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LTB 051/26

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
toonshola
Posts: 898
Joined: 29 Jul 2011, 16:31
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by toonshola »

Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:24
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:08
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:53
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:48
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:37
The position set out by DK will be it's the ODM or bust/USO change/job losses.

It's naive to think if the CWU have a better alternative to the ODM, then RM don't have a worse alternative to the ODM

I hope the CWU have a backup offering to their heavy/light model, as it's not going to be agreed by RM in my view.
Its not up to DK to change the USO
I know that, but he would be the one to ask/lobby for it.
Good luck asking government for mail to be delivered even less than it is now given events
I’ve no doubt they would argue that halving (for instance) the 6 day USO to 3 days it would improve quality of service. Mail wouldn’t count as a failure if it’s not supposed to be delivered that day. A total disaster for jobs clearly.
Unpopular opinion but I actually think that is the way to go providing any jobs lost are through VR or people leaving of their own accord. Having to do first class mail 6 days per week under the new USO overcomplicates the ODM that royal mail want. I genuinely think the whole operation would run much smoother if it was 6 days parcels and 3 days mail.
postslippete
Posts: 4122
Joined: 14 Jul 2014, 16:27
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by postslippete »

RM will certainly frame ODM around declining letters and parcels now being over 50% of revenue, because they are trying to restructure the network to compete in a parcels market. But RM cannot simply casualise the workforce at scale while operating under a USO especially with its ongoing recruitment and retention problems.

The bigger issue is that the two-tier workforce whether RM chooses to acknowledge it or not, has created long-term industrial tension. If the business pushes through ODM on the basis of productivity savings then it would be logical to address equalisation. Implementing major revisions while offering no improvements to existing terms and conditions is unlikely to create any long-term stability. I'm thinking back to previous modernisation deals that were always tied to trade-offs in pay, job security and protections.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
Acca Dacca
Posts: 3193
Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 17:13
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by Acca Dacca »

Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:24
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:08
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:53
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:48
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:37
The position set out by DK will be it's the ODM or bust/USO change/job losses.

It's naive to think if the CWU have a better alternative to the ODM, then RM don't have a worse alternative to the ODM

I hope the CWU have a backup offering to their heavy/light model, as it's not going to be agreed by RM in my view.
Its not up to DK to change the USO
I know that, but he would be the one to ask/lobby for it.
Good luck asking government for mail to be delivered even less than it is now given events
I’ve no doubt they would argue that halving (for instance) the 6 day USO to 3 days it would improve quality of service. Mail wouldn’t count as a failure if it’s not supposed to be delivered that day. A total disaster for jobs clearly.
The issue isnt what counts as a failure as far as the government are concerned when people have caughtened on to the fact their mail is being left for WEEKS on end

Thats nothing to do with the USO

Halving the USO to a 3 day USO and halfing the workforce isnt going to make mail deliveries more frequently is it?

It might mean less fines for Royal Mail but thats not the Governments concern or MPS and their constituents concern

I would love to hear the argument for lessening the USO and cutting the bodies whilst at the same time explaining how this will mean mail gets delivered more frequently than it does currently

because it cant be made
If you tolerate this, then your paid break will be next
TopperGas
Posts: 3333
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by TopperGas »

toonshola wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:37
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:24
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:08
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:53
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:48
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:37
The position set out by DK will be it's the ODM or bust/USO change/job losses.

It's naive to think if the CWU have a better alternative to the ODM, then RM don't have a worse alternative to the ODM

I hope the CWU have a backup offering to their heavy/light model, as it's not going to be agreed by RM in my view.
Its not up to DK to change the USO
I know that, but he would be the one to ask/lobby for it.
Good luck asking government for mail to be delivered even less than it is now given events
I’ve no doubt they would argue that halving (for instance) the 6 day USO to 3 days it would improve quality of service. Mail wouldn’t count as a failure if it’s not supposed to be delivered that day. A total disaster for jobs clearly.
Unpopular opinion but I actually think that is the way to go providing any jobs lost are through VR or people leaving of their own accord. Having to do first class mail 6 days per week under the new USO overcomplicates the ODM that royal mail want. I genuinely think the whole operation would run much smoother if it was 6 days parcels and 3 days mail.
Given most duties only get around 20 1c's per day I can't see they are the issue when we can get well.over 100 Tracked to deliver each day, the main issue is delivering 2c mail, I'd move to an alternative day model, which is probably similar to long and short day model, expecting a postie to deliver 3 days 2c mail plus D2D's on alternative Tuesdays is never going to work.
Acca Dacca
Posts: 3193
Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 17:13
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by Acca Dacca »

Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:24
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:08
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:53
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:48
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:37
The position set out by DK will be it's the ODM or bust/USO change/job losses.

