Joint statement now let's get into the real negotiations

[Woody Guthrie]

Maybe this one:

3. Royal Mail have recommitted to the legal guarantees which stops the company breaking up different parts of the business , outsourcing work , from franchising parts of the organisation and from introducing a two tier workforce.

GLS isn't covered by the legal guarantees.

[wacko74]

Couldn't Royal Mail become like Amazon and become a retailer + delivery company and sell everything and anything online. Set up a few massive warehouses and do what Amazon does. Everything sold there gets delivered by us. It seems that sooner or later everyone will be ordering goods online expecting a same day service. The easiest way we could offer a same day service is by selling goods ourselves.

Royal Shopping
Royal Foods
Royal Mail

Would be jobs galore.

I might be wrong but I'm sure I read that Amazon's retail arm doesn't actually make any profit or is possibly even loss making... all their profit comes from the digital services they provide.

[norris9]

Couldn't Royal Mail become like Amazon and become a retailer + delivery company and sell everything and anything online. Set up a few massive warehouses and do what Amazon does. Everything sold there gets delivered by us. It seems that sooner or later everyone will be ordering goods online expecting a same day service. The easiest way we could offer a same day service is by selling goods ourselves.

Royal Shopping
Royal Foods
Royal Mail

Would be jobs galore.

I might be wrong but I'm sure I read that Amazon's retail arm doesn't actually make any profit or is possibly even loss making... all their profit comes from the digital services they provide.

From google:

'Amazon intentionally posts low profits because it takes the vast majority of the money it earns and invests it right back into the company so that it will profit all the more in the future'.

[postslippete]

What happened to the strategy of 'managing the decline' of letters and focussing on parcels?

Well, for what its worth I think that focussing more on the letter revenue is the right strategy. During lockdown our parcel volumes have exploded to record levels and letter traffic fell; but the company have just not been making the profits they were. Yes the coronavirus has led to absences but its just the same for other couriers. There is a load of competition in parcels because everyones buying online these days, but we only ever made a healthy profit when we deliver the parcels with the letters. We cannot compete with other couriers if we just deliver parcels because our business model is massively different. If our hands are tied by OfCom in regards to the USO then we better make sure that we focus on expanding the letter business, because after all, we are the sole provider and its the one USP that we have right now. Before anyone says that letters are dying because of e-mail, well, it has been going for 500 years. It is what we are about and surely it makes sense to have a load of letters to deliver when we got a ton of smaller packets (that other couriers really aren't interested in due to the margins) to deliver as well. Who knows, maybe D2D revenue will pick up when all the supermarkets, DIY stores and takeaway chains are still all competing for business.

We are just not in the same league as Amazon financially. Royal Mail do have visions of large automated parcel hubs and it will costs us billions; thats probably Jeff Bezos' beer money right now and small change for a company like Amazon who are still only paying like 1% tax. However, I've seen the TV adverts of Amazon and how they are such a great company to work for and that it provides employment for UK people. Such a shame they are not regulated the same as Royal Mail. Maybe then charge a premium or refuse to deliver any packets that Amazon cannot handle. But then you realise that if everyone is in competition with Amazon from books and kindles to online goods and now packaging and delivery. It might not show it in the share price right now but sooner or later these giants will stumble in the same way that Virgin with all its megastores did.

[norris9]

We cannot compete with other couriers if we just deliver parcels because our business model is massively different. If our hands are tied by OfCom in regards to the USO then we better make sure that we focus on expanding the letter business, because after all, we are the sole provider and its the one USP that we have right now. Before anyone says that letters are dying because of e-mail, well, it has been going for 500 years. It is what we are about and surely it makes sense to have a load of letters to deliver when we got a ton of smaller packets (that other couriers really aren't interested in due to the margins) to deliver as well.

Why can't the USO be kept in place, but just introduce another letter delivery option, call it 3rd Class, or change the 2nd Class service. Whatever you call it..... it's a service where you can send a letter and it will be delivered on the following Tuesday. A cheaper service for non-urgent mail.

Most of the mail we deliver is non-urgent so I'd assume banks, HMRC, billing companies, etc may end up using this cheaper service that I just invented.

This is all just a theory. Maybe it would not work like this. Maybe banks and billing companies would rather pay more to get statements/bills to their customers quickly. Who knows. RM could ask them if they would be interested in a cheaper Tuesday only delivery service and see what their thoughts are.

I suppose the issue here is if a major company or the government need to mass mail every UK citizen urgently, then would RM still be able to provide that service as the whole point in my idea above is for RM to focus on delivering parcels + a small amount of urgent letters. How would you fit in a sudden influx of polling cards into your parcel/urgent letter delivery....

