Race to the bottom. We was warned

[Mazdaman]

The union warned us,did we listen? I have seen so many new starters leave within 6 weeks lately due to the unachievable workload and poor wage.
Many other companies including courier firms and warehouse work are paying more for much better family friendly hours. I can't believe the way this has gone. Hope we are getting a decent rise soon.

[Beanyjazz]

It is atrocious, one day last week and Monday this week, some of our delivery staff were sent to Burnley from Oldham to do parcels. So now Oldham is further behind than usual. Is this going to be the new norm? A 'floating workforce' always behind?!

How do they expect people to stay on these dogshit contracts when they're paid less for doing the same? Half the old staff have left who knew the area so performance is down. They're threatening to 'conduct' any staff who drive 1 mile an hour over the speed limit or don't do van checks, yet I've seen the agency staff drive down a one-way the opposite way speeding in a 20. That's fine because they never sign for their vans.

The service is complete dogshit now, sometimes I'm collecting 3 letters from boxes that used to be half full every day. I'd be surprised if RM is still going in 5 years.

[SpacePhoenix]

It is atrocious, one day last week and Monday this week, some of our delivery staff were sent to Burnley from Oldham to do parcels. So now Oldham is further behind than usual. Is this going to be the new norm? A 'floating workforce' always behind?!

Did RM provide them either with vans or transport to Burnley and back? If no then some or maybe all of them will have been driving illegally as most insurance policies I believe to drive between two locations of the same firm needs business use

[GaryLawler]

Strange I thought the CWU agreed all these changes and wanted folk to vote YES

[scotchy1962]

Aye the race to the bottom is over, we are staring the bottom feeders in the face, especially those on the new and improved dog s**t one, which is one of the reasons why the newbies are leaving.
Soon we will be looking up at the bottom feeders bellies,

[fadetogrey63]

unachievable workload and poor wage.

This is so right, last Monday I covered a walk that had over double mail from the previous fri/sat, I did overtime on the oversize all week so we could just concentrate on getting the mail back to been cleared, we caught up and cleared the frames on both walks everyday, then Saturday came and with us having to do the oversize and mail we ended up bringing back over a full walk.. it's all pointless, you just can't clear the walks and parcels, it's either one or the other..

[scotchy1962]

unachievable workload and poor wage.

This is so right, last Monday I covered a walk that had over double mail from the previous fri/sat, I did overtime on the oversize all week so we could just concentrate on getting the mail back to been cleared, we caught up and cleared the frames on both walks everyday, then Saturday came and with us having to do the oversize and mail we ended up bringing back over a full walk.. it's all pointless, you just can't clear the walks and parcels, it's either one or the other..

Ah touche! Someone who gets the relentless and pointless drive to clear a walk only for it fail immediately you get it sorted.
Great for the morale and mental health of your workforce, they could make a bigger effort to employ more people by offering the same as the rest of us get. Don't see it happening and if they feck about much longer xmas will be here and we will be lambs to the slaughter.

[claretandblue]

It is atrocious, one day last week and Monday this week, some of our delivery staff were sent to Burnley from Oldham to do parcels. So now Oldham is further behind than usual. Is this going to be the new norm? A 'floating workforce' always behind?!

How do they expect people to stay on these dogshit contracts when they're paid less for doing the same? Half the old staff have left who knew the area so performance is down. They're threatening to 'conduct' any staff who drive 1 mile an hour over the speed limit or don't do van checks, yet I've seen the agency staff drive down a one-way the opposite way speeding in a 20. That's fine because they never sign for their vans.

The service is complete dogshit now, sometimes I'm collecting 3 letters from boxes that used to be half full every day. I'd be surprised if RM is still going in 5 years.

Took 1 walk out between 2 of them and completed 1 loop, this has happened several times.

[chickenwittle]

Strange I thought the CWU agreed all these changes and wanted folk to vote YES

Exactly, pointless crying about it now.

[reddevils]

The CWU came to a compromise which happens in all negotiations. But yes it was a terrible agreement, they gave far much leeway to the employer.
They should have acted how the train union operated and keep the dispute open to increase leverage.
It has been ruled recently that using temps/agency in a strike period is illegal so RM would be severely hampered through strike action at present.
If the Union would have kept the dispute going, without even needing to strike, it would have caused uncertainty for the business and forced their hand.
I know people say that the business was going to implement what it wanted to anyway. But markets matter and customers matter. Being in dispute and having the option to strike gives massive uncertainty affects their bottom line.

[oypostie]

The CWU came to a compromise

No. I would call it surrendered. Royal Mail got what they wanted with a few very minor concessions

[norris9]

I am not sure that Royal Mail's aim is to piss off their new staff, but instead piss off the posties on the older & better contracts....

How they have attacked us so far.

1. They have understaffed offices causing us to have 2 days worth of mail once a week for 3 years.

2. Making our rounds excessively big alongside management harassing us claiming the rounds were completable - yeah right.

3. Reduced sick pay.

4. Coming soon - Delivery 2.0 is coming in and I have no understanding of how that concept is going to improve efficiency or benefit the company in any other way other than to annoy posties yet again.

They seemingly want to push those on the older contracts out, if that means pushing out the newer posties too - then so be it....they can simply recruit replacement posties on that rubbish contract.

[Mr Rush]

Half the old staff have left who knew the area so performance is down.

Whenever I point this out I'm told everyone has to learn all the duties when they're new, as if I can't remember my own experience and as if I'm criticising new starts. The difference, of course, is that if they stick around after they've aquired all the local knowledge then their performance is eternally improved, compared to the present situation where performance is eternally suppressed by constantly having to train up people only for them to leave. Our office lost over 300 years of collective experience in two years - packet sorting is an absolute mess these days and I guess the WPCs don't teach how to prep a frame anymore.

This is not the path to restoring Quality of Service in the same way amateurising a Premier League team is not a winning strategy. Rate your postie? How about Name Your Postie? 'Err, I used to see John every day but then he chucked it after 25 years in February and now I have no clue who left my packet on the doorstep'.

[reddevils]

The CWU came to a compromise

No. I would call it surrendered. Royal Mail got what they wanted with a few very minor concessions

Surrender is probably the right word for it. Unfortunately the majority voted it in. Blame isn't really effective but instead of simply blaming the union,
the majority of posties voted it in. I know of many who looked at the lump sum and simply wanted an end to the industrial dispute and didn't like striking. And now they moan and complain and have anger towards the Union.

The only people who can have anger towards the Union are the people who voted No for that agreement and insulted by the union encouraging people to vote for it. Considering the majority voted it in it seems highly suspect the amount in offices, on forums, Facebook that are livid at their working conditions and angry at the Union.

The Problem is that the Union is simply a collection of employees, all our colleagues. Without a Union we are are in a much worse position, people don't seem to understand this. Its like being shot in the arm, then asking one for the head. The Union is us, I think people should understand that, its not something separate. The power comes from the employees, members that are prepared to join together.
Its not to say that I think the new contracts are worthy of joining the Union. The Union has betrayed them.
That being said.
I think we are royally screwed to be honest unfortunately. The Union were woeful in its tactics. And they have surrendered too much. They also seem to concerned with external events and identity politics. They should just be focusing on every member, to improve their terms and conditions.

[POSTMAN]

Bit of bedtime reading...

New entrant induction process

LTB 496/19 - Royal Mail/CWU National Joint Statement - A Refocus on New Entrant Standards and the Role of the Delivery Workplace Coach (WPC)