Two more strike days announced via CWU facebook livecast - 30th Sept and 1st Oct.

[aiden01]

They aren't going to budge during talks. I support the union but the longer this goes on the more they too will look to preserve their very large pay packets. I'm sorry to say that but if Thomson breaks the union here we already have a 3 pound something saving immediately. He's probably factored that into wage increases attached to life changing working practices.

Why not save your £3 something now an pull out of union will only break them if we give in stay strong an WE WILL WIN.

[Cucumber]

It's bad it really is but if this goes through tens of thousands won't have a sustainable job. The biggest being child care etc and family time on Sundays. All this softly softly one Sunday every couple of months nonsense it'll be one on a 7 day rotation in no time to the detriment of already over pressurised driving who get no allowance for the added responsibility. That's currently unfair. How can drivers get the same as walkers. That's bonkers to begin with

100% agree. How the fcuk that got through I’ll never know. There are posties who have no intention of driving and who can blame them.

In hindsight, it was a masterstroke by RM. But they maybe just got lucky.
Over a decade ago they sold van share to offices as the way forward, and within that, the 'driving' part would be less physical.
This was back when parcel volumes were a fraction of what they are now.
Cue vast numbers of staff who didn't previously drive for the company, signing up to do so.
What we have now is a total mess of a situation where the driver can't even fit all the parcels into the van, and with no allocated time on the duty to deliver the majority of them. I've still yet to see a shared van duty that has been designed properly, with an hour allocated for the driver to do parcels.

[richj2009]

I'm up for the fight I really am but I feel very strongly this is what royal mail want. My 3 something is staying very much in their purse. Driving yes totally agree with you mate I remember when it happened.

[SMS1969]

It's bad it really is but if this goes through tens of thousands won't have a sustainable job. The biggest being child care etc and family time on Sundays. All this softly softly one Sunday every couple of months nonsense it'll be one on a 7 day rotation in no time to the detriment of already over pressurised driving who get no allowance for the added responsibility. That's currently unfair. How can drivers get the same as walkers. That's bonkers to begin with

100% agree. How the fcuk that got through I’ll never know. There are posties who have no intention of driving and who can blame them.

In hindsight, it was a masterstroke by RM. But they maybe just got lucky.
Over a decade ago they sold van share to offices as the way forward, and within that, the 'driving' part would be less physical.
This was back when parcel volumes were a fraction of what they are now.
Cue vast numbers of staff who didn't previously drive for the company, signing up to do so.
What we have now is a total mess of a situation where the driver can't even fit all the parcels into the van, and with no allocated time on the duty to deliver the majority of them. I've still yet to see a shared van duty that has been designed properly, with an hour allocated for the driver to do parcels.

Thanks for the insight. I did wonder how this happened.

[DirtyHarry]

Simon Thompson is not an intelligent man. He's a narcissist. A slight intelligence and zero morals can take you far. His overall plan is plain as day and he insults us by thinking we can't see it. We all could have been in charge and profited off covid. He's made a fortune off people dying and being terrified of going outside. We had to face that head on and work harder than we've ever worked before. For what so a revolting man worth 77 million can gain more millions whilst we are recognised with nothing. A fiver after tax a week. It's a disgrace a shambles and everyone of thos disgusting cowardly people deserve nothing but the worst the universe can throw at them.

[Zicomurphy]

Does anybody have the official notice of this or know the start times? Just wondering how it would apply to night workers. If it’s a 4am start again that would mean the 2 strike days would be Friday and Saturday night for night workers but I’m guessing most don’t work Saturday night anyway.

[gfte]

Does anybody have the official notice of this or know the start times? Just wondering how it would apply to night workers. If it’s a 4am start again that would mean the 2 strike days would be Friday and Saturday night for night workers but I’m guessing most don’t work Saturday night anyway.

Not seen CWUs notice but from the Ricky thread:

Message from Ricky McAulay: Notice of further damaging industrial action

We have received notification of further damaging industrial action from the CWU from 4am on Friday 30 September to 03.59 Sunday 2 October.

[Dorset Plodder]

I think a lot of you are missing the point. The strike days are not really designed to build up a back log in the Delivery Pipeline, so worrying about which day would be be more effective is not really relevant.

The Aim of all the various Strike Days is to put doubt into the minds of our VVIP Customers, and generate pressure from THEM towards Simon, and his board, to get back to the negotiating table and get this dispute settled before the busy run up to Christmas. They want to feel confident that they've got a secure, and reliable Delivery Partner for their Peak Business Period.

I think the fact that there has been a backlog of mail is just the result of the way we work, and the Bank Holiday weekend. It's a Bonus for us in a way (the only bonus we're likely to get LOL) and my DO has been very busy over the working days. We've taken the view of :Do the extra Pressure OT and make some extra money to cover the Strike Days.

[Acca Dacca]

I think the reason Saturday has been chosen is because thats when the unions involved in the enough is enough campaign are collectively taking action - 1st October

[datasaint]

I think the unions approach to this has been misguided. A long protracted strike was not the way.

