What now

[blacov]

I don’t think much will be agreed until April.
That’s when we will get a 13/14% pay rise with quite a few changes imo.
CWU will claim victory but it will only be such a pay rise because we haven’t had one this year.
I doubt much will be back dated either.

Might even be that ST steps down around then so a new CEO can come in with a deal already made so he is starting from a clean slate and can start his slashing terms philosophy Without his workforce and the union being on his back straight away…

There is 0.1% chance of getting a pay rise of that calibre. Changes on the other hand are coming in and there will be plenty of it.

[Halfhappy]

They had better hurry up and make up their mind ,they are bringing in the changes to sick pay as we speak,was told saturday you must have a sick note or positive covid test result from day 1 of sickness or we won't be paid,we keep getting told they can't do it but they are,losing deliveries in the resign,told its not with union agreement but they are doing it,by the time the end of February comes it could of changed forever and will never go back,the strikes need to start asap or else we are done for.

All the strikes so far have,nt stopped them what makes you think more strikes will.

Where its true, it would seem that RM are going ahead with imposing unagreed change, I really don't find it surprising. I think this is very much a tactic to demoralise and make employee's efforts feel futile. This doesn't mean that strikes are having no effect, or any of the unagreed changes can't be replaced with agreed changes. It's probably the long-term disruption and uncertainty that will be caused for the business, and it's customers, that will ultimately get an acceptable agreement. At some point RM are going to have to reach some sort of compromise, they can't run an business, under a cloud of disruption with an uncooperative workforce. There's really little else, as employees, we can do. It's either roll over, or withdraw your labour in protest, and try to force the employer to an acceptable compromise. The former leaves us and relying on the employer's goodwill, that there will be no more erosion of jobs, terms and security. The latter is reliant on large, undiminishing support from the members. That's really it. I know there's other forms of IA, that's a debate in itself.

[fatcat1uk]

I am fast losing faith in the cwu,not a word for weeks leaving us swinging in the wind
Whilst the CEO and board bring in executive action and start cutting jobs and duties.Cwu does not seem to have a plan certainly not one they have shared with their members.Itwill be at least two weeks before any more I.A and that's after notice has been given ,where the pressure we applied to the business would have been eased considerably and we will come from a position of weakness to once again fight for the protection of our jobs .Come on CWU buck up or bug out,this is my view,but I do know it is shares with sooo many of my colleagues.

[WalkerX]

With any privatised industry, the overriding objectives in law are with maximising profits for investors. That is why the Board paid that 400 million to shareholders based on the previous 12 months revenue.

The joys of capitalism. What a system. Where does it end though? Isn't it the boards/CEO'S job to grow a business? All the R.M board/CEO have done since privatisation is cut, cut, cut. What happens when there's nothing left to cut?

Lets close all the CSP's! Great idea!! That'll save nothing in the long run. Let's try and redeliver that parcel 3 times! Whoa!! Another great idea! What's that going to save? Nothing, nowt! Just cost the people trying to redeliver it even more time, on their already unachievable delivery.

Let's get rid of 3 full time duties out of an office with 350 hours of vacancies! Yeah!! Great idea! We can make all the duties half an hour bigger! That'll save loads of money!! Except it won't because most of existing duties are already to big, so people will just bring it back.

This business is run by idiots. None of them are fit to run a business. None of them have a clue what goes on in delivery offices because the COMS aren't allowed to tell the truth for fear of reprisals from area/sector managers. Seriously how does someone as abysmal as Simon Thompson become CEO of a company with a multi billion pound turnover? Especially with his traincrash of a track record. It's who you know in this miserable, Tory led, corrupt country.

[WalkerX]

The difference between major employers in The European Union and the UK is that they as routine have a trade union official on the board of directors as a consultant. That is why trade disputes in the EU are short lived as they cooperate with each other for the welfare of the company and employees.

