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

[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.

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

I'll take no lessons from a profile that accused the CWU of being an industrial collaborator.

[world class male]

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.

why the rush to a 35hr week?
all it does is we earn the same money every week bar a few pence and still do the same workload!
if you negotiated a decent overtime rate then fair enough
the way you want us is doing exactly the same workload on 39hrs but only paid 35hrs....work faster & harder!
hence our basic take home pay becomes less year after year when the cost of living rises even further

[ted_e_bear]

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.

why the rush to a 35hr week?
all it does is we earn the same money every week bar a few pence and still do the same workload!
if you negotiated a decent overtime rate then fair enough
the way you want us is doing exactly the same workload on 39hrs but only paid 35hrs....work faster & harder!
hence our basic take home pay becomes less year after year when the cost of living rises even further

Good point iirc the union quite understandably assumed that if the working week was reduced then royal mail would have to provide more jobs to make it possible to do the same amount of work......oh wait

[buchanpeter]

So Valetina a question for you !

We want an above inflation pay rise

We want to level up new entrants terms

We want to reduce the job losses from USO

We want to remove SSP from sick leave.

We want to increase VR terms.

All of the above has a price , yesterday the company announced that they lost 67 million and the national insurance rise is going to cost Royal Mail 120 million roughly the equivalent of 2% pay rise.

This is not some kind of football fantasy team , all the above are significant carry significant costs.

Even if we could get more than a years money for Voluntary redundancy why would a union do that ? As you have to balance rewarding individuals who want to leave with rewarding those who are staying.

At the end of the day there is only one pot of money and you therefore have to prioritise where you put it. Increasing VR to 12 months adds approximately another £7000 onto the VR terms for an individual.

Thanks for being on the forum and taking on questions.
For me the main negotiations would be a massive pay rise of 8-10% funded with the reduction of the USO.
USO is gonna change regardless might aswell get something back from it.
Since the USO is gonna change there's bound to be VR's getting offered.
See if royal mail will do a deal for those wanting to take VR and give out a bonus like the last time. (Think its added up to £21,000)
As for the £1.4bn pension surplus i asked about during the live session. Two suggestions would be either reducing the retirement age to 65.
Or see if its possible to spread that surplus to every members pension pots.
Could open the possibility for those to retire earlier. Especially if it connects to a special VR pay package aswell.

[kazardaimenu]

No compulsory redundancies shouldn’t be a problem. They’ll just ease up on recruitment after their latest drive. As for reducing the retirement age I don’t know what we’d gain from that if you can transfer your pension to a SIPP and access it from 57 currently.

[claretandblue]

No compulsory redundancies shouldn’t be a problem. They’ll just ease up on recruitment after their latest drive. As for reducing the retirement age I don’t know what we’d gain from that if you can transfer your pension to a SIPP and access it from 57 currently.

It would mean that you can retire earlier, with no reduction to your pension.

[kazardaimenu]

Ah I didn’t realise they reduce your pot if you move it sneaky f***ers.

[claretandblue]

Ah I didn’t realise they reduce your pot if you move it sneaky f***ers.

5% per year before 67.

[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.

I'll take no lessons from a profile that accused the CWU of being an industrial collaborator.

Can you show me that post

[RobertT]

As for the £1.4bn pension surplus i asked about during the live session. Two suggestions would be either reducing the retirement age to 65.
Or see if its possible to spread that surplus to every members pension pots.
Could open the possibility for those to retire earlier. Especially if it connects to a special VR pay package aswell.

It's the RMPP surplus and as far as I'm concerned should be used for the benefit of those members. They're the people who've helped to create it!

Ah I didn’t realise they reduce your pot if you move it sneaky f***ers.

5% per year before 67.

Don't get confused between drawing your pension and transferring it – they're two different things.

The RMCPP pension is reduced if taken before 67, although it isn't a set 5%. The amount of reduction will be decided by the scheme actuary based on how it's performing.

If you want to transfer it, it'll be valued as your share of the overall pot at the point of transfer.

[chickenwittle]

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.

why the rush to a 35hr week?
all it does is we earn the same money every week bar a few pence and still do the same workload!
if you negotiated a decent overtime rate then fair enough
the way you want us is doing exactly the same workload on 39hrs but only paid 35hrs....work faster & harder!
hence our basic take home pay becomes less year after year when the cost of living rises even further

This is such a bonkers opinion, would you rather do 39hrs or 35 hrs for the same pay , complete no brainer. If Royal Mail don’t want to adjust duties to cater for the change, that’s on them , who actually cares.

[2chorizon]

Of Com are going to reduce the USO next year there is going to be job losses.

The CWU can stand on the sidelines and watch or it can reduce the impact on jobs , made the walks achievable, improved attendances , Saturdays off, increase full time job , harmonise new entrants terms and conditions, get an above inflation pay rise , achieve a no compulsory redundancies agreement and improve VR terms.

Standing on the sidelines won’t stop the USO change it is happening across the world.

Martin, can you elaborate on "harmonise new entrants terms and conditions" please.

This sounds alot like reducing old contract benefits like paid meal relief / supplements etc than
"Levelling up"

We don't want to give up anything, they took the jobs knowing the deal.

If you manage to get them leveled up then fine, but don't come looking to trade away our paid breaks or allowances for it. That will be the end of the union membership as you know it.

[Acca Dacca]

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.

Martin, you have said that there will be no compulsory redundancies without a fight and anyone who wants to stay at Royal Mail will be able to but what about fire and rehire? After all that would still be keeping to the “you will have a job if you want one” but with emphasis on the “if you want one” i.e you will be offered new terms and if you don’t want them then adios

Will you treat this the same as a compulsory redundancy - well it’s really the same anyway - if they try to get legacy contracted staff onto the “new contract”?

I dont think Kretinsky is stupid enough not to realise the PR disaster making tens of thousands of posties compulsory redundant would be after taking over the 'British institution' but I think if they tried to get everyone on the same inferior contract that could be spun differently and nobody outside of here would bat an eyelid if we arent careful.

[Mr Rush]

I dont think Kretinsky is stupid enough not to realise the PR disaster making tens of thousands of posties compulsory redundant would be after taking over the 'British institution'

I'm sure he will cry into his Scrooge McDuck pool of gold coins should public opinion turn against him.

[TopperGas]

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.

Martin, you have said that there will be no compulsory redundancies without a fight and anyone who wants to stay at Royal Mail will be able to but what about fire and rehire? After all that would still be keeping to the “you will have a job if you want one” but with emphasis on the “if you want one” i.e you will be offered new terms and if you don’t want them then adios

Will you treat this the same as a compulsory redundancy - well it’s really the same anyway - if they try to get legacy contracted staff onto the “new contract”?

I dont think Kretinsky is stupid enough not to realise the PR disaster making tens of thousands of posties compulsory redundant would be after taking over the 'British institution' but I think if they tried to get everyone on the same inferior contract that could be spun differently and nobody outside of here would bat an eyelid if we arent careful.

Aren't the new Government supposed to be outlawing fire and rehire? Not sure any company has tried to do fire and rehire with so many employees anyway.