2010/2011 Pay

[billyhayes]

Well there's a surprise!! Looks like I preempted POL by just a few hours!

LTB released this afternoon... In summary, we are paid too much. We should be on a pay freeze this year.

The man Furey then states that if they don't put something on the table then "I suspect that conflict is inevitable."

This is where the CWU need to be canny on behalf of the staff.

A lot of people will be swayed NOT to strike because "times are hard", which they are, I agree... So, make sure that there is a payout for the colleague share scheme this June. If there is it would be around £400. If this is paid during the same months industrial action, this may soften the blow a tad.

I haven't thought the whole thing through, and am thinking on my feet so there may be glaring flaws in that plan!!

Below is the complete LTB folks.

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TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

POL – PAY NEGOTIATIONS: 1ST APRIL 2010

Further to LTB 373, published 29th April, I am now able to advise Branches that over the last two weeks, a number of meetings have been held with POL regarding our claim for a cost of living pay increase for all CWU represented grades.

I need to be absolutely clear, that all CWU grades within POL are covered by this negotiation.

CROWN OFFICES AND ADMIN

I have to report that negotiations have effectively broken down as POL is refusing to make a formal pay offer. POL’s position, which has been emphatically rejected, is that there is no need to increase basic pensionable pay for both our Crown Office and Admin grades.

In essence, this is a zero pay offer which is due to their belief that our Crown Office and Admin members are overpaid and should, consequently, have their pay frozen for at least the 2010/2011 financial year.

Obviously, POL’s stance is completely unacceptable as it fails to recognise the increased cost of living that we all face and the significant and crucial contribution made by members in the last year.

POL’s attitude towards our Admin and Crown members has been rejected as being unreasonable against the backdrop of rising inflation, with the Retail Price Index (RPI) currently standing at 5.3%. POL’s position adds insult to injury for our Admin grades (including Farnworth) that were subjected to a pay freeze last year.

SUPPLY CHAIN

A small degree of progress has been made in relation to the original “closed offer” for our Supply Chain members. A further meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday 21st May. However, unless POL is willing to significantly improve the pay offer, I anticipate we will also face a break-down in this area.

NEXT STEPS

Clearly, this is a very serious situation and one that the Union is unable to tolerate, especially as POL has only today announced a £72m operating profit for the financial year ended March 2010, up from £41m the previous year (an increase of 76%).

In view of the prevailing situation, I will be formally requesting an urgent meeting with Dave Smith, the new Managing Director, to impress upon him our requirement for reaching a satisfactory pay settlement for our members.

In the absence of any meaningful improvement to the position reported in this LTB, I suspect that conflict is inevitable. I genuinely hope that POL reviews its position and, in doing so, significantly improves the offer for all grades.

Following tomorrow’s meeting, my negotiating team and I will, at the earliest opportunity, be updating the Postal Executive, where we will consider the best course of action in order to move this issue forward.

Please ensure that this LTB is brought to the urgent attention of all members working within POL.

Further developments will be reported.
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[Running Man]

Thanks for that information Billy.
Looks like another summer of discontent in POL whilst we are all expected to sell,sell,sell as if we couldn't care less about a pay freeze.
I don't suppose any other less costly items such as a reduction in the working week or an increase in the number of days holiday were discussed?
I accept that this is nothing like what our staff are looking for but surely a bit of something is better than absolutely nothing!
It's only two years or so since we were told that the "final offer" was the "final offer" until that "final offer" was increased considerably and ultimately accepted!

[billyhayes]

Further to this folks, I'm sure you are all aware, communication sent out today, we ARE getting the £400 share scheme paid in May.

For a company with no money, then WTF is that then...

Just as a quickie, Debbie Moore, HR Director of POL ( ) confirmed a zero pay offer today in another communication released today. She then goes on to state, "We are also meeting with Unite CMA this afternoon to begin talks on managers’ pay across the Post Office."

Well bugger me sideways!

Unless there is a zero offer there, I wont be happy, but I will be steaming if they get ANYTHING!

What's good for the goose is good for the gander...

[Running Man]

Surely even our totally inept management will not have the gross stupidity to offer managers a pay rise whilst freezing (cutting) the pay of our counter colleagues.
I know the staff received a pay rise last year (year three of a three year deal) whilst the managers didn't but that scenario is much easier to implement than the other way around I think.
Debbie Moore's letter makes it perfectly clear to me that, pay rise or no pay rise, there is absolutely nothing to be optimistic about in POL for the foreseeable future.
I've said it before but I'll say it again; why don't they just put us out of our worsening misery and close offices so we can all start planning for our futures outside the miserable hellhole that is Post Office Limited?

[counter man]

Running man.........

if you really hate it so much why not leave?

