Royal Mail's latest plan: Modernising our ways of working with the CWU, and involving Acas in our talks

[enskied]

He's a twat .
Look at the share price.

No money for uniforms, losing a million a day (lie) our CEO is an ineffectual twat

[Clappedoutpostie]

Where’s our extra 3.5% for this latest brainwave?

[posted]

Seems RM have played a blinder with this invitation to mediate

CWU have to respond
If they disagree then just optics alone make them look bad
If they agree, then in good faith they would like have to cancel strike next week and RM would agree to keep ballot live (like CMA ballot)

The timing of it… 7 days before next strike begins … 12 weeks before Xmas Week

If after 12 weeks since first strike, there’s no resolution, RM have nuclear option on table, dismissals with no claim to unlawful dismissal. They’ll likely just go for executive action and you put up or leave.

Think this time it maybe a case of who blinks first

[Clappedoutpostie]

Doubtful, they will just adapt to it like every other change. When I started I was home by 12 at the latest and 10.30 Saturday. It's got progressively later and now I'm lucky to finish by 4pm. Mostly you just get on with it. How many Sundays will you have to do?

Clearly the 95% quoted by the OP was over the top. However the fact remains that large amounts will and are already leaving, I know we have had changes to start times before but this is more significant chance than that. It’s actually 101 business suicide, I’m sure the board think they can just replace old hand with new starters but most of us have seen them come and go lasting on a month or so. How do they think they will fair when the cut the new starters money by even more, they will do just as well getting a minimum wage job as that’s poised to rise again.

[Martin Walsh]

It is not a serious move by the business , an employer who wants to resolve a dispute does not offer going to ACAS at the same time as serving notice on over 20 national agreements. It shows the company are rattled by the support for the strikes and are concerned about the action to be announced in the lead up to Christmas.

It also allows the CWU to continue to strike even if we decide to go to ACAS because Royal Mail are carrying on with executive action.

[theotherone]

It is not a serious move by the business , an employer who wants to resolve a dispute does not offer going to ACAS at the same time as serving notice on over 20 national agreements. It shows the company are rattled by the support for the strikes and are concerned about the action to be announced in the lead up to Christmas.

It also allows the CWU to continue to strike even if we decide to go to ACAS because Royal Mail are carrying on with executive action.

What does 'serving notice' actually mean? what is the legal stance?
From RM's point of view.They will see it as there is no dispute to be had anymore.They gave a 2% pay-rise and will carry on regardless.
My own view personally I do agree that they are rattled and it's huff and puff.But what are the implications on the company serving notice at this time?

[guardianangel]

Jf you don't speed you don't get your round done,the sickness levels are high because of the physicality of the job let alone dangers of slips,trips,falls and dangerous dogs,

[rambo1]

Bringing in later starts (3hrs later) and Sunday working in our office it was said today.

95% will be looking for a new job I'd say.

Doubtful, they will just adapt to it like every other change. When I started I was home by 12 at the latest and 10.30 Saturday. It's got progressively later and now I'm lucky to finish by 4pm. Mostly you just get on with it. How many Sundays will you have to do?

Sundays - depends how big office is
There was a list on here somewhere

If people gave Sunday working a chance they might actually like it. I find it a nice change, just driving around for a few hrs delivering pkts, getting an extra day off during the week when most others are at work. If you have kids it might be difficult I know, but we already work Saturday as it is, many jobs require Sunday working too. If you're still gonna get an extra £3 an hr too it's another bonus.

[Nickvilla20]

Bringing in later starts (3hrs later) and Sunday working in our office it was said today.

95% will be looking for a new job I'd say.

Doubtful, they will just adapt to it like every other change. When I started I was home by 12 at the latest and 10.30 Saturday. It's got progressively later and now I'm lucky to finish by 4pm. Mostly you just get on with it. How many Sundays will you have to do?

Sundays - depends how big office is
There was a list on here somewhere

If people gave Sunday working a chance they might actually like it. I find it a nice change, just driving around for a few hrs delivering pkts, getting an extra day off during the week when most others are at work. If you have kids it might be difficult I know, but we already work Saturday as it is, many jobs require Sunday working too. If you're still gonna get an extra £3 an hr too it's another bonus.

They want Sunday as a flat rate.

[POSTPERSON50]

Bringing in later starts (3hrs later) and Sunday working in our office it was said today.

95% will be looking for a new job I'd say.

Doubtful, they will just adapt to it like every other change. When I started I was home by 12 at the latest and 10.30 Saturday. It's got progressively later and now I'm lucky to finish by 4pm. Mostly you just get on with it. How many Sundays will you have to do?

Sundays - depends how big office is
There was a list on here somewhere

If people gave Sunday working a chance they might actually like it. I find it a nice change, just driving around for a few hrs delivering pkts, getting an extra day off during the week when most others are at work. If you have kids it might be difficult I know, but we already work Saturday as it is, many jobs require Sunday working too. If you're still gonna get an extra £3 an hr too it's another bonus.

They want Sunday as a flat rate.

