco about the price of sprouts, you don't complain about the price of petrol to the guy in Shell, you don't moan about your mobile reception to the guy in T-Mobile, you wouldn't ever phone your Electricity provider about losing power for 10 minutes. They all really care, they really do, honestly ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted 16 October, 2009 Share Posted 16 October, 2009 As an employee within the Post Office, you are the public face. People hand their parcels to you and some pick them up from you. Therefore, when they say "you have lost my parcel", they are of course entirely right. YOU work for the Post Office, you are the public face, therefore, you are the Post Office as far as they're concerned. Why don't you have a little more understanding for how old Mrs Tibbins who gave her parcel to you 3 weeks ago, is feeling, when her great grandson hasn't received his present. I get the same in what I do with who I work for and I'm not even an employee of the company. But it's to be expected; as it turns out, I AM able to get things fixed and looked in to (as The9 can testify), so as the public face of the Post Office, you are the one helping them out and are solely responsible. Don't tell me, you never whinge to the person serving you in Tesco about the price of sprouts, you don't complain about the price of petrol to the guy in Shell, you don't moan about your mobile reception to the guy in T-Mobile, you wouldn't ever phone your Electricity provider about losing power for 10 minutes. They all really care, they really do, honestly ... Don't shop in Tesco, don't buy fuel from Shell, not on T-Mobile, and never in long enough to worry about the electricity! Thanks for your input anyway though hun. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 18 October, 2009 Share Posted 18 October, 2009 Is it me ???????????? The union guy has just been on telly slating Royal mail for hiring 30,000 extra people to negate the strike. They have a business to run and customers to save. The jokers go on strike and then get upset when the company tries to do something to protect themselves........... bunch of ***ts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamster Posted 18 October, 2009 Share Posted 18 October, 2009 LOL...... and some people didn't understand why Maggie wanted to get rid of the unions....f ......slating Royal mail for hiring 30,000 extra people to negate the strike. But the thing that doesn't quite sit comfortably with some is that theis isn't Maggie doing it, it's not even the Tories. Acting in this manner ie rather pay for a third rate service to try to break the will of the legal strikers, than sit around a table with ACAS smacks of Brown turning into a proper ****** in my book, and make no mistake this is not about the posties or the post office, it's about kicking some arse to try to gain some credibilty and win a few votes. I was saying just the other day that i would rather have a bad Labour government than a any Tory one, but once again I am getting more and more bemused with the whole bloody lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Does anyone know the true figures here? I was told - by the Postmaster in my local post office - that ONLY 40% of those eligible to vote even bothered to [he is assuming that the other 60% couldn't care less, based on his conversations with local posties, who say the changes have already been implemented for them and make no difference to their working day anyway]. Of that 40% that voted, there was a small majority that voted FOR strike action - he quoted about 55%.... So, IF his figures are true, there is about 22% of the entire union membership that agree with this strike action and want it to happen..... Now, I'm not slating the workings of a democratic vote, as the ones that didn't vote [against the strike], can't really complain when they don't get paid for not working, but it strikes me that this action has come about more through apathy than anything else.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenevaSaint Posted 19 October, 2009 Author Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Does anyone know the true figures here? I was told - by the Postmaster in my local post office - that ONLY 40% of those eligible to vote even bothered to [he is assuming that the other 60% couldn't care less, based on his conversations with local posties, who say the changes have already been implemented for them and make no difference to their working day anyway]. Of that 40% that voted, there was a small majority that voted FOR strike action - he quoted about 55%.... So, IF his figures are true, there is about 22% of the entire union membership that agree with this strike action and want it to happen..... Now, I'm not slating the workings of a democratic vote, as the ones that didn't vote [against the strike], can't really complain when they don't get paid for not working, but it strikes me that this action has come about more through apathy than anything else.... 60k voted for strike 20k against strike So 80k voted out of a work force of circa 180k I think. Remember though, not everyone is a member of the CWU! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenevaSaint Posted 19 October, 2009 Author Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Acting in this manner ie rather pay for a third rate service to try to break the will of the legal strikers, than sit around a table with ACAS smacks of Brown turning into a proper ****** in my book, and make no mistake this is not about the posties or the post office, it's about kicking some arse to try to gain some credibilty and win a few votes. Hamster, what does this have to down with Brown or any government. The Royal Mail have bought in the casuals not the government, well at least not directly. I guess they could raise issues with it to the RM. FWIW though, there is always an influx of casual staff over the xmas rush period, there are just more of them this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolsaint29 Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I am very happy about the strike as I will be supplying a proportion of said 30k temporary staff thus making a large commision and allowing me to buy something nice, who cares if my electric bill turns up late. