Royal Mail offers pay rise as it seeks to avoid strike action

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 20 Feb 2020, 16:17

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Royal Mail said it has put forward a 6% three-year pay deal for staff to the Communication Workers Union (CWU) as it looks to avoid strike action.

Earlier this month, the postal firm – which was dogged by the threat of strike action over Christmas – said the union was preparing for another strike ballot.

The company said it has now put forward a pay proposal which would mean a pay increase of more than 16% for staff between April 1 2018 and March 31 2023.

Earlier this month, shares in Royal Mail plunged to a new low after warning its UK arm could be loss-making next year and it may miss turnaround targets amid the threat of strike action.

We will not become a gig economy employer. We will not introduce zero-hours contracts for permanent employees. Nor would we look to outsource Royal Mail’s core operationsShane O’Riordain, Royal Mail

Royal Mail won a legal battle in November to prevent a postal strike in the run-up to Christmas and the general election.

However, the dispute with the CWU continued amid worker concerns over job security and widespread changes at the business, with the union expected to re-ballot members soon.

Royal Mail said it would need to accelerate turnaround efforts to be able to afford the pay rises, including further automating parcel hubs and cutting letter postal delivery walks to around 50,000 a day from 58,000 a day.

It said it also plans to increase its van deliveries, by launching around 7,000 dedicated van delivery routes from 300 delivery offices by 2023.

Royal Mail said it also plans to invest £115 million in upgrading facilities and £400 million in new vehicles to improve the firm’s fleet.

Shane O’Riordain, Royal Mail’s managing director of regulation, corporate affairs and marketing, said: “Our proposal underlines our commitment to being the best employer in our industry.

“It maintains our policy of no compulsory redundancies for frontline operational colleagues.

“We will not become a gig economy employer. We will not introduce zero-hours contracts for permanent employees. Nor would we look to outsource Royal Mail’s core operations.”

Shares in Royal Mail moved 5.6% higher to 183.9p.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 20 Feb 2020, 16:29

'Royal Mail said it would need to accelerate turnaround efforts to be able to afford the pay rises, including further automating parcel hubs and cutting letter postal delivery walks to around 50,000 a day from 58,000 a day.

It said it also plans to increase its van deliveries, by launching around 7,000 dedicated van delivery routes from 300 delivery offices by 2023.'

50,000 postal deliveries + 7,000 van deliveries = a total of 57,000 jobs compared to the current 58,000, so 1,000 job cuts? Also how are they going reduce postal deliveries by 8,000 a day?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 20 Feb 2020, 16:36

leolion855 wrote:' Also how are they going reduce postal deliveries by 8,000 a day?

By decreasing the amount of indoor time, the deliveries will be longer and fewer.

Grumpyoldmailman · Post by **Grumpyoldmailman** » 20 Feb 2020, 16:39

leolion855 wrote:'Also how are they going reduce postal deliveries by 8,000 a day?

By adding lots onto the delivery’s that remain.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 20 Feb 2020, 16:41

clashcityrocker wrote:
leolion855 wrote:' Also how are they going reduce postal deliveries by 8,000 a day?
By decreasing the amount of indoor time, the deliveries will be longer and fewer.

How do you decrease indoor time?, sorting and prepping still needs to be done and will actually be longer when we dont have any more sequenced and it just comes as walk sort. Are they really that short sighted?

noggin1969 · Post by **noggin1969** » 20 Feb 2020, 17:09

We will not introduce zero-hours contracts for permanent employees. Nor would we look to outsource Royal Mail’s core operations Shane O’Riordain, Royal Mail

zero-hours contracts for permanent employees = we will to our temps in a new parcel/packet company.

Nor would we look to outsource Royal Mail’s core operations = we will let the declining letters section wither until we can hopefully unload it onto the government a bit like the Post Office.

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 20 Feb 2020, 17:42

Grumpyoldmailman wrote:
leolion855 wrote:'Also how are they going reduce postal deliveries by 8,000 a day?
By adding lots onto the delivery’s that remain.

Mark Baulch visited our office and mentioned this last year. he gave an example by saying that 3 duties will be put together but only 2 posties will do it, leaving the 3rd postie redundant. the 7000 dedicated van deliveries will be the LAT jobs that will be doing the larger packets/parcels.

oypostie · Post by **oypostie** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:04

Strange how this has reached the media before it's been communicated to staff. Spin, spin, spin

scoobydo79 · Post by **scoobydo79** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:06

Nice!! So they will take about 30 mins work off of You and give You over an hours extra delivery instead!!! F that!!!

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:16

scoobydo79 wrote:Nice!! So they will take about 30 mins work off of You and give You over an hours extra delivery instead!!! F that!!!

You get an extra £2.60 a week to do it tho!

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:22

leolion855 wrote:
How do you decrease indoor time?

I don't know why you think there will be no sequenced?

Firstly there will be no large parcels to sort - either at the frame or IPS.
Secondly there will be increased automation.
Lastly - what is the resourcing standard used for prepping frames in your DO? How many items are you expected to prep in one hour?

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:37

clashcityrocker wrote:
leolion855 wrote:
How do you decrease indoor time?
I don't know why you think there will be no sequenced?

Firstly there will be no large parcels to sort - either at the frame or IPS.
Secondly there will be increased automation.
Lastly - what is the resourcing standard used for prepping frames in your DO? How many items are you expected to prep in one hour?

There removing the css machines so no more sequenced
If they get rid of most full timers loosing the sorting of parcels doesnt matter
How can you automate in a DO?
No idea what the standard is sorry?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:45

leolion855 wrote:
There removing the css machines so no more sequenced
How can you automate in a DO?
No idea what the standard is sorry?

1. They are relocating the work not removing sequencing.
2, You increase the amount of letters and flats that bypass the IPS.
3. I am not surprised you don't know but when they introduce performance standards for indoor work (and not just the 1 minute test) then you will.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 20 Feb 2020, 18:57

clashcityrocker wrote:
leolion855 wrote:
There removing the css machines so no more sequenced
How can you automate in a DO?
No idea what the standard is sorry?
1. They are relocating the work not removing sequencing.
2, You increase the amount of letters and flats that bypass the IPS.
3. I am not surprised you don't know but when they introduce performance standards for indoor work (and not just the 1 minute test) then you will.

Weather its done on ips or on the frame if youve got less postie doing bigger rounds the indoor time will increase per head.
We just get told to throw our rounds out and be out the door by 9, Dom doesnt care how its done

Gasman11 · Post by **Gasman11** » 20 Feb 2020, 19:08

clashcityrocker wrote:
leolion855 wrote:' Also how are they going reduce postal deliveries by 8,000 a day?
By decreasing the amount of indoor time, the deliveries will be longer and fewer.

Are these adjustments to the number of walks based on the 6 day deliveries that we currently undertake? So if the USO review advocates a 5 day delivery operation we'd be looking at several thousand more job losses??