Can you imagine? Winter. Sleet and snow. Delivering mail in the dark at 5pm on Sundays for a flat rate. What a grim prospect.

[Woody Guthrie]

It is not a serious move by the business , an employer who wants to resolve a dispute does not offer going to ACAS at the same time as serving notice on over 20 national agreements. It shows the company are rattled by the support for the strikes and are concerned about the action to be announced in the lead up to Christmas.

It also allows the CWU to continue to strike even if we decide to go to ACAS because Royal Mail are carrying on with executive action.

You're continuing to make the same mistake you guys have made from the start.
You think it's a normal dispute.
You think Simon is a normal CEO.
You think it will be resolved in the normal way.
You're playing with an out of date rule book.

Would a business who was rattled by the support for the strikes and concerned about the action to be announced in the lead up to Christmas basically make an arse of the union in a high profile meeting by serving notice on 20 national agreements? Nobody called that one and that's because our rule book doesn't apply anymore.

They're goading us Martin, you need to figure out why before we do exactly what they want.

[POSTPERSON50]

It is not a serious move by the business , an employer who wants to resolve a dispute does not offer going to ACAS at the same time as serving notice on over 20 national agreements. It shows the company are rattled by the support for the strikes and are concerned about the action to be announced in the lead up to Christmas.

It also allows the CWU to continue to strike even if we decide to go to ACAS because Royal Mail are carrying on with executive action.

You're continuing to make the same mistake you guys have made from the start.
You think it's a normal dispute.
You think Simon is a normal CEO.
You think it will be resolved in the normal way.
You're playing with an out of date rule book.

Would a business who was rattled by the support for the strikes and concerned about the action to be announced in the lead up to Christmas basically make an arse of the union in a high profile meeting by serving notice on 20 national agreements? Nobody called that one and that's because our rule book doesn't apply anymore.

They're goading us Martin, you need to figure out why before we do exactly what they want.

It's akin to a mafia boss blatantly whacking a capo from a rival family.
An inflammatory statement of power which attempts to spike an obvious reactionary response.
What usually follows is a series of mortal blows until an agreement is eventually reached and the bloodshed stops.
At that stage, the original aggressor has a trump card because the other side knows what he is capable of at any point, and lives in fear.

In Thompson's case, (and the whole board in general because I don't think for a second that they haven't fully backed his actions) this looks like he's put all his eggs in one basket by serving notice on the agreements. S*it or bust.

He'll obviously be fully expecting the CWU to announce a solid response early next week.

The CWU have to up the ante by making that immediate response bigger than ever before. A response to show this firm that we aren't prepared to live in fear.

[clashcityrocker]

They're goading us Martin, you need to figure out why before we do exactly what they want.

There appear to be conflicting opinions on this forum.
Firstly there are the "we are going to smash the company" brigade who believe that by upping the ante and striking through xmas we will tank the share price and the shareholders will be forced to remove Simon Thompson.
Secondly there are those who seem to believe Simon Thompson is deliberately tanking the share price in order for his mate Kretinsky to buy the business on the cheap.

It can't be both.
Listening to Ward and wee Davie it would appear the CWU don't have a clue what is going on. Why would they?
It was akin to watching someone from the 1970s trying to understand the internet.

Did the Business Secretary ever reply to Dave Ward's letter?

[BigSacks]

The company clearly feel they are in a no-lose situation.

Goad/force/provoke us into unorthodox/unofficial IA and they, bad PR or not will be able to severely hamstring the union with a variety of options including not letting us back to work until invited or ,worse case, a fire and re-hire.

Goad/ force/ provoke us and we do nothing then they can executive action their little balls off whilst pointing out their ACAS halo’s to the public and doing their best to strangle the life out of this dispute until after Xmas when all our bargaining tools disappear faster than you can say “gas bill”

The CWU better have a plan here.
And I don’t mean Terry sitting with a piece of A4.
They should be speaking to the brightest and best involved in major trade Union disputes in this country and consulting on a way forward.
I’d suggest when they shout about 150000 postal workers they consider just how much that amounts to per year in subs.
The war isn’t over but we need the best leadership this union has ever seen to get some blows landed. Quick.

[Acca Dacca]

The company clearly feel they are in a no-lose situation.

Goad/force/provoke us into unorthodox/unofficial IA and they, bad PR or not will be able to severely hamstring the union with a variety of options including not letting us back to work until invited or ,worse case, a fire and re-hire.

Goad/ force/ provoke us and we do nothing then they can executive action their little balls off whilst pointing out their ACAS halo’s to the public and doing their best to strangle the life out of this dispute until after Xmas when all our bargaining tools disappear faster than you can say “gas bill”

The CWU better have a plan here.
And I don’t mean Terry sitting with a piece of A4.
They should be speaking to the brightest and best involved in major trade Union disputes in this country and consulting on a way forward.
I’d suggest when they shout about 150000 postal workers they consider just how much that amounts to per year in subs.
The war isn’t over but we need the best leadership this union has ever seen to get some blows landed. Quick.

You have mentioned two scenarios whilst neglecting to mention the other option. That we continue to take official industrial action.