Effects of Privatisation on Employees

[crammypostie1]

having done some homework and asked this same question on another thread,it seems no-one knows..what COULD very well happen is; 1) new contract,sign it or bugger off..2)change of working hours..3)change to the working week..4)drastic cut in staff,frontline and management..5)seniority will be a dead duck,without question..6)more part time/casual transfer of staff from full time.7)quality nosedives..8)any problems with that,you know where the door is...many,many losers(not all though)..once stripped and handsome profits made it probably will be resold..then start again from 1..

Your number 5 comment has my vote, not trying to make an arguement, but its my thoughts

[OnAFlyer]

having done some homework and asked this same question on another thread,it seems no-one knows..what COULD very well happen is; 1) new contract,sign it or bugger off..2)change of working hours..3)change to the working week..4)drastic cut in staff,frontline and management..5)seniority will be a dead duck,without question..6)more part time/casual transfer of staff from full time.7)quality nosedives..8)any problems with that,you know where the door is...many,many losers(not all though)..once stripped and handsome profits made it probably will be resold..then start again from 1..

Your number 5 comment has my vote, not trying to make an arguement, but its my thoughts

I take it you haven't put a lot of years in then.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

1) new contract,sign it or bugger off

That's already happening though I agree it will become endemic within RM, and may even happen en-mass, perhaps provoking all out indefinite strike.

2)change of working hours..

Near enough guaranteed but again I think it will provoke a strike.

3)change to the working week..

Possible but not for a few years - although I could see a shorter working day but at 6 days rather than 5.

4)drastic cut in staff,frontline and management..

50,000 OPG grades within last 10 years and 8,000 Managers - but for manaagers that will be small potatoes compared to the s**t storm that's coming.

5)seniority will be a dead duck,without question..

Not sure about this as its operational level and the new board/business that takes over will tend to leave the nitty gritty to local management.

6)more part time/casual transfer of staff from full time.

Not immediately in my opinion, but certainly it will accelerate as time goes by.

7)quality nosedives..

.... well at least accelerating I think quality is worse than what they report.

8)any problems with that,you know where the door is..

We get that anyway - its an endemic attitude within management to the point of accepted normality in their ranks.

.many,many losers(not all though)..once stripped and handsome profits made it probably will be resold..then start again from 1..

Amen

[123456]

very interesting replies,it can only be a good thing that people are semi at least clued up to what may happen...right or wrong some of these debates will have to be faced..it makes me wonder how some people react to potential upheaval though,i have got to say i am shocked at most people in my mail centre who either dont know,understand or care about what could be a oncoming "shitstorm"..the union do certain amount of explaining,but even this doesnt cover the the basics..so who knows???? i just wonder if the frightners will be put on regarding the differences in certain takeovers..options are there,the government are still thinking!!!.will the cwu accept one form of privatisation over another??its my belief they will have to..

[crammypostie1]

Bring this bad boy in. I see managers are already stressed over knowing there jobs are going. Yeehaa

[123456]

anything up to 10 managers floating around on my early shift...whatever happens in the coming months that wont last long,also plenty of non job (special operation) managers looking slightly anxious..as said in an earlier thread,we the good old postmen have seen many friends leave or take E.V.R.now it looks like it could be a bit of "gaffer time" so to speak..never should it be laughed at because change can be painful for some.but i do know a good few people who will take great pleasure in seeing certain managers sweat!!! this time we are IN IT TOGETHER..

[UnhappyGremlin]

I've been discussing the possible effects of privatisation with some colleagues, and they are either stupid or blind to what may be coming.

When I said we may suffer pay freezes/pay cuts, loss of allowances, job cuts, increased workloads, worsening T&C's etc., they insisted there is no way any of it could happen. (Need a new smilie here - head in sand).
Personally, I think it will be a slower process than we maybe fear, but it is inevitable.
I suspect that is the real reason behind RM's refusal to discuss pay now, it has nothing to do with current issues, I think if/when privatised we will be told our pay is frozen indefinitely. This may also be the first tactic to see if we will strike to defend our current pay/T&C's etc.

[falkor]

How about this. RM offer good VR to everyone say £2000 for every year you have been employed as did BT when they were privatised, 75% of BT staff took the money.

RM would clear out most of the senior guys in one go destroying the union in one foul swoop, RM could then make any changes they wish without the threat of IA from
the union, Employ people on zero hour contracts Etc and do what they wish.
Cost them a bit to start off but would save them a fortune and loads of hassle in the long run.

[cyclemech1]

How about this. RM offer good VR to everyone say £2000 for every year you have been employed as did BT when they were privatised, 75% of BT staff took the money.

RM would clear out most of the senior guys in one go destroying the union in one foul swoop, RM could then make any changes they wish without the threat of IA from
the union, Employ people on zero hour contracts Etc and do what they wish.
Cost them a bit to start off but would save them a fortune and loads of hassle in the long run.

They could do it cheaper than that, simply offer everybody £2000 to change their contract to worse T&C and pay.

Most people are too short sighted to resist the money and the union are hamstrung as their members have accepted it.

I've been there when London Buses was privatized and this is what happened !

[borders]

I think that offer has shrunk to between £1500 and £1000 now !!!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I think that offer has shrunk to between £1500 and £1000 now !!!

To be pedantic its projected worth rather than an offer.

[fishtank]

I think that offer has shrunk to between £1500 and £1000 now !!!

I think the rumour is the whole pricing of the sell off is becoming a disaster because potential buyers can smell desperation in the air.
That's not a good place to be when you have promised the tax payer not to sell it off on the cheap.

The IPO route frightens the Government as well because they will probably have to underwrite the offer themselves and it could get embarrassing if a) The shares flop and they are forced to buy their own shares to prop up the price or b) The share price goes through the roof and it becomes obvious that the Government has undervalued the company and lost the country a couple of billion quid.

[tincatinca]

I think that offer has shrunk to between £1500 and £1000 now !!!

I think the rumour is the whole pricing of the sell off is becoming a disaster because potential buyers can smell desperation in the air.
That's not a good place to be when you have promised the tax payer not to sell it off on the cheap.

The IPO route frightens the Government as well because they will probably have to underwrite the offer themselves and it could get embarrassing if a) The shares flop and they are forced to buy their own shares to prop up the price or b) The share price goes through the roof and it becomes obvious that the Government has undervalued the company and lost the country a couple of billion quid.

I reckon your spot on there fishtank, option b) is far more likely. The first two things a privatised company will look at is the USO and RM's £5 billion per year wages bill. The lawyers will pick loopholes in the USO legislation to see where legal cuts to service can be made. Staff cuts reflecting these cuts in service together with savings made on the wages/pensions of those who remain should enable a 20% cut in the £5 billion per annum wage bill to be made. Within a year or two this alone will add at least a £billion to profits, valueing the company at least 4 times geater than it was sold for. This govenment won't care by then as they will have been moved on. This will be the time to sell any shares we have been given before these large profits draw in various cut throat competitors in a race to the bottom that will render all those who joined in the race worthless in a then shambolic postal industry.

[borders]

I think that offer has shrunk to between £1500 and £1000 now !!!

To be pedantic its projected worth rather than an offer.

ok, our 10% worth in the way of shares is getting smaller and smaller !!

[cyclemech1]

I think that offer has shrunk to between £1500 and £1000 now !!!

I wasn't referring to the shares offer that may be made but a sum that the company would offer to everyone to change the Terms and Conditions of their Contract of Employment.