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrant Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I am very happy about the strike as I will be supplying a proportion of said 30k temporary staff thus making a large commision and allowing me to buy something nice, who cares if my electric bill turns up late. Something I read in one of the free papers on my way to work this morning suggested that recruitment agencies that provide workers to Royal Mail during the strike might actually be acting illegally (i.e. providing replacement staff during "lawful" industrial action) and they could be fined £5000 per worker per day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Keith Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Something I read in one of the free papers on my way to work this morning suggested that recruitment agencies that provide workers to Royal Mail during the strike might actually be acting illegally (i.e. providing replacement staff during "lawful" industrial action) and they could be fined £5000 per worker per day... its only illegal to bring in workers to directly replace those that are striking. royal mails point is that these people are being brought in afterwards to deal with the backlog, and will not actually be working on any of the strike days that's also good, because in previous strikes, these ****s have gone on strike, then expected overtime for days after to clear the backlogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolsaint29 Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 its only illegal to bring in workers to directly replace those that are striking. royal mails point is that these people are being brought in afterwards to deal with the backlog, and will not actually be working on any of the strike days that's also good, because in previous strikes, these ****s have gone on strike, then expected overtime for days after to clear the backlogs Exactly so lets make some money, it is also dependant on whether official or unofficial action! They can work on atrike days as long as they do not do any work that the striking staff would usually do. So that would be any work then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.comsaint Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 With the current soaring unemployment rate - I'd hope that many of those 30,000 temporary jobs being offered actually turn into full time employment at the expense of the lazy bastid RM staff currently employed. Serves them right. The strike is all about modernising the out-dated mail service in this country - not wages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Does anyone really win the arguement by striking these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesaint sfc Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Does anyone really win the arguement by striking these days? I think the underground w*nkers got pretty much what they wanted out of their strike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrant Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I think the underground w*nkers got pretty much what they wanted out of their strike. I'm not sure the most recent strike did actually get any sort of result for the union - if I remember rightly, about half of the underground workforce belong to a different union to the RMT, and they all worked as normal, and even a lot of the RMT members crossed the picket line because they didn't agree with the strike. In the current economic climate, with more than 2m people unemployed, there can be no justifiable reason for striking other than on the grounds of health and safety, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.comsaint Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 In the current economic climate, with more than 2m people unemployed, there can be no justifiable reason for striking other than on the grounds of health and safety, IMO. Funnily enough - the latest CWU rag has just dropped through my letterbox (the missus works FT for the Post Office & has done for many years). The back cover is taken up with this delightful image. Surprise surprise! Now where have I seen those banners before?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I hope they all lose their jobs as the poor service forces retailers to swap to private courier firms permanently and the work isn't there for them to come back to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I hope they all lose their jobs as the poor service forces retailers to swap to private courier firms permanently and the work isn't there for them to come back to. I bloody don't, as us Post Office people could lose our jobs too, despite the fact it has naff all to do with us. Not that I agree with this whole bloody fiasco, but I would quite like to keep my job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costasaint Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 That's an obscene amount of money for running the CWU. Pigs and troughs and all that. Not quite as obscene as the 3 million plus the RM ceo earns.How the fook can that be justified for a state run industry? I'm sure you could get someone to do the job forr 200k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nineteen Canteen Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Don't get me started on the postal