hurray

[The People's Hero]

My dad who's just retired was on 14 grand a year not 19.

Yes he did finish early sometimes 2 hours early but he also (like lots of other postman) went in way before his start time so he could finish early. Others use cars to finish early, others run round, my dad aalso said in 20 years he's neer seen one postman take his 45 minute meal relief.

And is it easy work...not really getting up in the middle of the night, having to sort the mail for hours then preparing your 4 hour delivery, then add a sack full of packets then recorded and special deliveries, then out in all weathers - all this without a sit down.

Don't believe everything you read.

Don't worry - I don't.

Case in point being the above.

[Manwell Pablo]

some sense at last

Well someones clearly talking shit, as he says 14, the blogger says 16 and me and Mr Maybury have both heard 19!

[The People's Hero]

Whatever they get paid - they'd have known both the pay and the conditions when they take the job.

Then they strike every 5 minutes.

Tossers the lot of them.

I've got no time for them at all.

Like I said, they should consider themselves lucky to have those jobs, loads of people would love those jobs.

[purpleronnie]

Don't worry - I don't.

Case in point being the above.

You don't believe my dad was a postman?? .. Why would I lie about it..

He also told me he only earnt that amount due to an extra 40 quid a week for door to door leaflets they take out. I'm not saying its a bad job it isn't but some of the lies coming from the press are a joke.

I actually did casuel work at the post office when I was at university, I can tell you I liked it a lot. The chance to earn a good wage is definately there but only if you do overtime. Its not something I would have wanted to do for the rest of my life though, most posties I knew didn't really have a social life..

I actually agree with both sides, but this talk about them earning 19k a year is rubbish unless they work plenty of overtime...thats all.

Feel free to ask any questions, I practically know everything about the job, I worked on and off for 3 years and my dad worked full time for 27.

[The People's Hero]

You don't believe my dad was a postman?? .. Why would I lie about it..

He also told me he only earnt that amount due to an extra 40 quid a week for door to door leaflets they take out. I'm not saying its a bad job it isn't but some of the lies coming from the press are a joke.

I actually did casuel work at the post office when I was at university, I can tell you I like it a lot. The chance to earn a good wage is definately there but only if you do overtime.

I actually agree with both sides, but this talk about them earning 19k a year is rubbish unless they work plenty of overtime...thats all.

Feel free to ask any questions, I practically know everything about the job, I worked on and off for 3 years and my dad worked full time for 27.

Of course I believe your Dad was a postman.

But you started preaching at me and then told me not to believe everything I read.

Besides, I'm not an idiot. I can look at the information available and make my own judgements.

[purpleronnie]

Sorry mate don't mean to preach. Its just I get pissed off when the lies are taken as gospel.

[The People's Hero]

Sorry mate don't mean to preach. Its just I get pissed off when the lies are taken as gospel.

I really don't know what to believe anymore, there is so much contradictory information out there.

No problem with what you said mate... and if your Dad was being paid the amount you say and was turning up early etc... then fair enough.

[purpleronnie]

Yes I can understand that. I don't want to make all postman to be martyrs but its not as well paid and easy as most people think.

I guess like most jobs there are worse ones and better ones.

Unfortunately for the actions of the postmen effect everyone, thats why I think theres a lot of ill feeling.

[The People's Hero]

The problem with stuff like this is that even where there is a genuine original greivance, once they get what they want by striking once, it sets a dangerous precedent and those with a bit of clout get greedy.

[Kent Fox]

Yes I can understand that. I don't want to make all postman to be martyrs but its not as well paid and easy as most people think.

I guess like most jobs there are worse ones and better ones.

Unfortunately for the actions of the postmen effect everyone, thats why I think theres a lot of ill feeling.

Good post.

Some of the older posters on here will remember the big strikes of the 70's. No gas. No electricity. No coal. And in winter.

Now that was a laugh..

The problem with stuff like this is that even where there is a genuine original greivance, once they get what they want by striking once, it sets a dangerous precedent and those with a bit of clout get greedy.

That's the wonderful world of unions summed up.

And if I may steal your spelling...

..Wanqas.

[Guest]

Again, 19 grand maybe in london but thats far away from the average most posties work overtime to pay the bills.

But isn't the argument over wages the fact that they are paid less than the average wage, which is around £22-24k pa (not sure of the exact figure)? That makes the expectations of the Union look even more ridiculous if the average salary of a postie is £14k.

My main beef is that the Royal Mail needs bringing into the 21st Century, and there are a lot who don't like it because they have been using their working conditions to their advantage (when I was a kid, our morning postman used to do the same round in the afternoon as a window cleaner, and set himself up a very nice little business. I believe he is retired now and living a more than comfortable life on his final salary pension, and the proceeds of selling a very profitable and successful window cleaning business). Some of these guys ought to try working in the private sector.

[mancunianfox]

My main beef is that the Royal Mail needs bringing into the 21st Century

The post office badly needs to modernise. Its on its knees already and needs to adapt in order to compete with its competitors. At the end of 2005 Royal Mail controlled 99% of the market but since the market was liberalised at the start if 2006 they are gradually losing control, especially among business customers who are migrating to other providers like TNT post and UK mail. Even when they owned the whole of the market a few years ago they were still losing nearly a million per day even though the market is work £6billion a year!

