The end of the postal service?

[DiscoStu]

Fe**ing unions, no real use to anyone. Companies know this and this is why unions now specialise in the public sector.

What would all the simpletons with regional accents do if they stopped running trade unions though?

[Platypus]

What would all the simpletons with regional accents do if they stopped running trade unions though?

Watch Jeremy Kyle, like the other simpletons.

[Spacecadet]

Watch Jeremy Kyle, like the other simpletons.

Or actually go on Jeremy Kyle

My ex-postal worker husband is now a sex starved maniac depressive

[Platypus]

My ex-postal worker husband is now a sex starved maniac depressive

I'm sorry to hear that Spacecadet

[Spacecadet]

I'm sorry to hear that Spacecadet

Thats not the worst thing

The worst thing has to be the lack of income from all those birthdays cards we used to get.... everyday

[Tarquin Farquhar]

This is surely suicide for the postal service?

Do any of those voting for industrial action really think that a strike will give them improved pay and conditions, as opposed to losing them their job?

I said that, more or less, to the postie. It's more complicated than that, he said. Really? I said, tell me more.

So he did. It is more complicated than that.

Essentially it is about how Royal Mail manages its staff and how it implements the modernisations that are required. The union BTW is not against modernisation, it is resoundingly in favour but wants to see it conceived in a more stable and long-term form, and implemented in a more collaborative way, so that Royal Mail does have a sensible future.

In the first round of negotiations, both the company and the union were pig-headed and confrontational. The union has now reconsidered and wants to plan and negotiate rationally, but they plausibly suggest that the company hasn't moved.

It is more than pay and conditions. Many postal workers are committed to a long-term future for the Royal Mail as a special public service - but if it becomes nothing more than one competitive delivery service among many, don't care much about it, whether they have a job in it or not.

[Clippy]

I said that, more or less, to the postie. It's more complicated than that, he said. Really? I said, tell me more.

So he did. It is more complicated than that.

Essentially it is about how Royal Mail manages its staff and how it implements the modernisations that are required. The union BTW is not against modernisation, it is resoundingly in favour but wants to see it conceived in a more stable and long-term form, and implemented in a more collaborative way, so that Royal Mail does have a sensible future.

In the first round of negotiations, both the company and the union were pig-headed and confrontational. The union has now reconsidered and wants to plan and negotiate rationally, but they plausibly suggest that the company hasn't moved.

It is more than pay and conditions. Many postal workers are committed to a long-term future for the Royal Mail as a special public service - but if it becomes nothing more than one competitive delivery service among many, don't care much about it, whether they have a job in it or not.

I find it hard to believe that the union has Royal Mails interests at heart over those of its members.

[Geronimo75]

Cutting off their noses...

Agreed, it's incredibly short-sighted. The world has moved on and unless they learn to compete and use technology, they're toast. Some of the European players are really starting to get their act together and be competitive with the private sector.

[Platypus]

Breaking News

They vote to strike

[MrMark]

The unions and employees know that redundancies have to be made.

I may be the only one advocating this, but we should put up the cost of postage and employ MORE postal workers (perhaps even bring back the second delivery). Far better in my perspective than decreasing still further the number of jobs out there for unskilled workers. I can't see that artificially improving "efficiency" in postal delivery really helps our economy when you put folk on the dole.*

* I realise it may be against a EU directive to protect industries in this way. Ironic really that the Eurosceptic Tory party are always banging on about shedding unprotective labour, and the pro-Europe Labour lot (well that creep Mandelson) are keen on cutting these jobs