strike. The ultimate effect of this action or even the threatened action is that customers are deserting the Royal Mail in droves. Amazon are shifting work to other carriers and House of Fraser have switched to DHL. John Lewis, Argos, M&S are all condsidering switching this week. The danger for the RM is that if they switch, they may not come back. The RM have to modernise or they are dead and buried. If the CWU go on strike, they are the ones banging the nails in the coffin. It would be impossible for me to agree more and I feel much of this is about protecting what has been traditionally viewed as a 'nice little job' and the fear modernisation will bring to the cosy world of the postie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nineteen Canteen Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Does anyone really win the arguement by striking these days? The Miners strike in the early 80's killed off striking as it proved no one wins and just leaves neighbourhood's divided and coping with idiots because a 'scab' exercises his right to work. Lets no forget the strikes just about killed off the British Car Industry along with some shoddy products and replace products with service and the RM are on dodgy ground. Listening to radio phone ins and the majority of public opinion is weighted against the postal workers in a very bitter way and the little support I have heard has come from those with connections to the RM. Good luck to them but they seem a stupidly intransigent bunch to me and ridiculous to make demands about technological improvements when just about everyone of us have no doubt had to deal with changes to technology in our own environment and roll with the times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nineteen Canteen Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 its only illegal to bring in workers to directly replace those that are striking. royal mails point is that these people are being brought in afterwards to deal with the backlog, and will not actually be working on any of the strike days that's also good, because in previous strikes, these ****s have gone on strike, then expected overtime for days after to clear the backlogs Also they bring in 15,000 every year to cope with Christmas and they are just bringing them in a bit earlier. Doubt it's illegal as any company has the right to prevent itself from collapse. The Union is up in arms of course as they will potentially lose the publicity of the undelivered mail mountain which IMO is what they want to create in the first place. Maximum disruption and for what? The loss of their jobs anyway by making the business uncompetitive The scouts are missing an opportunity here as they do an excellent job around these parts at Christmas for half the price of a stamp without the worry of grannies card being 'felt for contents' and dear old postie helping themsleves to their christmas bonus, allegedly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponty Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I bloody don't, as us Post Office people could lose our jobs too, despite the fact it has naff all to do with us. Not that I agree with this whole bloody fiasco, but I would quite like to keep my job. I shall revise my wish to include the proviso that anyone who doesn't strike gets a nice payrise and reduced hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 That's an obscene amount of money for running the CWU. Pigs and troughs and all that. What about the obscene amounts of money paid to the top levels of management within the Royal Mail? If you want to look at pigs and troughs then look there. At least the head of the union is elected by the members, and his pay is transparent. The RM management have just put a kings ransom into their pension fund before they go private. I wouldn't be surprised if they move to private firms when the 'last mile' is opened up to competition. If it has taken them 20 years to go into profit you have to question their ability, and whether they deserve their pay packets. I see my postie running his round every day. He is motivated by job and finish, and to be honest probably deserves to finish a bit early. I wouldn't blame him if he stopped running his round once the outdated working practice ends. But he is a hard worker, not all posties are layabouts. For what it's worth, I think this weeks strike should be called off, and management and the Union should go to ACAS. Just trying to put a bit of balance into the argument, as I don't see too much of that in your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamster Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 Does anyone know the true figures here? I was told - by the Postmaster in my local post office - that ONLY 40% of those eligible to vote even bothered to [he is assuming that the other 60% couldn't care less, based on his conversations with local posties, who say the changes have already been implemented for them and make no difference to their working day anyway]. Of that 40% that voted, there was a small majority that voted FOR strike action - he quoted about 55%.... So, IF his figures are true, there is about 22% of the entire union membership that agree with this strike action and want it to happen..... Now, I'm not slating the workings of a democratic vote, as the ones that didn't vote [against the strike], can't really complain when they don't get paid for not working, but it strikes me that this action has come about more through apathy than anything else.... Not unlike the government that we all now enjoy then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I'm still to receive my Oldham ticket!! Had to ring the club and get them to bring a duplicate up on the supporters coach. I've not risked it with the Orient ticket, and looking at the