Two have left from my office and are " so they say" far happier in their new jobs....To be honest I dont like working with people who moan and moan but do nothing about it....

Im guessing you have a number of reasons for staying.........

[billyhayes]

...if you really hate it so much why not leave?

...To be honest I dont like working with people who moan and moan but do nothing about it....

At what point in his post does he say he really hates it so much?

Do you never go home and share/discuss with your wife/partner how good/bad your day has been?

And if you don't admit how bad it has become over the past two years, then what DisneyWorld office are you working in?

Cos it certainly isn't any of the 60 or so crowns that I constantly have information about all different types of things pouring in week after week; either by text, phonecalls, emails or even letters sometimes. Some good, I'll give you that, but mostly bad.

Granted, I have a few 'quietly happy' people scattered around the area. They are very careful not to say anything 'negative'. But having visited these same offices once a month and talking to.. nay, just looking at the 'happy ones' or the 'quiet ones' if you will, these are the poor souls who are taking it the worst.
They are that little bit more gaunt in the face, a little more gray on the sideburns, (usually the men that one), or put on a little more weight cos of the 'comfort eating'.

It's not what little they do SAY that's important to me, it's what they're NOT saying.

(To anyone else reading this, try it for yourself. Look into your 'quiet one's' eyes when you talk to them about work... They are 'lost' behind those eyes aren't they?)

And it's certainly not from listening to the so called "negative few" that makes them this way... It is their refusal to really SHARE what they actually FEEL.

There are those of us who don't like to, or feel the need to burden loved ones or friends with our stories. So we come here, where everyone has a common frame of reference and know EXACTLY what we are all going through TOGETHER.

He comes to this forum to share with many other people up and down the country, of different sexes, ages, etc etc his experiences. Because like me and loads more he's thinking, "For f**ks sake! Is it just me? Am I loosing it? Are the senior managers right in saying it was ME and my colleagues that got us this way, so it is US that must turn it around?"

So, maybe he IS doing SOMETHING about it.

Why is it that people have to walk away from the job to be seen as "doing something?"

Finally, you wrote, "Im guessing you have a number of reasons for staying.................."

Yes, he does.

We ALL do.

Same as you.

We just have a voice.

The inability for people to admit to not just others but to THEMSELVES that we are ALL in a world of sh*t, reminds me of a great line from the film 'Clerks' which I would like to paraphrase thus...

"I don't mind. Tell you what, why don't you anally rape my mother while pouring sugar in my gas tank?"

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Running man.........

if you really hate it so much why not leave?.

The counter argument is if you hate it why not stay and try to change it for the better.

OK people have the choice to leave if they are unhappy, but that does not solve any underlying or systemic problems, it merely delays or masks their effects.

[billyhayes]

The counter argument is if you hate it why not stay and try to change it for the better.

OK people have the choice to leave if they are unhappy, but that does not solve any underlying or systemic problems, it merely delays or masks their effects.

[bigjames]

[quote="Running Man"]Surely even our totally inept management will not have the gross stupidity to offer managers a pay rise whilst freezing (cutting) the pay of our counter colleagues.

Got the e-mail today with details of the 'negotiations' between the CMA and POL. Apparently, there is no money on the table for managers, and why should there be as according to POL we all 'understand the state of the business' and we are all 'happy'.

I must confess they could not have spoken to any of the many managers I know, if they are hanging on to the mistaken belief that we are happy. I am happy to put in a day's work for fair recompense, but the amount of work expected seems to increase far quicker than the amount of recompense offered in return.

[The BFO]

And we haven’t even started to discuss the possible effects of Public Spending reductions yet…

The choice will be either to accept a reduction in pay, or to take some form of Industrial Action. I don’t want the latter, but suspect this will be the only way to get some sense into their heads. As for the Manager/Anti Manager debate, perhaps in the spirit of ‘coalition’ both will be united in the cause? Or perhaps that’s just wishful thinking.

[billyhayes]

LTB released yesterday, (wednesday 2nd).

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TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleague

POL: PAY NEGOTIATIONS - SUPPLY CHAIN FORMAL PAY OFFER AND ASSOCIATED REJECTION

As previously reported in LTB 479, dated 28th May 2010, pay negotiations with POL in relation to our members working in Supply Chain have broken down. We have now received from POL formal confirmation of the pay offer which has led to this breakdown. For your information, a copy of the letter is attached.

The headlines of the rejected pay offer are as follows: an overall 2.7% increase to pay bill from 1st April 2010 distributed as follows:

Ø Postal Assistants - 3% - equating to £9.45 per week

Ø Postal Officers - 2.4% - equating to £485 per annum

Ø Crew - 2.7% - equating to:
o £11.34 per week for day workers,

o £13.83 per week for those on permanent nights

o £12.47 per week for LGV drivers

o £15.22 per week for LGV drivers working permanent nights

Ø SO1 / CL5 - no pay rise - although a two hour reduction in the working week (from an unspecified date) taking these grades to a 35 net working week.

