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Original poster

grrrr royal mail strike!

151 replies

twinsetandpearls · 30/07/2007 18:39

I went to the post office today to pick up some parcels and they have all been lost andthe guy behind the counter shrugged and said that because of the strike they were not sorting mail and that lots of it had gone missing. He then turned his back on me and carried on chatting to his colleagues. There was a queue and all of us were told that our parcels had done missing.

As a public sector worker who would never go on strike over pay and is seeing cuts that really hurt society I am shocked by their complete disdain for the general public.

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Whooosh · 31/07/2007 14:09

They had a "gathering" outside our local sorting office today with a "hoot if you support us" sign.
Twas quite quiet.
Other sign said 2.8% pay rise won't pay the bills-well I wish I had a 2.8% pay rise instead of nothing this year.....sorry but no sympathy here.

Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2007 14:12

I think sometimes striking is called for, at my school we threatened strike action but we did that knowing that we would not have to go that far. It was not about pay though but because we had concerns that local cutbacks would mean that our school would become unworkable. I don't what I would do if I actually had to go out on strike as I would hate to do anything that put children's education in jeapordy. These postal workers however were enjoying their strike and revelling in the problems it was causing.

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Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2007 14:15

I think we have got 2.5% and I know the unions are asking for more but I would not go on strike over pay. If I serioulsy thought that poor pay was preventing teachers from joining the profession and therefore affecting kids I may consider some form of action but it would be one that caused as little disruption to the kids as possible. But I don;t think that pay is an issue in teaching.

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JeremyVile · 31/07/2007 14:17

"These postal workers however were enjoying their strike and revelling in the problems it was causing."
I find that hard to believe, but if this person was an arsehole to you then its because they are an arsehole - it doesn't mean there aren't very valid reasons for the strike.

Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2007 14:21

It was more than one person it was the three of them in the office who managed to upset everyone in the queue and even managed to wind up dp when he went down today and he is a much calmer person than me.

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Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2007 14:22

They may think they have reasons for the strike and I accept that it is much more serious for teachers to strike tha postal workers - but people still rely on their service and strikes should not be entered into lightly.

But their behaviour was totally unnaceptable and I ahve taken it further,

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Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2007 14:25

And it is supposed to be a series of one day strikes when these workers were admitting to the fact they planned on doing nothing or as little as possible for the whole period.

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Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 31/07/2007 14:25

If I did that as a teache I would get sacked and rightly so.

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JeremyVile · 31/07/2007 14:26

Glad you have taken the issue of their attitude further.

southeastastra · 31/07/2007 15:21

they all don't want to strike you know!

mistypeaks · 31/07/2007 15:34

I think the staff at your post office are shocking and disgusting. But their attitude is nothing to do with the strike and the rest of the union's opinion. I am on strike with the rest of my colleagues. I don't always agree with industrial action, but in this instance I felt something had to be done. It is NOT just about pay, it is about pay, pensions, job security, the work we would be doing and making the postal service better for our customers in the long term. I, like 99% of my colleagues, do not want to hurt members of the public, but the big bigs, who quite frankly are treating us like dirt. Both my daughters birthdays were affected by the strikes (and yes I do feel really guilty).

JeremyVile · 31/07/2007 15:35

Well said Mistypeaks

peanutbear · 31/07/2007 15:37

we have had post thats 6 days late post missing post I have sent thats gone missing

Its about time we had another company to choose from bring on the competition I would never post another letter with royal amil

Peachy · 31/07/2007 16:37

I suspect most posties are decent people just worried about their jobs etc, truble is its one of those visible jobs where the occasional knobhead is very noticeable indeed.

There was a post last night on another site from someone worrying about their pension cheque as it ahsn't shown up for a few weeks, they do have provisions now for benefits etc (look on the Royal mail site for that) but as far as I can see, the strike IS handing work to the competitors! The TNT Posties apparently go on line next week. Surely the last thing to be doing when that happens is striking, the RM needs to be showing they can handle the competition? Especially from TNT< sice they are in effect the Dutch Post Office, so know exactly what they're about.

I completely understand the worries etc, just think that its probably not the wisest time to take strike action.

Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 01/08/2007 14:29

I think it will end up shooting themselves in the foot with strike action as people will just use other sevices.

In some ways I bet ebay has rescued royal mail as more and more people are sending parcels but if the service continues to be undreliable and things continue to go missing people will use an alternative service. In particular big businesses have not time for service being held up by strike action and will tale their much needed business elsewhere, having said that however my personal observations show me that many mail order companies left royal mail a long time ago. I know that royal mail has just lost a huge contract with amazon.

I am not saying this is a good thing as posters below have said.

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LowFatPumpkinJuice · 01/08/2007 14:45

Coming from a house where the changes proposed will have serious implications - such as me having to quit work, and we loose 50% of income because they are wanting to change my DH's hours which are oppoiste mine and my employer can't accomodate the difference I do support the strike.
It's not all just about pay you know! I am actually sick with worry about how we will cope if they change working hours for postal workers as I dont see how we can continue as we are and find money for the mortgage etc if I forced to quit work or pay childcare!

And it's hard enough financially to be in a strikers household as it is.

But DH has been slogging all week to deliver as much of his customers post as he can - which undermines the strike I know, but he is conciencious. Some lazy so ans so's in his office (about 30%) called in sick on Monday so they woul'd'nt have to deal with the backlog!

I do agree that the service received by Twinset was disgusting - the strike should be observed and then business as usual. The disruption has been caused, lets just carry on. There is no need for rudeness or enjoyment of anothers distress.

Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 01/08/2007 14:47

The impression the public has been given is that is about pay which is why I had so little symapthy. Teachers have also been offered a rise of 2.5% which is in real terms a pay cut but we are not out on strike and would be lambasted if we went on strike because of pay.

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Original poster
twinsetandpearls · 01/08/2007 14:49

I am sure that there are many conscientious posties and they will have to do more work to make up for a day of strike action so in the end they only end up loosing in their paypackets, loosing the support of big business and the public and having a very stressful day when they return to work to deal with the backlog.

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LowFatPumpkinJuice · 01/08/2007 14:54

It is about alot more than pay.

It's about 40,000 jobs going - to save money
About changing working hours from 5am-1pm to 6.15am-2.15pm - meaning later deliveries for customers and RM saving money on 'unsociable hours pay'
It's now also about closing the pension scheme and making them work till 65 regardless - to save money
And it's about pay

Peachy · 01/08/2007 17:15

It's probably no coincidence that most of Dh's colleagues (in that they work alongside, not together iyswim- DH's company owned by TNT until a few months back) are ex-Royal mail employees who had enough and jumped ship. This includes the main section manager. Can't says I blame them, from the last few posts!

Amazon was the contract i was referring to earlier, that's got to be a huge blow for RM.

LPJ, do you have a child under 5? If so, your DP could apply for flexible working (it'd have to be cheaper to say lose one or two hours a day than a whole eprsons income), ACAS has some good factsheets. Dh ahs a flexible working agreement (lined to shift start times / overtime, SN kids) and it is well worth a go with the situation they have placed you in.

southeastastra · 01/08/2007 17:20

my dp wasn't impressed when i suggested tnt to him. anyway he's looking to get out. he works from 8 until 9pm. it's taken alot out of him. he was on deliveries in london and managed to get himself a reoccuring back problem. it's sad that the company is completely going to pot. but i for one, wouldn't mind if he jumped ship. he's worth alot more than that.

Peachy · 01/08/2007 17:23

TNT are Ok, dh has been there almost 4 years- we've had minor apts (because dh is a complex case, gets called home when ds1 in severe meltdown etc) but would recommend them generally

southeastastra · 01/08/2007 17:28

i just wish he would find a job in a company that really appreciates how hard he does work. he's forever telling me about colleagues who just get away with murder. and because he's the sort that never takes time off for any reason he is just relied on too much. the managers aren't daft they know they have a good employee with him. but it makes me sooo

rbj949703 · 01/08/2007 17:30

I've mentioned tnt to my dh too (works for Royal Mail), he wasn't impressed with that suggestion either.

Peachy · 01/08/2007 17:47

probably because TNT are actively recruiting RM staff- IO suspect those who dnt go get annoyed with the left behind work

But it is there as an option nonetheless