way they are selling it seems a wise move to have ordered it this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonManager Posted 19 October, 2009 Share Posted 19 October, 2009 I'm still to receive my Oldham ticket!! Had to ring the club and get them to bring a duplicate up on the supporters coach. I've not risked it with the Orient ticket, and looking at the way they are selling it seems a wise move to have ordered it this morning. I'm still waiting for my Ajax Ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenevaSaint Posted 20 October, 2009 Author Share Posted 20 October, 2009 If it has taken them 20 years to go into profit you have to question their ability, and whether they deserve their pay packets. And you don't think that it's taken 20 years because the unions have fought tooth and nail against modernisation? You don't see balance as my missus works from them and reckons more than half are work shy and she wants modernisation. Will respond to the other points later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenevaSaint Posted 20 October, 2009 Author Share Posted 20 October, 2009 What about the obscene amounts of money paid to the top levels of management within the Royal Mail? If you want to look at pigs and troughs then look there. At least the head of the union is elected by the members, and his pay is transparent. The RM management have just put a kings ransom into their pension fund before they go private. I wouldn't be surprised if they move to private firms when the 'last mile' is opened up to competition. If it has taken them 20 years to go into profit you have to question their ability, and whether they deserve their pay packets. I see my postie running his round every day. He is motivated by job and finish, and to be honest probably deserves to finish a bit early. I wouldn't blame him if he stopped running his round once the outdated working practice ends. But he is a hard worker, not all posties are layabouts. For what it's worth, I think this weeks strike should be called off, and management and the Union should go to ACAS. Just trying to put a bit of balance into the argument, as I don't see too much of that in your posts. And you don't think that it's taken 20 years because the unions have fought tooth and nail against modernisation? You don't see balance as my missus works for them and reckons more than half are work shy and she wants modernisation. They're using machines to sort the mail that are no longer produced and you can't get spare parts for. One of the union demands is that the new walk sequence (I think) machines are not introduced. Why? Less staff are required to run them. I'm against the strike and the CWU for trying to keep their outdated work practices in place. We all know this sort of thing would never be acceptable in the private sector. If I felt the employees were hard done by I'd have a different opinion, trust me, in this case they're not. The union have even tried to bring the pension deficit into the equation to make the strike look more valid. As far as I'm aware the government are obliged to underwrite this are they not? "It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant force in society today" Isaac Assimov. Businesses also need to adapt to the climate of change or face the consequences. When competition really opens up for the final mile they're fooked imo. Finally, I agree, a binding agreement between the parties at ACAS would seem the only solution at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzhugh Fella Posted 20 October, 2009 Share Posted 20 October, 2009 Something I read in one of the free papers on my way to work this morning suggested that recruitment agencies that provide workers to Royal Mail during the strike might actually be acting illegally (i.e. providing replacement staff during "lawful" industrial action) and they could be fined £5000 per worker per day... Quite right too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzhugh Fella Posted 20 October, 2009 Share Posted 20 October, 2009 The Miners strike in the early 80's killed off striking as it proved no one wins and just leaves neighbourhood's divided and coping with idiots because a 'scab' exercises his right to work. Lets no forget the strikes just about killed off the British Car Industry along with some shoddy products and replace products with service and the RM are on dodgy ground. Listening to radio phone ins and the majority of public opinion is weighted against the postal workers in a very bitter way and the little support I have heard has come from those with connections to the RM. Good luck to them but they seem a stupidly intransigent bunch to me and ridiculous to make demands about technological improvements when just about everyone of us have no doubt had to deal with changes to technology in our own environment and roll with the times. You've been reading the Daily Mail or as it is known in my house - the paramilitary wing of Womans Realm magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted 20 October, 2009 Share Posted 20 October, 2009 And you don't think that it's taken 20 years because the unions have fought tooth and nail against modernisation? You don't see balance as my missus works for them and reckons more than half are work shy and she wants modernisation. They're using machines to sort the mail that are no longer produced and you can't get spare parts for. One of the union demands is that the new walk sequence (I think) machines are not introduced. Why? Less staff are required to run them. I'm against the strike and the CWU for trying to keep their outdated work practices in place. We all know this sort of thing would never be acceptable in the private sector. If I felt the employees were hard done by I'd have a different opinion, trust me, in this case