Trade Unionism in the UK has always been histrorically adversarial with a left wing agenda. The Hooper government inquiry in 2009 with Royal Mail identified a culture of an Us and Them agenda. The same can be said for the RMT.

In my opinion it goes deeper than that. Trades Unions were born out a necessity to protect workers from terrible working conditions. They are also woven into the class system that is still so prevalent even today. Trades Unions are also fair game for the right wing Tory press which print stories about trotskyist members stirring up revolution. Anything that threatens the class system in this country is immediately castigated. Until this country realises that the class system is perpetuated by the few supported by the powerful it will remain. I forget the actual figure but in the UK isn't it 1% of the population have 90% of the wealth. Most of the wealth is land and titles dating back to Magna Carta.

Absolutely correct.

[walthmstowman]

With any privatised industry, the overriding objectives in law are with maximising profits for investors. That is why the Board paid that 400 million to shareholders based on the previous 12 months revenue.

The joys of capitalism. What a system. Where does it end though? Isn't it the boards/CEO'S job to grow a business? All the R.M board/CEO have done since privatisation is cut, cut, cut. What happens when there's nothing left to cut?

Lets close all the CSP's! Great idea!! That'll save nothing in the long run. Let's try and redeliver that parcel 3 times! Whoa!! Another great idea! What's that going to save? Nothing, nowt! Just cost the people trying to redeliver it even more time, on their already unachievable delivery.

Let's get rid of 3 full time duties out of an office with 350 hours of vacancies! Yeah!! Great idea! We can make all the duties half an hour bigger! That'll save loads of money!! Except it won't because most of existing duties are already to big, so people will just bring it back.

This business is run by idiots. None of them are fit to run a business. None of them have a clue what goes on in delivery offices because the COMS aren't allowed to tell the truth for fear of reprisals from area/sector managers. Seriously how does someone as abysmal as Simon Thompson become CEO of a company with a multi billion pound turnover? Especially with his traincrash of a track record. It's who you know in this miserable, Tory led, corrupt country.

Excellent post which goes straight to the heart of the problem . It underlines just what tinpot management we now have in Royal Mail

[guardianangel]

They had better hurry up and make up their mind ,they are bringing in the changes to sick pay as we speak,was told saturday you must have a sick note or positive covid test result from day 1 of sickness or we won't be paid,we keep getting told they can't do it but they are,losing deliveries in the resign,told its not with union agreement but they are doing it,by the time the end of February comes it could of changed forever and will never go back,the strikes need to start asap or else we are done for.

All the strikes so far have,nt stopped them what makes you think more strikes will.

I don't but its our only option hopefully if we can carry on eventually the 1,7 billion war chest will run out,they have got to of lost half already surely.

[datasaint]

I think the plan has always been to run RM down financially, what will see come April is an end of year financial report that reports losses in the hundreds of millions. They want to strike fear into the workers and the government that the business will fail.

When they get the changes they want, reduced USO, more obedient workforce on less pay, closure of sites, loss of ParcelForce, they will put all energy into the superhubs and packets and start winning customers back with lower prices.

[norris9]

This may be a stupid idea - but maybe there should be an annual charge for each household that wants post delivered each year. Even if it's just £5 for the whole year, that's 32million addresses x 5 = £160million. In return Royal Mail have to maintain the 6 day service and employ enough staff to do so.

But it feels to me like Royal Mail don't deserve this as this dispute and the loss of money each day is either down to mismanagement or it's been orchestrated.

If it was/is genuine that the USO was no longer financially viable then an annual fee per household to put towards maintaining the service could possibly resolve everything. I think most people would pay a fiver or tenner each year. The alternative would be that they get no deliveries and their mail would be returned to sender or maybe they can collect it for a £1 charge each time.


Service is maintained to keep us all in jobs.
Service is maintained for the public.
Service is maintained for businesses.
Royal Mail make £160million+ to cover costs.


Instead of reducing the USO - maintain it with an annual customer fee.