Maybe RM should offload the USO to the government and the government set up a letter delivering service. RM rids itself of letters and can focus solely on parcels. The government takes on workers and lets them job and finish.

[wallan]

We cannot compete with other couriers if we just deliver parcels because our business model is massively different. If our hands are tied by OfCom in regards to the USO then we better make sure that we focus on expanding the letter business, because after all, we are the sole provider and its the one USP that we have right now. Before anyone says that letters are dying because of e-mail, well, it has been going for 500 years. It is what we are about and surely it makes sense to have a load of letters to deliver when we got a ton of smaller packets (that other couriers really aren't interested in due to the margins) to deliver as well.

Why can't the USO be kept in place, but just introduce another letter delivery option, call it 3rd Class, or change the 2nd Class service. Whatever you call it..... it's a service where you can send a letter and it will be delivered on the following Tuesday. A cheaper service for non-urgent mail.

Most of the mail we deliver is non-urgent so I'd assume banks, HMRC, billing companies, etc may end up using this cheaper service that I just invented.

This is all just a theory. Maybe it would not work like this. Maybe banks and billing companies would rather pay more to get statements/bills to their customers quickly. Who knows. RM could ask them if they would be interested in a cheaper Tuesday only delivery service and see what their thoughts are.

I suppose the issue here is if a major company or the government need to mass mail every UK citizen urgently, then would RM still be able to provide that service as the whole point in my idea above is for RM to focus on delivering parcels + a small amount of urgent letters. How would you fit in a sudden influx of polling cards into your parcel/urgent letter delivery....

Maybe RM should offload the USO to the government and the government set up a letter delivering service. RM rids itself of letters and can focus solely on parcels. The government takes on workers and lets them job and finish.

One class of Letter ,Next Day Delivery in the Mail Center Collection Area , Day After The Rest , Segregation costs time & money

[Munchboii]

1.
I think Royal Mail should start advertising on TV again. Like in the late 90s and early 2000s with the adverts which showed the posties on bikes going around a small town knowing everybody on a first name basis. I feel like we need to reconnect with that spirit of community once more.

Maybe in November/december time Royal Mail could make some advertisements during some big shows encouraging people to write letters to eachother and send Christmas cards? I feel like more effort should be made to get people back into letter writing and the value of it.

2.
Give businesses who use Royal Mail/parcelforce for parcel contracts a free D2D every 6 months. Also if they do a royal mail marketing mail shot to their customers give them 50% off for loyalty for choosing us as their parcel contract. This would be great value for money both for royal mail and the customer. It may also attract some businesses like sports direct/next to return to royal mail.

3.
Modify DSA agreement. Do not allow our competitors access to our network downstream unless we cannot cope with the demand. If we have franking machines available force it through royal mail at our prices. If Whistle/ukmail/DX turn up with flats and letters refuse them and tell them to deliver them themselves. It is clear that the DSA which was set up with the goal of getting our competitors off the ground delivering their OWN mail is being ABUSED and they have no intention of ever delivering it. Let us call their bluff and only deliver what we Frank. If we cannot cope with the demand, outsource the franking to the competitors until the production can be increased to levels we can cope with.


THIS IS HOW YOU SAVE ROYAL MAIL!!!!

[wallan]

What sort of Breakdown do DSA companies have to provide before handing the items over to RM ie Do they sort it down to the M C or if the M C covers more than one Postcode Area do they sort it down to Postcode Areas

[postslippete]

Why can't the USO be kept in place, but just introduce another letter delivery option, call it 3rd Class, or change the 2nd Class service. Whatever you call it..... it's a service where you can send a letter and it will be delivered on the following Tuesday. A cheaper service for non-urgent mail.

Most of the mail we deliver is non-urgent so I'd assume banks, HMRC, billing companies, etc may end up using this cheaper service that I just invented.

This is all just a theory. Maybe it would not work like this. Maybe banks and billing companies would rather pay more to get statements/bills to their customers quickly. Who knows. RM could ask them if they would be interested in a cheaper Tuesday only delivery service and see what their thoughts are.

I suppose the issue here is if a major company or the government need to mass mail every UK citizen urgently, then would RM still be able to provide that service as the whole point in my idea above is for RM to focus on delivering parcels + a small amount of urgent letters. How would you fit in a sudden influx of polling cards into your parcel/urgent letter delivery....

Maybe RM should offload the USO to the government and the government set up a letter delivering service. RM rids itself of letters and can focus solely on parcels. The government takes on workers and lets them job and finish.

Can't see RM,a privatised company now, managing to offload the USO to the government. Even if we had a Labour govt., a renationalised Royal Mail will be quite low on their agenda.

