CWU LIVE - Postal Special with Dave Ward & Martin Walsh at 5pm

[Dorset Plodder]

I'd like to personally thank Martin for coming on here and taking the Flak, his posts/replies have always been informative.

Remember guys he doesn't have to take the Flak and we'll just become an echo chamber of ''What do YOU think is going to happen''? At least we're getting some insight into what our Union is thinking.

Personally I don't give a shite about this company anymore. It's just a job, I don't worry about it. I come in do the job and go home. I encourage others to do the same and recommend any youngsters to look around for better prospects. I know whatever changes are negotiated, however the CWU cut the cake Royal Mail will ALWAYS get the biggest slice.

Good Luck with any Negotiations Martin, but I'll just resign myself to working Harder, possibly Longer, and with no REAL improvements to my T&Cs.

[scoobydo79]

Moving from 39 to 52 wouldn’t amount to much more financially because you’d get taxed on the 7-8k over the 30k mark.

How’s about you fight to get us back to 104 weeks

Yes. There are I am sure plenty of guys in their 60s with 35+ years service and health problems that would happily take 2 years money and go.

[Perseus]

The USO change will not take place as a revision. The plan is that it will be deployed as a method change.

When we went from two deliveries to one it was a method change deployment.

The 39 units which will be part of the USO pilot subject to us getting our bargaining agenda will test the planning

So what you are saying is that a method change will involve delivering parcels and 1st Class letters on a Saturday using a different method? i.e. over a larger area?

I said this to you in my first reply , you won’t only be doing your own duty as during the week.

With only half an office getting mail each day, you won't have a set duty - I think this is why we are seeing the move to units having 1 big frame along a wall. That is all in theory though, but once the drip down happens into offices that regularly have 2-3 days mail to deliver on lots of duties, it will probably fall apart.
Think about what people have been asked to do over the last 4 years, especially in the quieter months - do the mail for duty A, plus the tracked and large for duties A and B. That is a huge number of jobs gone.
It can't be done in time?
With a 9 day fortnight/4 day week there will be scope for 6 hour plus delivery. I think that's the details we haven't been made aware of.

[Jefferson Starfish]

Why does the CWU think the company, whoever it's owned or run by, will want to negotiate better terms for the workforce?

They've imposed change before and the union have been powerless, what's to stop them doing it again?

As far as I can see there's nothing at all!

[scotchy1962]

I'd like to personally thank Martin for coming on here and taking the Flak, his posts/replies have always been informative.

Remember guys he doesn't have to take the Flak and we'll just become an echo chamber of ''What do YOU think is going to happen''? At least we're getting some insight into what our Union is thinking.

Personally I don't give a shite about this company anymore. It's just a job, I don't worry about it. I come in do the job and go home. I encourage others to do the same and recommend any youngsters to look around for better prospects. I know whatever changes are negotiated, however the CWU cut the cake Royal Mail will ALWAYS get the biggest slice.

Good Luck with any Negotiations Martin, but I'll just resign myself to working Harder, possibly Longer, and with no REAL improvements to my T&Cs.

I am with you Plodder, he's a brave man to at least attempt to reengage with the workforce. Problem is they haven't really attempted contrition and admit the last agreement has paved the way to where we are now.
Therefore all they have is hollow threats to negotiate with and the company know it, as does Dan the man so no point trying to get onside with him.
This is what happens when you don't follow through with the "Biggest yes vote" and fold a winning hand, immaterial of the circumstances, going bust,etc,etc..... we showed weakness and the company moved in and spanked us all.

[scotchy1962]

Scotch

I have been into 65 different delivery offices this year across all the UK , meeting with our members and talking to them.

Unlike some of the social media platforms where people can post anonymously the vast majority of our members are always respectful and ask roughly the same questions:

They are :

Is my job secure ?
My walk and workload is unachievable?
Will my start and finish times get better or worse ?
What is happening to pay ?
What is happening to resourcing ?
Tracked being prioritised
Will the take over makes things better or worse
What is the impact of the USO
New entrants terms
Sick pay
Why did we reach the agreement

So all of these issues are what the union is tackling under the USO talks and indeed the takeover talks.