We should have gone out the first week for a whole week, that would have garnered a lot more attention, and what would it have cost an extra day in pay compared to what we are doing now.

A week without the national postal carrier would have made better headlines, and the fallout from it would have been big. This sporadic days here and there striking doesn't have the same clout.

[cobrakai]

I think the unions approach to this has been misguided. A long protracted strike was not the way.

We should have gone out the first week for a whole week, that would have garnered a lot more attention, and what would it have cost an extra day in pay compared to what we are doing now.

A week without the national postal carrier would have made better headlines, and the fallout from it would have been big. This sporadic days here and there striking doesn't have the same clout.

I agree. I’m starting to be a bit wary of what it’s actually about now too. We should have been all out from the start. It’s having little or no effect if people are literally going in the day after on overtime and doing the work.

[yellowbelly]

I think the unions approach to this has been misguided. A long protracted strike was not the way.

We should have gone out the first week for a whole week, that would have garnered a lot more attention, and what would it have cost an extra day in pay compared to what we are doing now.

A week without the national postal carrier would have made better headlines, and the fallout from it would have been big. This sporadic days here and there striking doesn't have the same clout.

I agree. I’m starting to be a bit wary of what it’s actually about now too. We should have been all out from the start. It’s having little or no effect if people are literally going in the day after on overtime and doing the work.

Dorset Plodder explains it very well with a post at 0758 two or three posts above. A national strike for a week might have caused Granny to be
worried little Freddie might not get his birthday card on time but Granny or the general public doesn't have any sway with the VVIP parcel contract companies or the RM board.

A week off would have been even better for the VVIP/RM contract as they would have just shoved everything out
to different contractors for that full week - the odd day off here and there creates uncertainty for RM board/VVIP as to
which route to despatch their stuff, and pressure by the shareholders on the board to sort it out.

Even if we were out for a week, the backlog would still be cleared eventually whether on OT or not, same as it is now.

And you wouldn't get people going out for a full week, some people CAN NOT live without any money for a week.

[Acca Dacca]

I think the unions approach to this has been misguided. A long protracted strike was not the way.

We should have gone out the first week for a whole week, that would have garnered a lot more attention, and what would it have cost an extra day in pay compared to what we are doing now.

A week without the national postal carrier would have made better headlines, and the fallout from it would have been big. This sporadic days here and there striking doesn't have the same clout.

I agree. I’m starting to be a bit wary of what it’s actually about now too. We should have been all out from the start. It’s having little or no effect if people are literally going in the day after on overtime and doing the work.

Dorset Plodder explains it very well with a post at 0758 two or three posts above. A national strike for a week might have caused Granny to be
worried little Freddie might not get his birthday card on time but Granny or the general public doesn't have any sway with the VVIP parcel contract companies or the RM board.

A week off would have been even better for the VVIP/RM contract as they would have just shoved everything out
to different contractors for that full week - the odd day off here and there creates uncertainty for RM board/VVIP as to
which route to despatch their stuff, and pressure by the shareholders on the board to sort it out.

Even if we were out for a week, the backlog would still be cleared eventually whether on OT or not, same as it is now.

And you wouldn't get people going out for a full week, some people CAN NOT live without any money for a week.

Agreed on all counts

[Minischoles]

I think the unions approach to this has been misguided. A long protracted strike was not the way.

We should have gone out the first week for a whole week, that would have garnered a lot more attention, and what would it have cost an extra day in pay compared to what we are doing now.

A week without the national postal carrier would have made better headlines, and the fallout from it would have been big. This sporadic days here and there striking doesn't have the same clout.

I agree. I’m starting to be a bit wary of what it’s actually about now too. We should have been all out from the start. It’s having little or no effect if people are literally going in the day after on overtime and doing the work.

The effect on delivery of ordinary letters is nothing - the RM Board couldn't give too f***s if little old granny smith down the road doesn't get her birthday card from her grandson, or doesn't get her NHS appointment letter.

The whole point of this strike is to worry the big customers (where RM get the majority of it's money from via contract parcel services like Tracked 24/48) about the potential for strike disruption during their biggest profit period.

Those businesses are the only ones who can pressure Simon and the top bosses, because the longer this strike goes, the more threat there is of a strike during Cyber Week and Black Friday - and every one of those parcel companies will be telling Simon and the business that if it's not resolved, they'll jump over to deliveries via DPD/Evri/FedEx etc

The threat of even a one day strike during that period is enough to spook them and by proxy spook Simon and the Board

[mjd24]

Imagine how successful we could be if we lacked a moral compass. The reason the top 1 % exsist is the fact the overwhelming majority of other 99% have some sort of a conscience or a few morals ticking about.

Hmm im not sure thats correct really. Im sure many within the “other 99%” would jump at the chance to join the top 1% if it was easily within their grasp. And those at the top do not see themselves as lacking morals, its easy to turn a blind eye to those below us, as most of us do with most of the rest of the world who are poorer than us.