[POSTPERSON50]

I am fast losing faith in the cwu,not a word for weeks leaving us swinging in the wind
Whilst the CEO and board bring in executive action and start cutting jobs and duties.Cwu does not seem to have a plan certainly not one they have shared with their members.Itwill be at least two weeks before any more I.A and that's after notice has been given ,where the pressure we applied to the business would have been eased considerably and we will come from a position of weakness to once again fight for the protection of our jobs .Come on CWU buck up or bug out,this is my view,but I do know it is shares with sooo many of my colleagues.

Our momentum has gone, it's the one thing you need when you are asking your members to sacrifice money and support your agenda. The cwu comms are stale, we have no end in sight to go with the natural blues of a cold and miserable January.

Everything has gone to plan for management. 100% as expected.
Ruin the business in it's current form, then move ahead with whatever they want after we're broken.

[toonshola]

I am fast losing faith in the cwu,not a word for weeks leaving us swinging in the wind
Whilst the CEO and board bring in executive action and start cutting jobs and duties.Cwu does not seem to have a plan certainly not one they have shared with their members.Itwill be at least two weeks before any more I.A and that's after notice has been given ,where the pressure we applied to the business would have been eased considerably and we will come from a position of weakness to once again fight for the protection of our jobs .Come on CWU buck up or bug out,this is my view,but I do know it is shares with sooo many of my colleagues.

Our momentum has gone, it's the one thing you need when you are asking your members to sacrifice money and support your agenda. The cwu comms are stale, we have no end in sight to go with the natural blues of a cold and miserable January.

Everything has gone to plan for management. 100% as expected.
Ruin the business in it's current form, then move ahead with whatever they want after we're broken.

Sadly I have to agree. I’d say there is a 95% chance of the union trying to sell us the garbage deal that they rejected before xmas(with some minor tweaks). Get ready for some nauseating Facebook live sessions of Webb Ward and Furey back slapping each other and falling over themselves in self congratulations over the amazing job they have done.

[SpacePhoenix]

I am fast losing faith in the cwu,not a word for weeks leaving us swinging in the wind
Whilst the CEO and board bring in executive action and start cutting jobs and duties.Cwu does not seem to have a plan certainly not one they have shared with their members.Itwill be at least two weeks before any more I.A and that's after notice has been given ,where the pressure we applied to the business would have been eased considerably and we will come from a position of weakness to once again fight for the protection of our jobs .Come on CWU buck up or bug out,this is my view,but I do know it is shares with sooo many of my colleagues.

Our momentum has gone, it's the one thing you need when you are asking your members to sacrifice money and support your agenda. The cwu comms are stale, we have no end in sight to go with the natural blues of a cold and miserable January.

Everything has gone to plan for management. 100% as expected.
Ruin the business in it's current form, then move ahead with whatever they want after we're broken.

Sadly I have to agree. I’d say there is a 95% chance of the union trying to sell us the garbage deal that they rejected before xmas(with some minor tweaks). Get ready for some nauseating Facebook live sessions of Webb Ward and Furey back slapping each other and falling over themselves in self congratulations over the amazing job they have done.

They can do one if they think people will accept it

[post6675]

I am fast losing faith in the cwu,not a word for weeks leaving us swinging in the wind
Whilst the CEO and board bring in executive action and start cutting jobs and duties.Cwu does not seem to have a plan certainly not one they have shared with their members.Itwill be at least two weeks before any more I.A and that's after notice has been given ,where the pressure we applied to the business would have been eased considerably and we will come from a position of weakness to once again fight for the protection of our jobs .Come on CWU buck up or bug out,this is my view,but I do know it is shares with sooo many of my colleagues.

Our momentum has gone, it's the one thing you need when you are asking your members to sacrifice money and support your agenda. The cwu comms are stale, we have no end in sight to go with the natural blues of a cold and miserable January.

Everything has gone to plan for management. 100% as expected.
Ruin the business in it's current form, then move ahead with whatever they want after we're broken.

