So the company hasn't been losing money consequetively for the past few years then. If we carry on delivering all types of letters to every door for six days week the chances of us getting decent pay rises and improved conditions diminish considerably.
Seasonal variations have been halted for now.
Most other European countries have had some sort of USO reform because of letter decline.
At some point we were going to have to change to deal with the decrease in that sort of workload as the revenue from letters has fallen rapidly.
Or is that all a big conspiracy?
Can you honestly say letter volumes haven’t fallen off a cliff last 5/10 years ?
Finally someone that speaks a bit of sense on here rather than the bury their head in the sand doom and gloom merchants.
The "losses" in RM have been strategic. It posted record profits in 2021-22 (£768 million) and the following year made a headline loss of over £1 billion. Quite the turnaround and you would have to have your head in the sand if you really believe that there wasn't some element of strategic financial presentation or manipulation at play. You don't think that RM management wants to paint a picture that the current USO is financially unviable to make its operations cheaper and boost its profits? Is that some conspiracy or a bit like what someone else keeps saying on here...it's a business that exists to make even greater profits.
Look, I don't deny that letter volumes have fallen and USO reform is needed to some degree because of genuine changes in how people communicate. Imho the 5 day Monday to Friday universal service that the CWU originally proposed would have been the smart and logical compromise; but after the bitter dispute the CWU leadership, under pressure, have ultimately gone along with what RM management have wanted all along. It is a massive climbdown from their original position.
Lots have factors have changed since COVID, letters have fallen even more.
We made a absolute killing on the COVID test kits.
Since then the cost of energy has made it more costly to run businesses, we have many buildings to maintain and also vehicles to fuel.
We have also lost allot of the market share on parcels since then.
They have picked up last year but for last couple of summer it was very light in the summer months.
Maybe some of what you say is right but these definitely had factors too in the profit margins capitulating.
Don't forget before COVID they were struggling too.
Lots have factors have changed since COVID, letters have fallen even more.
We made a absolute killing on the COVID test kits.
Since then the cost of energy has made it more costly to run businesses, we have many buildings to maintain and also vehicles to fuel.
We have also lost allot of the market share on parcels since then.
They have picked up last year but for last couple of summer it was very light in the summer months.
Maybe some of what you say is right but these definitely had factors too in the profit margins capitulating.
Don't forget before COVID they were struggling too.
Spoken like a true Union bureaucrat. We all know what happened to the profits that the company made through Covid!!
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
I looked at the 7 duty structure options and worked out that from what hours I do now that 4 day week works out to about 50k steps a day , that’s why it wouldn’t be my choice.
Imho the 5 day Monday to Friday universal service that the CWU originally proposed would have been the smart and logical compromise;
But it would have needed an act of parliament - which might have taken years or might never have happened at all.
As a proposal it was neither smart or logical.
What about a "watered down" version of what they're currently trialling, still delivering 1c mail on Saturdays along with parcels but forget all the bollocks and settle for initially saving 'just' 50 million, could have easily implemented it ages ago.
This would be an ideal solution but they want to take too much out of deliveries instead of being practical.
I looked at the 7 duty structure options and worked out that from what hours I do now that 4 day week works out to about 50k steps a day , that’s why it wouldn’t be my choice.
The 4 day week would mean more time spent outdoors - but that wouldn't be the case if there was a shorter working week. The problem that we have now is that the Union bureaucrats appears to be on the defence taking RM's side instead of ours. It was them that pushed for the SWW and the 'drive to 35' in the first place! The idea that automation should be used to benefit workers and not to simply push more work onto them would lead to a better work-life balance. We already have reduced sick pay and later start and finish times and its blindingly obvious that the company will use PDA data/actuals to monitor out outdoor performance so FFS get cracking with a shorter working week.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
I looked at the 7 duty structure options and worked out that from what hours I do now that 4 day week works out to about 50k steps a day , that’s why it wouldn’t be my choice.
50k steps sounds way too high. According to Google that is 25 miles. That's like walking from Bath to Bristol and then returning back to Bath.
Walking from Bath to Bristol takes 4.5 hours, so a return trip would take 9 hours and that's without stopping to deliver parcels, talk to customers, move the van, sort out your next bag....
Lots have factors have changed since COVID, letters have fallen even more. We made a absolute killing on the COVID test kits.
Since then the cost of energy has made it more costly to run businesses, we have many buildings to maintain and also vehicles to fuel.
We have also lost allot of the market share on parcels since then.
They have picked up last year but for last couple of summer it was very light in the summer months.
Maybe some of what you say is right but these definitely had factors too in the profit margins capitulating.
Don't forget before COVID they were struggling too.
Spoken like a true Union bureaucrat. We all know what happened to the profits that the company made through Covid!!
So the company hasn't been losing money consequetively for the past few years then. If we carry on delivering all types of letters to every door for six days week the chances of us getting decent pay rises and improved conditions diminish considerably.
Seasonal variations have been halted for now.
Most other European countries have had some sort of USO reform because of letter decline.
At some point we were going to have to change to deal with the decrease in that sort of workload as the revenue from letters has fallen rapidly.
Or is that all a big conspiracy?
Can you honestly say letter volumes haven’t fallen off a cliff last 5/10 years ?
Finally someone that speaks a bit of sense on here rather than the bury their head in the sand doom and gloom merchants.