Royal Mail has also failed to react to change in the type of post it handles due to the internet e.g more parcels and less letters.

Personally speaking the Royal Mail have already lost three parcels sent to me this year, and have a frequent habit of not leaving cards to tell you that they have attempted delivary of an item. It also has a big crime problem within the organisation fuelled largely by its expensive reliance upon tempory workers to work in its sorting offices.

The fact is that postal workers are going to have to accept that changes need to be made in order to ensure that the company can survive and become profitable. Should the company become more successful I think they would be perfectly entitled to demand higher wages. Right now though they are asking for increased wages from a company thats posting losses of hundreds of millions per year whilst at the same time failing to provide anywere near an acceptable service for its customers.

[The People's Hero]

The post office badly needs to modernise. Its on its knees already and needs to adapt in order to compete with its competitors. At the end of 2005 Royal Mail controlled 99% of the market but since the market was liberalised at the start if 2006 they are gradually losing control, especially among business customers who are migrating to other providers like TNT post and UK mail. Even when they owned the whole of the market a few years ago they were still losing nearly a million per day even though the market is work £6billion a year!

Royal Mail has also failed to react to change in the type of post it handles due to the internet e.g more parcels and less letters.

Personally speaking the Royal Mail have already lost three parcels sent to me this year, and have a frequent habit of not leaving cards to tell you that they have attempted delivary of an item. It also has a big crime problem within the organisation fuelled largely by its expensive reliance upon tempory workers to work in its sorting offices.

The fact is that postal workers are going to have to accept that changes need to be made in order to ensure that the company can survive and become profitable. Should the company become more successful I think they would be perfectly entitled to demand higher wages. Right now though they are asking for increased wages from a company thats posting losses of hundreds of millions per year whilst at the same time failing to provide anywere near an acceptable service for its customers.

IMO Royal Mail's days are numbered.

Criminal really given their massive advantages.

These workers really could speed the organisation's descent to it's knees.

[Manwell Pablo]

IMO Royal Mail's days are numbered.

Criminal really given their massive advantages.

These workers really could speed the organisation's descent to it's knees.

If it wasn't for eBay Royal Mail would of been ****ed a long time ago.

[andyh1884]

But isn't the argument over wages the fact that they are paid less than the average wage, which is around £22-24k pa (not sure of the exact figure)? That makes the expectations of the Union look even more ridiculous if the average salary of a postie is £14k.

My main beef is that the Royal Mail needs bringing into the 21st Century, and there are a lot who don't like it because they have been using their working conditions to their advantage (when I was a kid, our morning postman used to do the same round in the afternoon as a window cleaner, and set himself up a very nice little business. I believe he is retired now and living a more than comfortable life on his final salary pension, and the proceeds of selling a very profitable and successful window cleaning business). Some of these guys ought to try working in the private sector.

That's the problem when you privatise things, they've been run so badly for years with the government's seemingly bottomless pit funding their lazy, work-shy 'workforce'. Now the Royal Mail's got to stand on it's own four hoofs & actually compete with other businesses, they're finding they've got a fair amount of dead wood & shocking procedures that've gone unnoticed for years but the millitant bastards have got used to their cushy lives & will throw their toys out the pram at the first sign of change, cos as we all know - change is not good.

Isn't part of the deal on offer a 6% pay-rise over 2 years? Seems fair to me, it's the most I can reasonably expect & I also work in the private sector. Maybe I should strike.

In recent times the greedy demands of unions/workers have closed MG Rover & the Ryton plant of Peugeot. These people then moan that they can't get new jobs on similar money to what they were on before.

[Daggers]

Your basic starting pay depends on your age when you join us. Below you'll find a guide as to how much you can expect to earn in your role. All the pay details shown below are based on a 40 hour week and for part-time positions, this amount will be pro-rata.

Length of service Pay

£194.95

£227.44

First 6 months £292.43

Next 6 months £308.67

£324.92

Recruitment Day Salary Information

As we generally offer both full time and part time roles at our Recruitment Days the pay details shown as a guide above are based on full time hours. If you are considering a part time role, you'll need to adjust the guide pay details. For example, if the full time weekly pay shown is £246 and you work 20 hours per week, your basic weekly pay will be around £123 per week

Holiday Entitlement

Your holiday entitlement starts from four and a half week's paid holiday each year, on top of the eight Bank Holidays.

Our employees can join the Royal Mail Pension Scheme. Alternatively, employees can join our retirement savings plan that provides a pension based on the value of the contributions paid by the employee and Royal Mail Group.

Source: The Post Office

So, for a Postie with a year's experience they would be on £16,895.84 flat basic. Considering that the opportunity for Postie to rack up overtime abounds - gives the £19k figure

Whatever - it still doesn't explain away that the incompetent fucker that delivers to us managed to produce one letter today. One.

And it wasn't even posted to the right fucking house.

[andyh1884]

IMO Royal Mail's days are numbered.