Sadly I have to agree. I’d say there is a 95% chance of the union trying to sell us the garbage deal that they rejected before xmas(with some minor tweaks). Get ready for some nauseating Facebook live sessions of Webb Ward and Furey back slapping each other and falling over themselves in self congratulations over the amazing job they have done.

Why would RM agree to any deal now though? They have all but won , why would they go through all the holidays and backog striking to accept a deal (and then go through this whole process again in a year) when they can usher the union out of the workplace which is their plan i assume. If takeover is going to happen they are going to want the union crushed as its to much of a hassle. Why give the union a win when RM have won and can just put through their changes without union coop like they have been doing? Union look powerless

[walthmstowman]

They had better hurry up and make up their mind ,they are bringing in the changes to sick pay as we speak,was told saturday you must have a sick note or positive covid test result from day 1 of sickness or we won't be paid,we keep getting told they can't do it but they are,losing deliveries in the resign,told its not with union agreement but they are doing it,by the time the end of February comes it could of changed forever and will never go back,the strikes need to start asap or else we are done for.

All the strikes so far have,nt stopped them what makes you think more strikes will.

Where its true, it would seem that RM are going ahead with imposing unagreed change, I really don't find it surprising. I think this is very much a tactic to demoralise and make employee's efforts feel futile. This doesn't mean that strikes are having no effect, or any of the unagreed changes can't be replaced with agreed changes. It's probably the long-term disruption and uncertainty that will be caused for the business, and it's customers, that will ultimately get an acceptable agreement. At some point RM are going to have to reach some sort of compromise, they can't run an business, under a cloud of disruption with an uncooperative workforce. There's really little else, as employees, we can do. It's either roll over, or withdraw your labour in protest, and try to force the employer to an acceptable compromise. The former leaves us and relying on the employer's goodwill, that there will be no more erosion of jobs, terms and security. The latter is reliant on large, undiminishing support from the members. That's really it. I know there's other forms of IA, that's a debate in itself.

When all these un agreed chances fail will management still blame us when it's completely their own s**t show.

[walthmstowman]

I am fast losing faith in the cwu,not a word for weeks leaving us swinging in the wind
Whilst the CEO and board bring in executive action and start cutting jobs and duties.Cwu does not seem to have a plan certainly not one they have shared with their members.Itwill be at least two weeks before any more I.A and that's after notice has been given ,where the pressure we applied to the business would have been eased considerably and we will come from a position of weakness to once again fight for the protection of our jobs .Come on CWU buck up or bug out,this is my view,but I do know it is shares with sooo many of my colleagues.

Our momentum has gone, it's the one thing you need when you are asking your members to sacrifice money and support your agenda. The cwu comms are stale, we have no end in sight to go with the natural blues of a cold and miserable January.

Everything has gone to plan for management. 100% as expected.
Ruin the business in it's current form, then move ahead with whatever they want after we're broken.

Sadly I have to agree. I’d say there is a 95% chance of the union trying to sell us the garbage deal that they rejected before xmas(with some minor tweaks). Get ready for some nauseating Facebook live sessions of Webb Ward and Furey back slapping each other and falling over themselves in self congratulations over the amazing job they have done.

Why would RM agree to any deal now though? They have all but won , why would they go through all the holidays and backog striking to accept a deal (and then go through this whole process again in a year) when they can usher the union out of the workplace which is their plan i assume. If takeover is going to happen they are going to want the union crushed as its to much of a hassle. Why give the union a win when RM have won and can just put through their changes without union coop like they have been doing? Union look powerless

They haven't all but won . More strikes equals more disruption and loss of business . I'm sure the shareholders won't enjoy that either . At the end of the day and as much as Royal Mail will hate it they need an agreement with the CWU. Anyway, without their staff onboard virtually all their changes are doom to fail . No comapny can be successful on the back of a workforce who are pissed off and disgruntled .