As for a cheaper service for handling and delivering letters,we have to be careful not to sell ourselves short. And don't forget most of the mailsort we deliver (and it's probably three-quarters of mail we deliver) is being handled by DSA providers who cream our profits on letters. All they do is collect the mail from businesses like banks and deliver it to the relevant RM mail centre!! We could do that like we used to and cut out the very unnecessary middleman who have absolutely no intentions of delivering mail themselves. Its all regulated by OfCom to encourage competition and we can't get round it. Its bonkers.

[postslippete]

3.
Modify DSA agreement. Do not allow our competitors access to our network downstream unless we cannot cope with the demand. If we have franking machines available force it through royal mail at our prices. If Whistle/ukmail/DX turn up with flats and letters refuse them and tell them to deliver them themselves. It is clear that the DSA which was set up with the goal of getting our competitors off the ground delivering their OWN mail is being ABUSED and they have no intention of ever delivering it. Let us call their bluff and only deliver what we Frank. If we cannot cope with the demand, outsource the franking to the competitors until the production can be increased to levels we can cope with.


THIS IS HOW YOU SAVE ROYAL MAIL!!!!

This is the biggie that if Royal Mail could modify or change is the route to profitability in letters IMHO. Yes,we could advertise as it puts our brand name out there and we could offer temporary discounts to encourage more letters being delivered. But RM would give their right arm to have a monopoly on letters again. There are loads of DSA providers out there which is evidence that what we are paying them is profitable. I guess some DSA companies are smarter than others but none of them have any intentions of delivering. I noticed one company do actually deliver post - but it's at a massive premium,so that's the workaround for them. Another company processes packages up in bulk for Royal Mail to collect.

I think we should be making moves to stop couriers cherry picking. Remember whistl delivering post in only the most profitable areas? Well,Amazon are doing that with parcel deliveries. How is it fair that we should be delivering their parcels because they can't be bothered to travel or deliver because it's unprofitable for them?

[wallan]

3.
Modify DSA agreement. Do not allow our competitors access to our network downstream unless we cannot cope with the demand. If we have franking machines available force it through royal mail at our prices. If Whistle/ukmail/DX turn up with flats and letters refuse them and tell them to deliver them themselves. It is clear that the DSA which was set up with the goal of getting our competitors off the ground delivering their OWN mail is being ABUSED and they have no intention of ever delivering it. Let us call their bluff and only deliver what we Frank. If we cannot cope with the demand, outsource the franking to the competitors until the production can be increased to levels we can cope with.


THIS IS HOW YOU SAVE ROYAL MAIL!!!!

This is the biggie that if Royal Mail could modify or change is the route to profitability in letters IMHO. Yes,we could advertise as it puts our brand name out there and we could offer temporary discounts to encourage more letters being delivered. But RM would give their right arm to have a monopoly on letters again. There are loads of DSA providers out there which is evidence that what we are paying them is profitable. I guess some DSA companies are smarter than others but none of them have any intentions of delivering. I noticed one company do actually deliver post - but it's at a massive premium,so that's the workaround for them. Another company processes packages up in bulk for Royal Mail to collect.

I think we should be making moves to stop couriers cherry picking. Remember whistl delivering post in only the most profitable areas? Well,Amazon are doing that with parcel deliveries. How is it fair that we should be delivering their parcels because they can't be bothered to travel or deliver because it's unprofitable for them?

What is stopping R M starting a DSA operation ,set up Two Or Three Sorting Centers & feed the mail into the Delivery System like existing DSA Companies

[GRS]

3.
Modify DSA agreement. Do not allow our competitors access to our network downstream unless we cannot cope with the demand. If we have franking machines available force it through royal mail at our prices. If Whistle/ukmail/DX turn up with flats and letters refuse them and tell them to deliver them themselves. It is clear that the DSA which was set up with the goal of getting our competitors off the ground delivering their OWN mail is being ABUSED and they have no intention of ever delivering it. Let us call their bluff and only deliver what we Frank. If we cannot cope with the demand, outsource the franking to the competitors until the production can be increased to levels we can cope with.


THIS IS HOW YOU SAVE ROYAL MAIL!!!!

This is the biggie that if Royal Mail could modify or change is the route to profitability in letters IMHO. Yes,we could advertise as it puts our brand name out there and we could offer temporary discounts to encourage more letters being delivered. But RM would give their right arm to have a monopoly on letters again. There are loads of DSA providers out there which is evidence that what we are paying them is profitable. I guess some DSA companies are smarter than others but none of them have any intentions of delivering. I noticed one company do actually deliver post - but it's at a massive premium,so that's the workaround for them. Another company processes packages up in bulk for Royal Mail to collect.

