Member Info for OliGarch

Feline, I'm not accusing you of anything. I was simply pointing out to Mad that you had previously stated "I have to admit I agree, as a CMA represented manager" on 26/9/2019 at 16:36 and therefore you WOULD NOT have a CWU membership number anyway.
I do sometimes wonder whether my posts are concise enough in content.

Mad, correct me if I'm wrong but I got the impression that Feline is a CMA member?

Ha ha... files instead of flies, I hadn't noticed until just now.
Oh the joys of using predictive text on a mobile phone whilst accessing a website.

Red, I would hope that my previous post hadn't led others to think that I was inferring that "just because someone is at the bottom of the pecking order doesn't mean they are mentally challenged in any way" as that would never be my intention.
I was just pointing out that many of the managers that I encounter are ex OPGs (postie's, machine operators etc) that have worked their way up into middle management. There is nothing wrong with that but RMs failure is the fact that most will receive very little training in order to facilitate their new role; for example 75% of the managers that I deal with have never received any health and safety training and are expected to lead the line on the safety of their employees. The same could be said for people management skills (or lack of). As you have said before, you catch more files with honey than vinegar!

Red, your 11:03 post regarding "poor management" certainly rings true.
RM must be one of the few companies in the UK where it's possible to get quite a way up the managerial tree without any formal qualifications, and I believe that is a big issue here. Middle management is put under pressure from above but most aren't equipped with the necessary business management skills that will enable them to deal with all the pressure so their safety valve is to take it out on the frontline staff. Also, they can't go back to their manager and tell them that their plan is unworkable as that would be even worse!
I wouldn't want to be a DOM - not for their salary anyway!

Hi Feline, I think that the particular SW Region DSM may have sold you an old 'urban myth' there.
Your accrued pension contributions cannot be taken away and neither can those that RMG have made to your pension pot.
I believe that the only time that your pension pot is in jeopardy is when the scheme is "non contributory" such as civil servants and the Police.

JB, you have summarised correctly.
The reduction from 39 hours to 38 hours would be the equivalent of an approximate 2.5% pay increase in terms of hourly pay although you would get exactly the same wage, although our CSS operators would prefer to carry on wit their 39 hour week and have an extra 52 hours annual leave!

Defroster, give him a chance.......he could have meant by close of business on Friday.....lol

Very good confluence. I gather that you are from the red side?
Actually, confluence is not a word that is used on a day to day basis in the English language. Are you an RM employee and do you liaise regularly with our French counterparts I wonder?

Wolvesposty, your local CWU reps should always be available to talk to you. If they are not then you should contact your area rep.
Incidentally, there is also a "NO" box on your ballot paper which you can use?

Normalguy, the theory is natural wastage of circa 4000 to 5000 staff per annum.
Let's hope that they aren't all from the same county lol!

JB, not sure if this link works.
https://www.facebook.com/981299138616232/posts/2501503876595743?sfns=mo

Normalguy, if there were any redundancies then there would be managed through Royal Mail's "Managing The Surplus Framework" (MTSF) which is fairly generous, however Rico has already stated that headcount reduction would be achieved through "natural wastage".

Normalguy, I assume that by "normal redundancy" you mean 1 week for every year? I guess that's standard for a normal guy lol!

JB, not smoothly as in RM wanted to set the agenda and discussion topics on mediation and by the sound of it not really interested in what the other side wanted to talk about.

Well, it looks like mediation talks didn't go smoothly today. Still, back to the table on the 3rd of October.
I find it all a bit strange that the CWU are keeping us informed on mediation but Royal Mail would prefer to keep it quiet.

Moya Greene used her "B Team" of minion negotiators very cleverly last time, sending them in with the knowledge that they were not in a position to strike an agreement. This ultimately proved to be a great delaying tactic.
I suspect that Rico my well be doing the same with the knowledge that the ballot for industrial action only lasts a certain amount of time before another has to be held or indeed RM could take the issue to the courts in order to get the ballot overturned (as they did last time) using the tagline that industrial action was "not in the public interest", which the courts upheld.

The issuing of ballot papers to CWU members also coincides with a planned mediation meeting today. Let's see if Rico attends.
Personally, I think that he needs to be there leading his negotiation team as it would show that he is serious and would also be good PR for him and RMG. If he's a "no show" then it would indicate an arrogance that the mediation team will surely not be happy with?

JB, as Defroster has already stated, the ballot question is "Are you prepared to take part in strike action?".
I'm assuming that if you are a trade union member then this is a given as the withdrawal of labour is always the ultimate threat.
The accompanying pamphlet goes on to give more details and the headline is " Honouring and deploying the four pillars of security and pay national agreement"

JB, with regard to the business winning new contracts.
In my office, 80% of the mail that we receive to process is derived from just 50 business customers (not sure f that's a national trend). This has been the case for a couple of years now so if we are winning new business then it's only with our existing customers.
What we need are new business customers, but with the state of the country at present and Brexit factored in, I can't see that happening for a while.
Also, I agree that IA or even the threat of IA may be damaging but we still need a delivery workforce of some description and I don't see any of the competition queuing up to offer to do this or indeed empty post boxes 6 days a week.
Hopefully, mediation will prove effective. If the mediation talks reveal that the CWU are being unreasonable with their demands then they will say so; similarly if the think that RMG have reneged on their agreement they will also say so but for the CWU, having the backing of the workforce is like having an extra person on the pitch.