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Couldn’t make it up.

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12061
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
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Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by SpacePhoenix »

TopperGas wrote:
09 Jul 2026, 18:18
funkflex55 wrote:
08 Jul 2026, 23:00
Based on recent summers these heat waves have become part of the new normal they promised us during COVID. Along with disgraceful fuel prices, hyper food inflation, ever more absurd politics etc.

Anyway, that makes the problem hard to address from all sides. Only earlier starting would be a fix but that's not realistic. So what else can be done? I cannot think of much.
Earlier starts may have to become the norm in summer, as trying to deliver mail in the heat of the afternoon sum is madness. I doubt they do it in Spain or the South of France?
Would you have enough indoor work on hand to make earlier starts work? The dispatch times from MC won't get any earlier.
citypostie
Posts: 893
Joined: 08 Apr 2009, 19:42
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by citypostie »

You know what royal mail are like they will suggest a split shift , finish first half of delivery about 12 then start the second half about 5pm as it starts to cool down. With the added bonus any lat parcels for the 2nd half of the delivery can be done as well
tramssirhc
Posts: 1689
Joined: 04 Sep 2012, 20:19
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by tramssirhc »

It is not true that there is nothing that can be done. Workloads could be reduced allowing more time to take more breaks and to complete deliveries. No one is going to say no to smaller walks.
Last edited by tramssirhc on 10 Jul 2026, 21:01, edited 1 time in total.
"The leadership will sabotage the fight and only make the slightest move under fear of powerful working class action" - Des Warren
Whippy
Posts: 36
Joined: 23 Mar 2024, 06:34
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by Whippy »

citypostie wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 00:56
You know what royal mail are like they will suggest a split shift , finish first half of delivery about 12 then start the second half about 5pm as it starts to cool down. With the added bonus any lat parcels for the 2nd half of the delivery can be done as well
Absolutely no way would anyone want to work like this!
TopperGas
Posts: 3333
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by TopperGas »

tramssirhc wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 15:37
It is not true that there is nothing that can be done. Workloads could be reduced allowing more time to take more breaks and to complete deliveries. No one has going to say no to smaller walks.
Not sure RM are forcing staff to stay out until all the post is delivered, so they are effectively allowing smaller walks.

Although how can RM shorten walks just for the summer anyway.

If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts, as I assume they must do in Spain etc?
Mr Rush
Posts: 3135
Joined: 05 Aug 2011, 14:27
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by Mr Rush »

TopperGas wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 20:40
If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts
'But there'd be no work in the unit', they'll cry. At the moment we could do what we've done in previous Decembers and head right back out the door at 0830 with the failed work from the previous day ('twas like Saturdays of old). It's July but many offices look a lot like December at the moment, so that's eminently possible.

I'm completely ignoring the issue of the incoming Tracked, of course. The attachment to LTB 190/26 has a table of postcodes in which T48 is effectively T72. Make that national. Swap the indoor and outdoor functions around. Is that so different from doing IPS after coming back from the first delivery?
The machine stops.
citypostie
Posts: 893
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Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by citypostie »

Whippy wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 19:08
citypostie wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 00:56
You know what royal mail are like they will suggest a split shift , finish first half of delivery about 12 then start the second half about 5pm as it starts to cool down. With the added bonus any lat parcels for the 2nd half of the delivery can be done as well
Absolutely no way would anyone want to work like this!
Nobody wanted to van share or wants to do dm26 but it didn't stop them doing either! I'm sure it's how they work in Spain , a nice siesta during the hottest part of the day.
tramssirhc
Posts: 1689
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Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by tramssirhc »

Mr Rush wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 22:38
TopperGas wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 20:40
If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts
'But there'd be no work in the unit', they'll cry. At the moment we could do what we've done in previous Decembers and head right back out the door at 0830 with the failed work from the previous day ('twas like Saturdays of old). It's July but many offices look a lot like December at the moment, so that's eminently possible.