I am the only DGSP / Officer who is willing to come on here and one of two who come on social media to engage with members and I have been on here since 2007 on and off but sadly there are to many trolls who don’t want to engage on here unlike you but just want to make snide and unsubstantiated comments but hey you only have to look at X formerly twitter to understand the way these platform are heading.

This site use to be a real opportunity to have a discussion/ debate / disagreement now the majority of the good posters have gone and there is an echo chamber developing which TBT and Postman I believe never visualised when he first set it up.

It is a good job I have a thick skin and I know that the agreement which we reached whilst not popular was 100% better than the alternative option.

Martin thanks for the insight and yes skin like Rhino hide is required.
Doesn't make me believe what i say isn't true, i am long enough in the tooth to remember when unions didn't get involved in company business and why would they, we pay our dues to get protection by collective bargaining with the company by you on our behalf. Legal protection as well and really not a lot else, why would the union be interested in the running of the company and how it operates? I don't pay my money in for that, i pay to get a pay rise when required and to make sure RM play nice, that's it.
I wish you well in your attempts to get the workforce back onside with the union, and good luck for the future dealing with Dan the man.

[Londonsburning]

The voice of reason on here as always Scotchy

[Smoothbackground]

I'd like to personally thank Martin for coming on here and taking the Flak, his posts/replies have always been informative.

Remember guys he doesn't have to take the Flak and we'll just become an echo chamber of ''What do YOU think is going to happen''? At least we're getting some insight into what our Union is thinking.

Personally I don't give a shite about this company anymore. It's just a job, I don't worry about it. I come in do the job and go home. I encourage others to do the same and recommend any youngsters to look around for better prospects. I know whatever changes are negotiated, however the CWU cut the cake Royal Mail will ALWAYS get the biggest slice.

Good Luck with any Negotiations Martin, but I'll just resign myself to working Harder, possibly Longer, and with no REAL improvements to my T&Cs.

And as someone who has been described by others as “anti union”, and also as someone who is not (and never has been) a union member, I would also like to genuinely thank Martin for his contributions on the forum, which — even if I don’t agree with them — have been helpful and informative. So Martin, please do continue to contribute and constructively debate with us on here.

[tramssirhc]

Let's be honest if Martin is in here then it's a nailed on fact that we're about to get s**t on once again. The exec elections turnout prove the CWU is a farce. However Martin tries to justify it the CWU are selling us out.

[Valentina@1]

Let's be honest if Martin is in here then it's a nailed on fact that we're about to get s**t on once again. The exec elections turnout prove the CWU is a farce. However Martin tries to justify it the CWU are selling us out.

[Martin Walsh]

The last NEC elections were before the dispute and the unpopular agreement and do you know the turn out ? 12% so national elections have always been a low turnout.

[fb1969]

Flight path to newbies getting the same pay as older contracts. Is that like the flight path to 35 hours that crashed and burned at 37 hours!!

[Martin Walsh]

We have an ambition to get to 35 hours but we only ever agreed to the principle.

The reduction of each hour was linked to further change initiatives.

Royal Mail believed that 34.40 minutes actually work time plus paid meal reliefs was too low hence why they imposed new entrants full time at 40 hours without paid meal reliefs.

Again it is based on what is more of a priority pay or a shorter working week depending on how much of an hour Is absorbed within a duty every hour off the working can cost 70 to 100 million.

Plus what change are we prepared to accept for the reduction.

[Sean06]

Let's be honest if Martin is in here then it's a nailed on fact that we're about to get s**t on once again. The exec elections turnout prove the CWU is a farce. However Martin tries to justify it the CWU are selling us out.

Or you a member of cwu or the other fanactics who will get us f all..make your mind up.

[tramssirhc]

The last NEC elections were before the dispute and the unpopular agreement and do you know the turn out ? 12% so national elections have always been a low turnout.

And whose fault is that Martin. The union has no interest in the mass enfranchisement of the rank and file. You're absolutely right that the executive is a niche environment. So is every function of the CWU. All guarded by people more interested in their individual circumstances than the cause of the working class.