Oligarch I totally agree with you and most management teams would make sensible local decisions daily including on calls and in written communications.
Has no one heard anything from the CWU in last 24 hrs as DW/AF were meeting with the newly refreshed RMG team of 2 non exec BOD members on Friday and possibly today and Sunday. Deadline of Monday for the joint statement around 2 key issues EA and Conduct cases.
I know sometimes people are kept in the dark under confidentiality but surely a one liner to say talks have taken place or/and are ongoing would be okay. They did find time to put on a childish video about EastEnders and Ricky I think most members would prefer an adult update.
Oligarch yes, the country is suffering from a labour shortage and all businesses need to up their game to be more attractive to potential employees. RMG does seem to be quite good at getting agency in and perhaps if we were smarter in retaining the best of these and getting them onto full long-term contracts that would help. The business needs to look at this urgently and you could apply the same to elements of regular overtime these could be converted into some contracted employees. Both channels give the business elements of flexibility when reducing resources.
My understanding is the CWU want to reduce agency as DW said in his latest update, which is a disgrace IMO as many of these have now been with the business for a number of years and lots are CWU members (fact) to be actively advocating getting rid of these members is shocking surely, they should be representing them and pushing the business to make them substantive. Solidarity brothers/sisters and all that.
Oligarch I fully support whistleblowing and if anyone has proof, strategy documents etc they should supply it to relevant authorities. I don't think a handwritten flip chart or a home/office made poster would hold much weight. You know as well as me some of these have been on a board since the first IA. I am not being naive that the business has likely been happy for parcels to take precedent through covid/IA and have not been in a hurry to clarify.
I am sure nobody would be naughty enough to make up their own and send in? disgruntled ex-employees.
In fact, I might do one saying letters must always have priority even if you have 30 York's of parcels on the dock and your local big business needs the empties returned at 1100am each day.
At the end of the day, it will come out in the wash and facts and truth should always take precedence.
Cartooncharacter welcome to the board. Thanks for sharing. I am sure there will be some quite rightly annoyed if they have been following instructions and deploying what they have been asked to do. Hopefully, they gave their feedback if they were unhappy. I am sure most managers have been asked to make changes they personally don't agree with but unfortunately that can be part of the role.
I hope your investment here works out for you.
Oligarch I agree the BOD may here some more from the SC. I think if we were a government department rather than a listed company the SC would have more powers. They will focus on the USO issues and of course OFCOM will take the lead in that case.
There are many comments saying that changes are/have been going on this week and more planned for today/Monday. Maybe we will start to pick up more comments likes Brochs saying that revisions and some other changes are indeed stopping or being reversed to be redone. Whatever you think of the BOD they won't be stupid to put themselves at risk and other than the USO issues being a PLC they can make what other business decisions they deem appropriate. It will be the business that carries the can for any USO failures.
I expect we will get an update from both parties no later than Monday.
Broch that is good news, perhaps they will truly work together and be sensible about it all and still deliver savings as needed and recognised/confirmed by DW yesterday. It must be bad in your office if not clearing during the quietest period.
Time2Kill I hope it comes some time today. The business may wait until Monday's deadline as it looks like they are still rushing in as many changes as they can until then. Putting in worst case scenarios and then reducing some when an agreement is struck. Not sure that will sit well with Dave Wards statement that the CWU will repair all local issues perhaps that will mean local CWU engagement and tweaking some and backing out of others.
I can't see the business reversing wholesale changes on revisions, resigns, collapsing duties, start finish times etc. I might be wrong.
Listened to the full session from DW/AF it was interesting. Waiting for the joint statement to be agreed and it can then be issued. Covers a range of issues the key one being the cessation of EA and a stop on Conduct cases to be agreed by RMG by COP Monday at latest. Mentioned that 2 other BOD members will be leading the business side 2 of the non-exec BOD meeting with DW/AF Sir Brendan Barbour and the Chief conciliator from ACAS.
DW recognised the dire position of the business financials and the need for job losses (letting agency go) and savings to be made. If the Monday hurdle is crossed DW confident that with the new refreshed approached and negotiators an agreement can be made within 3 weeks. Commented on select committee session and lots more covered as well.
DerekR thanks for that. I must be confusing QoS figures being discounted in the past in divisional days and being in Scotland it only applied there as we had a separate Postcomm regime. We will no doubt find out in due course what Ofcom decide.
DW live on FB now, unfortunately I need to go out for luch. All Ive heard so far is new process and new board members from involved. Statement has been worked up and hoping for solution in 3 weeks.......