they're not. The union have even tried to bring the pension deficit into the equation to make the strike look more valid. As far as I'm aware the government are obliged to underwrite this are they not? "It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant force in society today" Isaac Assimov. Businesses also need to adapt to the climate of change or face the consequences. When competition really opens up for the final mile they're fooked imo. Finally, I agree, a binding agreement between the parties at ACAS would seem the only solution at the moment. You make some fair points. Machinery to make sorting more efficient should be brought in. It will keep costs down and hopefully the savings can be filtered down to the consumer. My basic problem, which you have avoided, is that RM management have been rewarding themselves very nicely for doing a poor job. Adam Crozier has done nothing to improve the postal service (indeed his wish is for it to be private), yet he gets paid a kings ransom to fail, and puts a ton of RM money into management pension funds. Fred Goodwin would be envious of them. Companies in every walk of life have a percentage of employees who are, shall we say, less committed to the cause. Bankers who took the country to the brink of financial ruin are still in work and still doing very nicely. Police chiefs are still coining it in and getting knighthoods despite ever-increasing crime. IT chiefs who preside over projects that go horrendously over budget and fail do not seem to be the ones who fall on their swords (it's usually the developers who suffer, I've seen this first hand). My point is, it's very rare that the main culprits in a company's failure get punished. I think the Royal Mail needs wholesale reform from top to bottom. From the shop-floor right up to the plush offices of Adam Crozier and his cronies. What we don't need, in my opinion, is further privatisation of the postal service. It's hardly been better for the consumer with the utilities, and in my opinion, will lead to worse service for more money. I do think RM management, together with the odious Peter Mandelson, are pushing in that direction, and as such, the strike will only help their cause. Unfortunately, the CWU seem to be helping them. The CWU are not playing this very well at all. There is more than one way of skinning a cat, and I'm afraid striking does not go down very well with the public who are all having to make sacrifices in their own jobs in these challenging times. I find it very sad that management, the union and the government have let this get this far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrant Posted 20 October, 2009 Share Posted 20 October, 2009 You make some fair points. Machinery to make sorting more efficient should be brought in. It will keep costs down and hopefully the savings can be filtered down to the consumer. My basic problem, which you have avoided, is that RM management have been rewarding themselves very nicely for doing a poor job. Adam Crozier has done nothing to improve the postal service (indeed his wish is for it to be private), yet he gets paid a kings ransom to fail, and puts a ton of RM money into management pension funds. Fred Goodwin would be envious of them. I'd agree with him on that point, to be honest. The whole organisation is doomed to fail when it is placed under so many regulatory restrictions just because it's a state-owned organisation. Its competitors are not under the same restrictions and can therefore negotiate with its potential clients over the fees it charges. Royal Mail is not getting a level playing field, and the only way it will do is if it goes private, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted 20 October, 2009 Share Posted 20 October, 2009 I'd agree with him on that point, to be honest. The whole organisation is doomed to fail when it is placed under so many regulatory restrictions just because it's a state-owned organisation. Its competitors are not under the same restrictions and can therefore negotiate with its potential clients over the fees it charges. Royal Mail is not getting a level playing field, and the only way it will do is if it goes private, IMO. The fear is though, that we get a worse service for more money. How long, for example before rural customers have to pay more, or accept less frequent services? Will the taxpayer continue to bail out failing private firms (as we do with train operators)? Privatisation of key services has not been a resounding success for the consumer. I don't see the Royal Mail being any different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calvin Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 Another pointless strike which has no benefit, apart from damaging Royal Mails repuation even more. I can understand Maggys point about fighting to get rid of Unions, as the system fails in some cases. I thought personally that they had good treatment, like the posties.. they can finish and go home before their shifts ends as they are on set hours. Plus the overtime is very nice . but ah well.. Another money loss for Royal Mail. I doubt they will get a deal with the top bosses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 What about the obscene amounts of money paid to the top levels of management within the Royal Mail? If you want to look at pigs and troughs then look there. At least the head of the union is elected by the members, and his pay is transparent. The RM management have just put a kings ransom into their pension fund before they go private. I wouldn't be surprised if they move to private firms when the 'last mile' is opened up to competition. If it has taken them 20 years to go into profit you have to question their ability, and whether they deserve their pay packets. I see my postie running his round