I'm completely ignoring the issue of the incoming Tracked, of course. The attachment to LTB 190/26 has a table of postcodes in which T48 is effectively T72. Make that national. Swap the indoor and outdoor functions around. Is that so different from doing IPS after coming back from the first delivery?
This requires a workers first mentality. The CWU has a work first mentality.
"The leadership will sabotage the fight and only make the slightest move under fear of powerful working class action" - Des Warren
tramssirhc
Posts: 1689
Joined: 04 Sep 2012, 20:19
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by tramssirhc »

TopperGas wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 20:40
tramssirhc wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 15:37
It is not true that there is nothing that can be done. Workloads could be reduced allowing more time to take more breaks and to complete deliveries. No one has going to say no to smaller walks.
Not sure RM are forcing staff to stay out until all the post is delivered, so they are effectively allowing smaller walks.

Although how can RM shorten walks just for the summer anyway.

If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts, as I assume they must do in Spain etc?
This is a work first mentality. Pure CWUism.
"The leadership will sabotage the fight and only make the slightest move under fear of powerful working class action" - Des Warren
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12061
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by SpacePhoenix »

Mr Rush wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 22:38
TopperGas wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 20:40
If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts
'But there'd be no work in the unit', they'll cry. At the moment we could do what we've done in previous Decembers and head right back out the door at 0830 with the failed work from the previous day ('twas like Saturdays of old). It's July but many offices look a lot like December at the moment, so that's eminently possible.

I'm completely ignoring the issue of the incoming Tracked, of course. The attachment to LTB 190/26 has a table of postcodes in which T48 is effectively T72. Make that national. Swap the indoor and outdoor functions around. Is that so different from doing IPS after coming back from the first delivery?
Looking at that list, it's basically the Scottish Islands. There's no way that RM will ever extend it to the rest of the UK.
Pfrizzy10
Posts: 127
Joined: 07 Aug 2022, 21:00
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by Pfrizzy10 »

TopperGas wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 20:40
tramssirhc wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 15:37
It is not true that there is nothing that can be done. Workloads could be reduced allowing more time to take more breaks and to complete deliveries. No one has going to say no to smaller walks.
Not sure RM are forcing staff to stay out until all the post is delivered, so they are effectively allowing smaller walks.

Although how can RM shorten walks just for the summer anyway.

If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts, as I assume they must do in Spain etc?

Have a bit of sense. They can’t force you to stay out/work a minute past your time.
TopperGas
Posts: 3333
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by TopperGas »

Pfrizzy10 wrote:
11 Jul 2026, 10:28
TopperGas wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 20:40
tramssirhc wrote:
10 Jul 2026, 15:37
It is not true that there is nothing that can be done. Workloads could be reduced allowing more time to take more breaks and to complete deliveries. No one has going to say no to smaller walks.
Not sure RM are forcing staff to stay out until all the post is delivered, so they are effectively allowing smaller walks.

Although how can RM shorten walks just for the summer anyway.

If summers continue like this, or even get worse, RM are going to have to allow earlier starts, as I assume they must do in Spain etc?

Have a bit of sense. They can’t force you to stay out/work a minute past your time.
That's the issue, finishing at 3pm/4pm is far too late when temperatures are hitting 30c+ and according to the weather "experts" summer temperatures are only going to increase.
claretandblue
Posts: 900
Joined: 01 Aug 2007, 12:14

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by claretandblue »

It's not beyond the whit of man, you work one day behind, back to 5 o'clock starts, out for 7, back for 1130, sort and prep for tomorrow.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12061
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by SpacePhoenix »

claretandblue wrote:
11 Jul 2026, 19:11
It's not beyond the whit of man, you work one day behind, back to 5 o'clock starts, out for 7, back for 1130, sort and prep for tomorrow.
Sadly that'll never happen as it would massively fail the 1C quality of service and also would fail all the specials, we send the specials out on the wave 2, which with your idea anything on wave 2 would automatically fail, including all the specials.
clashcityrocker
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Re: Couldn’t make it up.

Post by clashcityrocker »

SpacePhoenix wrote:
11 Jul 2026, 19:37

Sadly that'll never happen as it would massively fail the 1C quality of service and also would fail all the specials, we send the specials out on the wave 2, which with your idea anything on wave 2 would automatically fail, including all the specials.
Yes everything would fail (a it does when it snows or is windy or even if there is a traffic accident) but nobody would die.
The societies of consumption and squandering of material resources are incompatible with the idea of economic growth and a clean planet.