starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 I just had to get this off my chest....... Why oh why do we have to have 6 days of strikes, this is going to be a complete nightmare for our business and not to mention I have been waiting for some more cream for my Shar pei (20 days into his 28 day treatment, now going to have to start again)......... And the call centre well thats just a sham to, I actually made a compaint via the website as the woman on the end of the phone was awful, why do they not know which offices and staff are striking???? Im just so annoyed at the whole thing and needed to vent it somewhere...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Surley there must be another way to resolve these matters, other than striking. They wont get the publics support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Why oh why do we have to have 6 days of strikes, this is going to be a complete nightmare for our business Ours too. I can guarantee that this strike will coincide with a bunch of customers wanting to post us cheques Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 Ours has Sarah...... Our invoice timing is always spot on with this kind of thing and most of our business clients still insist on paying by cheque...... Hope no-one wants a christmas pressy lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 It's my mum's birthday tomorrow and it means she won't get any birthday cards. My nan posted her birthday card last week so my mum wouldn't be without. Poor mum. (I'm taking her out to dinner so she won't be too miserable. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 Its a bit odd though, I was told (by the royal mail) that the strikes started 12pm today, but we havent had mail for 2 days now, which is strange as we still use our home address for business post and we always get something, even if its only junk mail....... So im not sure if some of the staff have started early, or if there are other disputes going on too??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 I do think the whole things is rubbish. Why try to put other people out of business to better your own life. I don't get it. I personally (that doesn't mean I'm right) am of the opinion that if you don't like it (job, relationship, restaurant, whatever) then get out and do something better. Don't drag every one else down. Sorry if others disagree it's just the way I feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 We are in a long running dispute with Royal Mail since the strikes started earlier in summer, we have been having just two deliveries a week - we are at the end of a rural round which is done after a town round. Since the strikes started, the staff have been working to rule and so they run out of time before getting to us and they go back to the depot We run two businesses from home and very rarely have a day without post. I'm having to monitor exactly which days we have post and report back to Customer Services - what it the point now of recording it? Thanks for the rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 I agree with you Lisa, I watched a video report on Sky news website, had some top Royal mail guy on it saying the wages are about £440 a week, which is around £20,000 give or take (I think) is the average wage which I dont think is unreasonable........Like you say, if you dont like it move on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basset Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 I don't understand how striking can benefit the postal workers. Surely, many businesses will take the opportunity to move to other private postal providers, and it will make their jobs even more insecure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 Lesley, thats terrible I feel bad for even mentioning it now....... Shame there isnt another company that can offer us everything the royal mail usually / used to offer.......They would take business of the royal mail within hours...... From the video report I listened to it sounds like the "management" are trying to make the company for competitive, which is a good thing, but the employees and the union seem unwilling to move on........This might not be the case obviously i have no idea what the "conditions" are like, but as an outsider, they dont seem that bad to me.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Are there any Posties on here to give a fair and balanced point of view? Our local Postie is really upset about having to strike. Royal mail are imposing Massive changes to their working practices AND also want to cut their pensions dramatically!! A strike is never the best way to sort out problems, but sometimes it is the only way to show management that the workforce is strong. I appreciate that many people run businesses from home, but this is their future after working for a company for decades. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 It would be nice to see an employees point of view, but its a good job all the private sector dont strike every 5 minutes or the whole country would come to a stand still everytime someone didnt like what the company was doing....... If the business needs to move on and have higher targets then the employees must support the business, if that means working for your money then so be it........ Thats how I have been brought up, you have to work for what you want, it doesnt get handed to you on a plate........ Right enough of my ranting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Are there any Posties on here to give a fair and balanced point of view? Our local Postie is really upset about having to strike. Royal mail are imposing Massive changes to their working practices AND also want to cut their pensions dramatically!! A strike is never the best way to sort out problems, but sometimes it is the only way to show management that the workforce is strong. I appreciate that many people run businesses from home, but this is their future after working for a company for decades. Just my opinion. I agree Christian - our postie is upset by it all as well. He recommended that i contact Customer Services as it is the only way the complaints filter down to where there is a problem . Our sorting office has a problem with one manager in particular. Using independant postal services doesn't make any difference - it is all delivered by Royal Mail anyway I didn't realise that until last week when our postman showed me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 So you work for a company for 29 years expecting say £13,000 a year pension and the company turn round and say, sorry its £7,000 a year now? Is that fair? Also from my limited