every day. He is motivated by job and finish, and to be honest probably deserves to finish a bit early. I wouldn't blame him if he stopped running his round once the outdated working practice ends. But he is a hard worker, not all posties are layabouts. For what it's worth, I think this weeks strike should be called off, and management and the Union should go to ACAS. Just trying to put a bit of balance into the argument, as I don't see too much of that in your posts. Pigs in the trough is nothing to do with the Post Office loads of people get huge salaries compared with the average person including footballers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 I have a postie neighbour whos been in the job for years and he said to me in the summer he doesn't want change as he will have to work for a living. He was bold as brass about it and I have seeen him work, certainly knows how to drag a round out for the overtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aintforever Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 I couldn't give a ****, Can't remember the last time I posted a letter to anyone. Worst case scenario - my National Geographic is a couple of days late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redondo Saint Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 Does anyone know the true figures here? I was told - by the Postmaster in my local post office - that ONLY 40% of those eligible to vote even bothered to [he is assuming that the other 60% couldn't care less, based on his conversations with local posties, who say the changes have already been implemented for them and make no difference to their working day anyway]. Of that 40% that voted, there was a small majority that voted FOR strike action - he quoted about 55%.... So, IF his figures are true, there is about 22% of the entire union membership that agree with this strike action and want it to happen..... Now, I'm not slating the workings of a democratic vote, as the ones that didn't vote [against the strike], can't really complain when they don't get paid for not working, but it strikes me that this action has come about more through apathy than anything else.... I think you will find that apathy within the membership accounts for more than 3/4 of all strikes, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weston Super Saint Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 I think you will find that apathy within the membership accounts for more than 3/4 of all strikes, etc. Seems a little odd that people would pay their union dues and then not bother to vote on a critical issue... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redondo Saint Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 Seems a little odd that people would pay their union dues and then not bother to vote on a critical issue... Agreed, but look how many people are eligible to vote in local elections yet decide to not bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 Those who wanted to strike should be ashamed of themselves ****s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilsburydoughboy Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 its fairly straightforward. many of the staff ( not all of them, before anyone starts getting arsey) are on job and finish. so if they do their job in 5 hours they get to go home. the royal mail want these staff to work all the hours they are paid for. hardly unreasonable What more will that achieve.The people will just take eight hours instead of five. Where is the bonus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 What more will that achieve.The people will just take eight hours instead of five. Where is the bonus? you are right. If only the rest of industry thought of this when dishing out working hours. Or, clearly they don't have a full work load and will be given 8 hours or so worth of work. That kinda works in the private sector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitzhugh Fella Posted 21 October, 2009 Share Posted 21 October, 2009 I would like to state my full 100% support for the CWU. This time in a month I expect to be going down the same road. I do not believe in political strikes or militancy whatsoever. But what I do believe in is people fighting to maintain what they have been promised when the people trying to take away those promises are nothing more than carpetbaggers - and, come on folks, you all know Adam Crozier's track record. I will leave you with some words Neal Lawson wrote in the Guardian this week - "The government see ony one Route to Royal Mail modernisation - take out the union. The hard core of New Labour believes that the private sector is best, despite all the evidence of collapsing banks and the services we get from the likes of Virgin media and BT. It believes unions get in the way and stop reforms that enable organisations to compete efficiently, despite the fact that the best companies see their workers as an asset to be utilised, not a nuisance to be crushed". Speaking from front line experience those lines ring so tune. I know who I would rather trust - my local postie who has been doing rounds round here for 40 years looking after old dears, shutting gates, checking on people on holiday etc etc or Crozier who paracuted away from a disaster in the FA into a million pound plus salary in the GPO who wouls not know one end of a letter to the other. This country is going to the dogs not because of the workers but because of the people at the top of the finance world whose greed very nearly did for us all. And meanwhile lets all give the decent postman a damn good kicking. Anyone see Dell Days knitting while they cut heads off during the French Revolution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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