Dynamofc no glossing over from me the facts speak for themselves. Thats why I also said it was a mixed group of MP's. Did the 2 MP's you mention contribute yesterday, I did miss the odd minute or 2 popping to loo and making a cuppa. I aint going to watch it all again. Can you summarise what they said?
mike1974 its a mixed group of MP's chaired by a labour MP and one of the key questioners is Ian Lavery ex NUM who was using quotes that sounded as if it was DW talking.
It's the same Ian Lavery mentioned in the news a week or so ago as there have been some questions asked by the tax authorities about payments he received from the NUM when he left the post he held. He received 2 payments from NUM which he says were 2 separate redundancy payments. All in the public domain.
Plus Darren Jones chair who is now being god worshipped by some CWU members and touted as the future labour leader has his own company which I think he may be the sole director about to be struck off. The strike off notice is again public knowledge. Politicians of all factions who would trust them eh.
DerekR. Are you saying IA has never been accepted as a mitigating factor? I am only going from very distant memory (I am thinking late eighties / early nineties) as thankfully major disruption like 18 days are rare. Of course, if the business is fined it just makes investment/pay rises more difficult. I accept that there is unlikely to be any dividends for the next couple of years. Yep, poor decisions if only everybody got them right all the time.
Broch nothing I suggest makes any difference to the company not sure where you are coming from. Anyway of course I am not suggesting they fail the USO i was just pointing out that to suggest the business employs more people just in case each address get a letter for delivery each day would be commercial suicide. I have received 2 letters so far this week and 4 D2d items all on Tuesday but under your plan it would be good to know my postie was on standby just in case I get another letter for delivery on Saturday.
Of course the business needs to ensure walks are efficient and manageable as possible. Why would you want to make walks smaller? How is that securing jobs? With letter traffic dropping year on year would you just leave walks as they are? I know you seem concerned about your shareholding here but please keep in mind nothing any of us write on here has any direct impact we/I are just expressing opinions. Some more sensible than others IMO
Oligarch what further questions do you think it might raise? It is more likely it will prompt clear action from the BOD around ensuring that any guidance around prioritisation is explicit and covers contingency, IA backlogs and local instructions.
Time2Kill I agree it's in everyone's interest to get an agreement ASAP. Why wouldn't the CWU favour that? I disagree that the BOD will be squirming and to be honest that is not important IMO, surely it is about CWU getting the best deal for their members. It is critical the CWU now clearly produces a plan tonight that shows they have won the dispute and how they are going to have the business back out all the changes they have already put in. The business may stop further revisions as talks about talks reconvene, but I personally don't think they will take many out perhaps review and tweak some.
Broch are you suggesting that the business employs enough OPG's just in case every address in the country gets 1 letter a day for the 6 days? I guess you can't be by then saying make walks smaller to cut people's hours. Surely it is better to maximise the hours that are paid for. I accept there may be better arrangements that can be made in some offices but thats what the revisions should produce. If your plan was implemented you would be right to be concerned about your dividends and the SP but as it would make no commercial sense, I am sure the CWU would even see that.
We await the next instalment tonight. Meanwhile major customers are taking their business is going elsewhere to our competitors and the uncertainty continues for employees and the business is pressing to implement changes.
Time2Kill of course anything is possible, but it might be helpful if you read up on select committees by doing a few searches. I know very little about the processes but here are a few bits of info readily available. As I say I hope some good can come out of these sessions and if it helps get an agreement great. The CWU have clearly stated they will win this dispute and fix all the local changes.
Copy:
Powers of Select Committees
Enforcement of these formal powers and, in particular, the power to punish for contempt of the House, is retained by the House itself and can be exercised only by the House as a whole, not by individual Select Committees.
Before that it would have to be in a formal report, raised as a back bench motion, supported by a majority then in a few years something may happen. I think it would be very difficult to prove any dishonesty from the BOD directly. Chinese whispers and locally produced posters of all different types and instructions wouldnt really count. IMO
Broch I think you are correct USO not likely to be changed that soon although OFCOM have said what was it 97% of customers would be happy with 5 days and the minister responsible said he would listen to any recommendations/views from OFCOM so maybe it will change in the future. ST mentioned that the level of VR's will be reduced even further than they thought less than the 5k last mentioned as the rest have been made up of attrition/overtime etc etc. Also looking to grow the business so if workload volumes determine more resource is needed that's good news for all.
With the CWU supporting 24/7 operation and PM parcel shifts it should help keep and increase FTE requirements.
The next QoS results are due in a couple of weeks will be interesting to see if performance has improved. Hopefully with the greatly reduced letter volumes they should be better.