understanding, if the posties finish early the pay is deducted (fair enough) but if they work longer hours they will receive no extra renumeration (big word for me)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Our sorting office has a problem with one manager in particular. Same here Lesley! It seems that the local manager calls the shots. We get our mail at 2pm each day at the earliest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share Posted October 4, 2007 I agree that if that is the case then maybe thats not fair, but on the other hand my last work pension was some kind of protected trust pension fund (not exactly sure of the name) which from what I understand the value cannot change, if these employees have not had a scheme like that then I dont see why they have an issue with the value changing (this maybe h"Ooops, word censored!" but its reality)........pensions as stocks and shares change...... In the meantime they are causing 1000's of businesses to suffer because of pay and or pensions......Its probably unfair on both parties, but as previously said they choose to work there, no-one makes them....... I have to consider my business and my employees a major infrastructure like the royal mail should not suffer these kinds of strikes....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 My eldest son worked as a postman for about 9months. Apart from the horrible early start and being out in all weathers he thought it was a pretty good job and very good pay for an 18year old. I can't remember if he got pay deducted if he finished early, he probably dawdled through his round to get full pay but I do remember at Christmas he had much longer hours and didn't get anything extra, although they did take on temp. staff. Of course he wasn't worried about a pension which is what the strike is all about this time. I have mixed feelings about workers striking, I lived through Ted Heath's 3 day week, with electricity being turned off every other day and for some reason a shortage of sugar and toilet rolls, but I feel it is important for workers to have some power and influence over the bosses although with all the strict employment laws these days, striking should really be a tool of last resort, the public don't like being held to ransom. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Our lovely regular postie at work is hacked off about it and managed to deliver our post most days during the last strikes, so we weren't affected too badly. I noticed tonight though that the post box opposite the office had a notice taped to it saying that it might not be emptied for a while and not to use it We're now faxing and emailing everything that we can as well as posting. Lesley - your situation is just pants - do the y have a watch-dog like off-post or something? There must be some minimum requirement that they're supposed to meet. If you check the CWU website you'll find all the latest details on there, although I have to say that it varies widely according to areas, how militant they're feeling, what day of the week it is (Fridays and Mondays are apparently very popular for strikes according to our postie) and the weather! Mel's OH is a postie, he's lovely too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 Our regular postie, a really nice guy , is upset about letting the customers down but feels they have no choice as they have only been offered a derisory 2.5% which in real terms amounts to a pay cut. They are also against the modernisation that the bosses want to impose, not because they are Luddites, but because it will cost in the region of 40,00 jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 I only heard about this today. We had loads of post today and yesterday. Mainly advertising from Toyota repeated. Our new posty delivers in the morning and not afternoon so was happy with the improvement. If they get £20k, I'm tempted to be a postie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 We've only just started monitoring the situation Clare - and now it is all messed up by the strike It took a while for it to dawn on us that we weren't getting post - along the lines of "have you seen any post today?"......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susiepoos Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Our regular postie, a really nice guy , is upset about letting the customers down but feels they have no choice as they have only been offered a derisory 2.5% which in real terms amounts to a pay cut. They are also against the modernisation that the bosses want to impose, not because they are Luddites, but because it will cost in the region of 40,00 jobs. Be a nurse - our wage rise which I believe turns out to be 1.9% because it was split - how come everything else goes up - food, taxes, petrol, yet my wage rise won't cover the increased cost so I'm no better off. My nephew works for an international bank in London - he's just past his accountancy exams so he's fully fledged now - he earns at 26, £45,000 plus London weighting £4,000 plus car allowance £5,000 - £54,000 i don't begrudge him a penny he's worked really hard through some very difficult family times and we are all very proud of him but to me it proves just one point - if you work in the money business you are held with more esteem than if you care for the sick and dying - it's just the way the world is today - very sad I know of nurses with degrees and one with a masters and they still cannot find permanent work within nursing - it's an absolute disgrace Everything today is about making money - even the NHS which is very sad - I'm all for an efficient service but no-one can convince me that all the changes in the NHS benefit the patient - they don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Well said Susiepoos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 And often the strikes are not just about money - people do get fed up with being ground down by companies who are only looking at the profit margins and being told that they have to constantly do more work, in less time, at higher quality and with less resources. I know that some workers have had a cushy ride for a while and belts do need to be tightened, but it has to stop somewhere. No wonder workers get cheesed off. Especially when you see the shareholders get good bonuses and the boses get a big pat on the back for delivering the bonuses. Sorry, I'll stop now, can feel a rant coming on! (I'm not saying I support strike action though - just that I can sympathise with how they are feeling. I agree that nurses put up with a lot more rubbish - we need to get more militant!! ) Stopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...