Royal Mail Strike - Quick Question?

[MattyD]

'Fraid so. But it won't interfere with the Halo 3 launch, that's the main thing

48 hours a piece on the 5th and 6th then 8th and 9th October:

http://www.cwu.org.uk/news.asp?step=3&NID=1814

[Keith]

Ack, I've not been following this closely but I had thought things were looking up.

Sorry posties.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Oh no

[MattyD]

I'm not giving in to despair yet, though I might when I'm sat with the heating off during the day because I can't afford the gas after ending up £200 down

I'm hoping (and using my crossed fingers to touch everything wooden I can find) that the relatively long time between today's announcement and the scheduled action means it's been announced as a contingency in case the dialogue collapses again. If not I think this will be the last straw for a lot of people with kids and mortgages and all our sacrifices so far will have been for nothing.

[Jebus]

Hate to say I told you so, especially given the outcome but I knew this was coming.

Royal Mail have suddenly become very forceful and heavy handed.

I honestly don't know what will come of this, but striking will not change Royal Mail's resolve.

Yet again, between a rock and a hard place sit us poor ***** who just want to earn a decent living.

Matty, the point is that all the sacrifices WERE for nothing because Royal Mail will just push through anything and everything they want via executive action and the ONLY thing the Union can do is strike, which isn't changing Royal Mail's mind.

Royal Mail are run by a complete and utter set of ***** who couldn't give a toss about anyone but their own salaries and how they look to potential companies looking for new directors they can pay even more than they already earn.

The trouble is that the top bods of the union are equally as clueless as Crozier and Leighton.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Will the 4 days strike hurt Royal Mail enough to force them to compromise or change.

[stainboy]

What makes them choose the striking days? Why have the 7th as a gap between? Will there be nothing to do for anyone that day because none of it will have been sorted/delivered to offices? So really there'll be loads of work to do a few days after the 9th?

What do they people at the head of the union do? Do they work for RM or is the union their actual job?

[Jebus]

Not sure about the head of the union but the branch secretaries etc all officially have jobs but never do them...

...and no. It won't hurt them enough to compromise.

[MattyD]

I think the timing may have something to do with the later starts beginning on the 8th, but that's just me surmising away.

I think the Union top brass are being a tad optimistic when they say there'll be a rolling program of functional strikes each week after the 48 hour ones. We'll all be living on a day's pay that week FFS!

I know they can't be seen to be selling us out by agreeing to some of the ridiculous proposals laid out by Royal Mail in the talks (i.e. 'total flexibility', in other words working when and where it suits them) but at the same time, they got a good offer on pay and the majority of the other proposals such as later starts and changes to the pension scheme are just unavoidable changes that go with the times. I do kind of wish they'd taken whatever they could get and chalk it up as a result instead of being so pig-headed about a few issues that they really can't hope to change.

[Jebus]

Spot on Matty, absolutely spot on0

[Salsa Party Animal]

It make me wonder how close or far the negotation are going ?

Do you think we will get an agreement say by end of next month for example.

[goldenhawk]

according to my dad, who is a union rep, royal mail proposed an offer worse then they origanally offered.

1 step forwards, 2 steps backwards....

[Mad Gear]

Sounds about right
I had my line manager practically begging me to work my day off next week.
I already do most Sundays so i would like at least one day a week off. Lucky for me the next strike occurs on my long weekend off so i'll only lose one days pay those two weeks. I just hope there's not many more of these 48hr strikes otherwise crimbo will be cancelled. Also the week that we go back after the strikes will be a complete fikkin nightmare.

[DeathAdder]

Is much pressure put on workers who want to work (by their striking colleagues) to go on strike?

[JB@XL]

I think the timing may have something to do with the later starts beginning on the 8th, but that's just me surmising away.

I think the Union top brass are being a tad optimistic when they say there'll be a rolling program of functional strikes each week after the 48 hour ones. We'll all be living on a day's pay that week FFS!

I know they can't be seen to be selling us out by agreeing to some of the ridiculous proposals laid out by Royal Mail in the talks (i.e. 'total flexibility', in other words working when and where it suits them) but at the same time, they got a good offer on pay and the majority of the other proposals such as later starts and changes to the pension scheme are just unavoidable changes that go with the times. I do kind of wish they'd taken whatever they could get and chalk it up as a result instead of being so pig-headed about a few issues that they really can't hope to change.

Spot on Matty, absolutely spot on0

Do you get the impression from the rest of the workforce that they are now against strike action and if so has the union reps been made aware.

Dont know how your contract works but is an overtime ban(finish when you are meant too whether you have finished deliveries or not and no rest day working) not an alternative to striking.This means more if not all posties will be in the same position unlike now where it seems to depend on what days you are due to work.