The "losses" in RM have been strategic. It posted record profits in 2021-22 (£768 million) and the following year made a headline loss of over £1 billion. Quite the turnaround and you would have to have your head in the sand if you really believe that there wasn't some element of strategic financial presentation or manipulation at play. You don't think that RM management wants to paint a picture that the current USO is financially unviable to make its operations cheaper and boost its profits? Is that some conspiracy or a bit like what someone else keeps saying on here...it's a business that exists to make even greater profits.
Look, I don't deny that letter volumes have fallen and USO reform is needed to some degree because of genuine changes in how people communicate. Imho the 5 day Monday to Friday universal service that the CWU originally proposed would have been the smart and logical compromise; but after the bitter dispute the CWU leadership, under pressure, have ultimately gone along with what RM management have wanted all along. It is a massive climbdown from their original position.
Lots have factors have changed since COVID, letters have fallen even more.
We made a absolute killing on the COVID test kits.
Since then the cost of energy has made it more costly to run businesses, we have many buildings to maintain and also vehicles to fuel.
We have also lost allot of the market share on parcels since then.
They have picked up last year but for last couple of summer it was very light in the summer months.
Maybe some of what you say is right but these definitely had factors too in the profit margins capitulating.
Don't forget before COVID they were struggling too.
This guy absolutely speaks facts but the usual suspects and union bashers would rather accuse him of being a manager.
I looked at the 7 duty structure options and worked out that from what hours I do now that 4 day week works out to about 50k steps a day , that’s why it wouldn’t be my choice.
50k steps sounds way too high. According to Google that is 25 miles. That's like walking from Bath to Bristol and then returning back to Bath.
Walking from Bath to Bristol takes 4.5 hours, so a return trip would take 9 hours and that's without stopping to deliver parcels, talk to customers, move the van, sort out your next bag....
Surely your calculations have got to be way off?
I do about 30k plus steps a day now on one duty in about 4-4.5 hours. Add another 2.5 hours to that with a 7 hour delivery span and an increased call rate and it’s not that far off.
Not doubting your step calculations but just pointing out that some step counters especially ones worn on the wrist throw the count way off, you can get a few thousand steps in on a long IPS session while sitting down
My last duty no matter what side we did on the busy days it was around 34k steps per day. The other person I worked with also had around about the same step count.
Some of the steps will include other things not work related like walking to work or whatever else you get up to in the day but the reality is that if it was a 4 day week, I’d be doing around 50k per day.
Imagine that being outside in the heat or rain for that long of a span.
I once sat next to someone (SAT) on IPS and after 45 minutes his step counter was showing he had walked about half a mile.
He hadn't moved.
It seems you only have to break wind for it to register 100 steps.
Sometimes you have to acknowledge the limitations of the technology.
The societies of consumption and squandering of material resources are incompatible with the idea of economic growth and a clean planet.
I looked at the 7 duty structure options and worked out that from what hours I do now that 4 day week works out to about 50k steps a day , that’s why it wouldn’t be my choice.
50k steps sounds way too high. According to Google that is 25 miles. That's like walking from Bath to Bristol and then returning back to Bath.
Walking from Bath to Bristol takes 4.5 hours, so a return trip would take 9 hours and that's without stopping to deliver parcels, talk to customers, move the van, sort out your next bag....
Surely your calculations have got to be way off?
I do about 30k plus steps a day now on one duty in about 4-4.5 hours. Add another 2.5 hours to that with a 7 hour delivery span and an increased call rate and it’s not that far off.
Not way off at all.
I think the fitness device you use is probably from Temu.
Even if the average person walked non-stop for 7 hours they would still be 10,000 to 20,000 steps shy of 50,000 total steps.
The closest a postie gets to non-stop walking is someone on a HTC duty, yet they push a heavy trolley around, so they won't even be able to walk at the ridiculous speed they'd need to in order to hit 50,000 steps in 7 hours. If our delivery span is even going to be that long as we'd have more prep to do and more to bag up so will likely get out later, though part timers will potentially be coming in earlier to help with prep.
I looked at the 7 duty structure options and worked out that from what hours I do now that 4 day week works out to about 50k steps a day , that’s why it wouldn’t be my choice.
50k steps sounds way too high. According to Google that is 25 miles. That's like walking from Bath to Bristol and then returning back to Bath.
Walking from Bath to Bristol takes 4.5 hours, so a return trip would take 9 hours and that's without stopping to deliver parcels, talk to customers, move the van, sort out your next bag....
Surely your calculations have got to be way off?
I do about 30k plus steps a day now on one duty in about 4-4.5 hours. Add another 2.5 hours to that with a 7 hour delivery span and an increased call rate and it’s not that far off.
Not way off at all.
I think the fitness device you use is probably from Temu.
Even if the average person walked non-stop for 7 hours they would still be 10,000 to 20,000 steps shy of 50,000 total steps.
The closest a postie gets to non-stop walking is someone on a HTC duty, yet they push a heavy trolley around, so they won't even be able to walk at the ridiculous speed they'd need to in order to hit 50,000 steps in 7 hours. If our delivery span is even going to be that long as we'd have more prep to do and more to bag up so will likely get out later, though part timers will potentially be coming in earlier to help with prep.
On my old and current duty and with any other walking I’d do in a day I’d definitely be at around 50k