Change Programme

In return for the delivery of a Change Programme (job losses) that would save POL twice as much money as the cost of the 2.7% overall pay increase. POL has offered the following "one off lump sums" totalling:

Ø £820 for PAs / POs / Crew, and just
Ø £600 for SO1s / CL5s

It should be noted that a considerable proportion of the above lump sums are recycled monies from the ColleagueShare scheme, so, there is very little new money associated with these lump sums. There are, however, significant job losses involved.

Incredibly, POL has described the offer as "extremely fair given the current economic climate". This absurd assertion ignores the Retail Price Index (RPI) for March, which was 4.4% and has, subsequently, risen to 5.3% for April. It should be borne in mind that POL imposed a pay freeze on our Supply Chain grades last year citing the negative inflation rate as justification for this position. Clearly, when it suits POL, they adhere to the inflation figures and, when it doesn't, they choose to ignore them.

In view of the above, my negotiating team and I felt that we had no option than to reject the pay offer. For your information, attached to this LTB, is my formal response to POL confirming the rejection of their pay offer. This letter amplifies the rationale behind the rejection.

We are still waiting for a formal pay offer for our members working in Crown Offices and Admin. POL's current position is that these members do not require a pay rise as they are significantly overpaid in comparison to the market.

Effectively, we now have a breakdown in pay negotiations relating to all grades within POL and there are no further meetings planned. Consequently, this is a very serious situation which can only be rectified by POL fully recognising the valuable contribution made by all CWU members in making this an industry that is cherished by the public.

Our hard working members deserve better from the employer.

Please ensure that the content of this LTB, together with the attachments, are brought to the urgent attention of all affected members.

If you have any enquiries in relation to the above, please contact Claire Bowers on cbowers@cwu.org

Yours sincerely

Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary

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I think my favourite passage is, "We are still waiting for a formal pay offer for our members working in Crown Offices and Admin. POL's current position is that these members do not require a pay rise as they are significantly overpaid in comparison to the market."

We have NO market comparison.

We sell insurance, yet we are NOT a bank.

We sell stamps, yet we are NOT Superdrug.

We sell mortgages, yet we are NOT a building society.

Who the fcuk are they comparing us to?

Lets use the same 'comparisons' that POL will try to hoodwink you with...

Who else on the high street pays giros, issues tax discs, checks passports etc etc, and my favourite of all... who the hell makes their customers wait an hour to be served!!??

All this and more can only be had at the Post Office!!!

[The BFO]

According to Times Online Alan Cook received £1.2 million last year. I offer this just for perspective of course.


http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/b ... 143835.ece

[MinisterofCucumber]

POL's external revenue dropped by £70 million this year but we increased our profits by 50% from £41 million to £72 million.

We are all working harder and deserve to be rewarded.

Keith Rann argues that we should sacrifice our rewards so that POL can be a profitable organisation without having to rely on the £150 million annual network subsidy. Why should we go along with this aim? Why shouldn't the government continue to subsidise this service? The implied threat is that the EU will not continue to sanction state aid. However, as long as other EU countries are allowed to give their postal sectors state aid, we will be allowed to as well.

Why should we take a pay cut while the managers get bonuses?

There are only two classes, the 'shafting class' and the 'shafted class'. The union is meant to represent the interests of the shafted and I hope they put as much effort into campaigning for a fair pay deal as they did trying to persuade members to vote for '2010 and Beyond f***ing Belief'.

The argument is clearly in our favour and the CWU should be using its propaganda machine to make sure every member understands the argument. Our hard work created the 50% profit and we are being asked to take a pay cut while senior managers are collecting enormous bonuses.

They are taking the piss.

[billyhayes]

Jeeesus people! This is one of the biggest attacks that counters, admin, supply chain etc have had on their terms and conditions. Is there anyone out there??

Have the bastards finally ground you down? Have you no fire in your bellies??

After keeping up to speed on all the LTBs I hoped that it would ignite debate. Which we could all go back to our own teams and share with the mostly uninformed.

Apart from the Ministers spot on post and a couple of other little tidbits, this thread has died a death.

Wake up to yourselves people.

THIS GOES FOR STAFF AND MANAGERS ON THE FRONTLINE

[The BFO]

Have the bastards finally ground you down? Have you no fire in your bellies??

After keeping up to speed on all the LTBs I hoped that it would ignite debate. Which we could all go back to our own teams and share with the mostly uninformed.

There is a simple answer to that. The CWU need to ballot for strike action, then we shall know. We don’t need any ‘debate’ - the facts are there for everyone to see.