It's naive to think if the CWU have a better alternative to the ODM, then RM don't have a worse alternative to the ODM

I hope the CWU have a backup offering to their heavy/light model, as it's not going to be agreed by RM in my view.
Its not up to DK to change the USO
I know that, but he would be the one to ask/lobby for it.
Good luck asking government for mail to be delivered even less than it is now given events
I’ve no doubt they would argue that halving (for instance) the 6 day USO to 3 days it would improve quality of service. Mail wouldn’t count as a failure if it’s not supposed to be delivered that day. A total disaster for jobs clearly.
It doiesnt matter what counts as a failure or not if mail is still being sat left undelivered for weeks on end

The customer isnt going to care what counts as a failure or not on the books

The argument used to be made that there were not enough letters and that posties were getting finished early because the work isnt there

Now they are arguing theres too many letters for us to cope

If everything was getting delivered and there still wasnt enough work to maintain the size of workforce we currently have then an argument could be made

Again, it doesnt matter what is deemed a failure or not - 3 days a week mail is still less than a lot of people are getting now and thats BEFORE any change to USO and BEFORE any cut in the number of bodies

Dont fall for it
If you tolerate this, then your paid break will be next
TopperGas
Posts: 3333
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by TopperGas »

Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 19:07
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:24
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 18:08
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:53
Acca Dacca wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:48
Perseus wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 17:37
The position set out by DK will be it's the ODM or bust/USO change/job losses.

It's naive to think if the CWU have a better alternative to the ODM, then RM don't have a worse alternative to the ODM

I hope the CWU have a backup offering to their heavy/light model, as it's not going to be agreed by RM in my view.
Its not up to DK to change the USO
I know that, but he would be the one to ask/lobby for it.
Good luck asking government for mail to be delivered even less than it is now given events
I’ve no doubt they would argue that halving (for instance) the 6 day USO to 3 days it would improve quality of service. Mail wouldn’t count as a failure if it’s not supposed to be delivered that day. A total disaster for jobs clearly.
The issue isnt what counts as a failure as far as the government are concerned when people have caughtened on to the fact their mail is being left for WEEKS on end

Thats nothing to do with the USO

Halving the USO to a 3 day USO and halfing the workforce isnt going to make mail deliveries more frequently is it?

It might mean less fines for Royal Mail but thats not the Governments concern or MPS and their constituents concern

I would love to hear the argument for lessening the USO and cutting the bodies whilst at the same time explaining how this will mean mail gets delivered more frequently than it does currently

because it cant be made
Does anybody really know the percentage of 1c and 2c delivered per day, where do the RM and OFCOM get their figures from, is it just somebody at RM pulling figures out of thin air, as numerous customers suggesting that they are going for weeks without getting a delivery doesn't support the figures RM & OFCOM continually supply?
Mr Rush
Posts: 3135
Joined: 05 Aug 2011, 14:27
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by Mr Rush »

TopperGas wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 19:14
Does anybody really know the percentage of 1c and 2c delivered per day
From my own experience, back of the undelivered envelope numbers...

1C is usually 5% tops. Only time it's been higher (10%) was when the teacher's union balloted earlier this month - apparently we've got a lot of teachers on this duty. A sudden surge in 1C is an issue that was raised in the ODM trials.

Sequence callrates reflect 2C, DSA, and seldom seen mailsort. Currently, depending on the day and the whims of DTS, that can span 15-35%. Broadly speaking I would expect half of that to be DSA (70% of all business mail in 2016).
The machine stops.
yellowbelly
Posts: 3646
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 15:51
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by yellowbelly »

The mail failures reporting process should be much more transparent down to a local level and visible to Govt., OFCOM, public.

Just because the service is now being provided by a private company shouldn't mean that the data of delivery failures is private too as isn't a legal obligation to provide the service?

Don't private train companies etc. have to publish their data.

From what is said on this board I'd hazard a guess that a lot of mail failures don't get reported.
Perseus
Posts: 1000
Joined: 21 Feb 2024, 16:45
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by Perseus »

Have any area reps shared the outcome and content of yesterdays meeting yet?
Last edited by Perseus on 19 Feb 2026, 18:14, edited 1 time in total.
TopperGas
Posts: 3333
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: LTB 051/26

Post by TopperGas »

yellowbelly wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 11:25
The mail failures reporting process should be much more transparent down to a local level and visible to Govt., OFCOM, public.

Just because the service is now being provided by a private company shouldn't mean that the data of delivery failures is private too as isn't a legal obligation to provide the service?

Don't private train companies etc. have to publish their data.

From what is said on this board I'd hazard a guess that a lot of mail failures don't get reported.
It's pretty obvious to the general public if a train is delayed or cancelled so it's difficult to hide that data, but nobody know what's happening with mail, lately I seem to be getting the occasional mail delivery but no real idea if that's due to a lack of mail or my local DO only now delivering it occasionally but what's the betting my DO are saying mail is being delivered daily?

OFCOM should really have the power to arrive at DO's unannounced in order to check what post isn't being delivered that day.