Criminal really given their massive advantages.

These workers really could speed the organisation's descent to it's knees.

Until someone else sets up a delivery service on the scale Royal Mail does, we're stuck with them. Only Royal Mail delivers 1st class mail, People like TNT don't have the infrastructure to deliver so they make the collection sort it and give it to Royal Mail, which means they can only offer a second class service.

Couriers can deliver next day but you pay coniderably more than Royal Mail for the priviledge.

There are some companies setting up who are doing business post to certain areas of major cities, their operations are similar to Royal Mail's 1st class but on a much much smaller scale, to do it on a national scale would require huge investment.

[The People's Hero]

This is my problem with postmen.

Where I live, there are postboxes outside as it's a block of flats.

Does my postman put them in these boxes sorted for each flat? Does he fu ck.

He puts them on top of the post box (no elastic band often) and unsorted so anyone can take your mail, it could blow away whatever.

I've complained to the post office who (get this) claim it's not their procedure and therefore it doesn't happen.

At work here, our post ALWAYS gets delivered next door. It's become a running joke, but when you think about it seriously, it really isn't funny. We've even said to the postman about it.

They just don't care. It's all about how quickly they can get rid of the post and get home, having done 2/3 hours work and been paid for many more.

[Manwell Pablo]

This is my problem with postmen.

Where I live, there are postboxes outside as it's a block of flats.

Does my postman put them in these boxes sorted for each flat? Does he fu ck.

He puts them on top of the post box (no elastic band often) and unsorted so anyone can take your mail, it could blow away whatever.

I've complained to the post office who (get this) claim it's not their procedure and therefore it doesn't happen.

At work here, our post ALWAYS gets delivered next door. It's become a running joke, but when you think about it seriously, it really isn't funny. We've even said to the postman about it.

They just don't care. It's all about how quickly they can get rid of the post and get home, having done 2/3 hours work and been paid for many more.

The Postie here was quite good, quite a nice bloke as well.

Then his wife kicked the bucket about a month ago (god rest her soul) and he's been missing ever since, the people they've bought in to replace him are absloutley useless.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Chelsea tickets dispatched by the club yesterday afternoon, arrived this morning.

Royal Mail - keep it up, you're doing a fine job.

Personally I wouldn't slag them off, it's people in mundane office jobs like mine who have it easy, not postmen. Supposedly "unskilled" workers deserve more than what I get for some of the jobs they have to do. I'd never be able to do some of those jobs and I appreciate the work that people put in.

[Daggers]

Personally I wouldn't slag them off, it's people in mundane office jobs like mine who have it easy, not postmen. Supposedly "unskilled" workers deserve more than what I get for some of the jobs they have to do. I'd never be able to do some of those jobs and I appreciate the work that people put in.

You're lovely.

There is a woman somewhere praying for you to marry her daughter...

[mancunianfox]

If it wasn't for eBay Royal Mail would of been ****ed a long time ago.

Yes, but Royal Mail can't cope with ebay because they attempt delivary when nobody is there. Royal Mail's rounds were fine in the days of the housewife or when post was mainly letters that could just be shoved into the letterbox. Now with large parcels being delivered to homes in the late morning (when nobodyis home) Royal Mails service looks painfully out of date.

Not only that but the tracking services offered to customers by couriers like DHL make Royal Mail look painfully out of date and give the customer peace of mind that royal mail just don't offer. When I buy from the US I can track my post all the way across the country as it is scanned at every point until it gets unloaded from the plane. If US Post can offer that handling as many items as they do I don't see why Royal Mail can't.

[The People's Hero]

Chelsea tickets dispatched by the club yesterday afternoon, arrived this morning.

Royal Mail - keep it up, you're doing a fine job.

Personally I wouldn't slag them off, it's people in mundane office jobs like mine who have it easy, not postmen. Supposedly "unskilled" workers deserve more than what I get for some of the jobs they have to do. I'd never be able to do some of those jobs and I appreciate the work that people put in.

So you couldn't stuff a load of letters through the wrong letter box and then knock off hours early?

[Ric Flair]

Ordered 3 things off the net last week. Not one of them has turned up yet. Anyone else having this problem?

[The People's Hero]

Ordered 3 things off the net last week. Not one of them has turned up yet. Anyone else having this problem?

Anything sent during the strike will be stockpiled until they get 'time' to do it.

I wonder why they haven't had 'time' to do it.

EDIT to say: I've answered the same questions this morning from people who have sent payment for insurance policies which have now been cancelled. FSA regulations say we can't fund premiums. Thanks to the royal mail, these people are now without insurance cover.

Might not be a big thing to you or I but I bet there are so many stories of similar disruption and it's hard to see how the postal workers believe they will gain any public sympathy or support.

I'm waiting for duplicate copies of my own motor insurance document since moving home and also a mobile phone bill, which I need in order to expense it... if I don't get either by the deadline, royal mail will be getting a very strongly worded letter, which I imagine they'll take 5 days to process, then have 3 days strike and then deliver it to completely the wrong place, eventually returning it to me with a charge for insufficient postage because their admin people are idiots.