I think we should be making moves to stop couriers cherry picking. Remember whistl delivering post in only the most profitable areas? Well,Amazon are doing that with parcel deliveries. How is it fair that we should be delivering their parcels because they can't be bothered to travel or deliver because it's unprofitable for them?

What is stopping R M starting a DSA operation ,set up Two Or Three Sorting Centers & feed the mail into the Delivery System like existing DSA Companies

Yes why can’t they use GLS as a name for a DSA operation . There must be a way around it somehow. Maybe the bosses at the top need to get their thinking caps on pretty sharpish rather than this obsession they have in screwing postman over. This IMO is their biggest flaw - rather than grow the company they’d rather spend time and money on screwing us and monitoring our every move to catch us out. Very odd way to run a company and where they’ve neglected growth in pursuit of harassing the staff they’re now finding the chickens are coming home to roost.

[clashcityrocker]

Letters are terminally in decline. They have been for years.
There was a time when everyone got quarterly bank statements, a quarterly phone bill, a quarterly electricity bill, a quarterly gas bill, a credit card bill and they paid for everything by cheque. Those days are not coming back.
realising this RM sold off half of their mail centres and got rid of 1000s of staff.
We now no longer have the capability to do all the work.
I doubt RM are going to invest billions in a dying mail stream.
But maybe they will?

[wallan]

3.
Modify DSA agreement. Do not allow our competitors access to our network downstream unless we cannot cope with the demand. If we have franking machines available force it through royal mail at our prices. If Whistle/ukmail/DX turn up with flats and letters refuse them and tell them to deliver them themselves. It is clear that the DSA which was set up with the goal of getting our competitors off the ground delivering their OWN mail is being ABUSED and they have no intention of ever delivering it. Let us call their bluff and only deliver what we Frank. If we cannot cope with the demand, outsource the franking to the competitors until the production can be increased to levels we can cope with.


THIS IS HOW YOU SAVE ROYAL MAIL!!!!

This is the biggie that if Royal Mail could modify or change is the route to profitability in letters IMHO. Yes,we could advertise as it puts our brand name out there and we could offer temporary discounts to encourage more letters being delivered. But RM would give their right arm to have a monopoly on letters again. There are loads of DSA providers out there which is evidence that what we are paying them is profitable. I guess some DSA companies are smarter than others but none of them have any intentions of delivering. I noticed one company do actually deliver post - but it's at a massive premium,so that's the workaround for them. Another company processes packages up in bulk for Royal Mail to collect.

I think we should be making moves to stop couriers cherry picking. Remember whistl delivering post in only the most profitable areas? Well,Amazon are doing that with parcel deliveries. How is it fair that we should be delivering their parcels because they can't be bothered to travel or deliver because it's unprofitable for them?

What is stopping R M starting a DSA operation ,set up Two Or Three Sorting Centers & feed the mail into the Delivery System like existing DSA Companies

Yes why can’t they use GLS as a name for a DSA operation . There must be a way around it somehow. Maybe the bosses at the top need to get their thinking caps on pretty sharpish rather than this obsession they have in screwing postman over. This IMO is their biggest flaw - rather than grow the company they’d rather spend time and money on screwing us and monitoring our every move to catch us out. Very odd way to run a company and where they’ve neglected growth in pursuit of harassing the staff they’re now finding the chickens are coming home to roost.

You may find some of the DSA Companies are also part of the GLS Network

[norris9]

This IMO is their biggest flaw - rather than grow the company they’d rather spend time and money on screwing us and monitoring our every move to catch us out. Very odd way to run a company and where they’ve neglected growth in pursuit of harassing the staff they’re now finding the chickens are coming home to roost.

It would be really nice if they could stop the harassment. I know it's easy to say 'Just stop it', but that's not going to work. Can't they just set up a way of working where we don't have to be harassed to take more post....

Can't we just set up walks so they are all as equal as we can possibly make them and no matter how busy or light it is we have to deliver everything on our designated walk. So once you are done delivering you can go home. Then we have no harassment by management to take more post and there is no Posties pacing themselves or waiting to go back to the depot. It is stress free. Yes you may have busy days where you are finishing 'late', but you will also get the light days where you can go home early instead of having to wait it out until your finish time. Xmas would obviously involve longer days therefore the Xmas bonus should be a guaranteed £1000 to make up for this busy period.

Benefit for Posties:
-Go to work knowing they aren't going to get harassed to take post they cannot deliver, no extra post, no lapsing.
-They can go home once they have finished.

Benefit for Managers:
-No time wasted harassing Posties.
-No post is left behind. Walks are cleared.