Member Info for OliGarch

Mike, the York Challenge.....lol. During Christmas pressure 2020 we had a couple of teenage lads working as casuals who managed to spend their entire shift moving a couple of empty Yorks around the mail centre. The late shift manager wasn't particularly bothered as they weren't getting under his feet.

As JB pointed out, the safety aspect is more worrying from the footage plus senior managers such as Jenny Hall know that the business is poorly managed but don't seem to offer up any solutions. She definitely drew the short straw for the interview.

JB, it was a bizarre piece of journalism/documentary making. The content was roughly what we expected regarding quality of service, mail prioritisation and staff shortages, oh and they wrote to Simon Thompson but received no reply. Was that because he didn't receive the letter, the response wasn't received or quite possibly because he is no longer an employee?.....lol

One item that has come in for much derision on social media is the clip of around thirty hi-viz workers pushing one empty York container in some form of chain gang. Was this actually done at the superhub or mocked up in a warehouse? Anyway, someone has added the "Benny Hill" music to it for added hilarity whilst others are asking if they can get a transfer to this office.

RM..... Royal Mail or Right Mockery?

RGPostie, presumably your QofS data was released internally as either a notice board exercise or on Workplace (assuming that is still being used following Thompson's departure)?

Even so, these are shocking figures and it looks like a deliberate attempt to force OFCOM to recommend changes.

On the parcels front, I have been restoring an old motorcycle in the workshop since retirement and have ordered quite a few replacement parts, service items and specialist tools. It seems that only around 20% are now being delivered by RM and these are only the small jiffy bags. Anything bigger than a shoe box has been delivered by Evri, DPD or Yodel who are very prompt and deliver within the allocated time slot as per email.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure where this stock is headed this in the short term. I have no doubt that Brendyboy will state that parcels have never been so busy but ex colleagues from mail centres with two parcel machines have been telling me that they only use one at a time and alternate between machines on a daily basis which is concerning as they were originally intended to be used twenty hours a day, seven days a week. The good news is that the maintenance should be carried out fully plus there's always a back up if necessary.

"So, I kill myself to make RM a profit, and the fat cats cream off even more."

Yep, that's the way it works in most large privatised companies. The top brass certainly don't lose any sleep about the workforce's terms and conditions and have almost as much contempt for the customer (look at the UK's utilities companies). If it all goes Pete Tong just walk away with a big cheque and put your CV back out there like a premier league football manager.

Broch, "kept away from here for a while, but surprised our resident narcissist hasn't raised his head!"

I have a theory that they won't be back anytime soon.

Redceo, on the high seas?....look out for the pirates....or possibly migrants in small boats depending upon where you are.....

Mike, you are absolutely correct regarding the privatisation of the UK's utilities. Selling off our water companies has been nothing short of a disaster because they know that if they make a pigs ear of things then the UK taxpayer will be forced to bail them out so it's a win/win. The reality for RM is similar and the top brass know that they can force change from OFCOM or the UK Government just by making the service worse.

Scamp, let's get one thing clear. RM isn't going to be renationalised, the genie has been out of the bottle for too long and it's not going back. I would also suggest that reducing the USO is going to be a thorny issue for too many politicians, especially if they have only just arrived in post following the next GE. I suspect what will happen is that OFCOM will exercise it's powers to alter the delivery timescales for letters by making 2C letters a five day service instead of three. This will not require any politicians having to vote and nobody will be the bad person. I have no idea how much would be gained in cost savings or how many jobs would potentially be lost should this happen but it would certainly be nowhere near as harsh as a three day USO.

All in my opinion of course......

Redceo, 06:36 hrs.....that's a very early start.....lol

Talking of whatever happened to....... where's our multiple poster gone?

Time2Kill, they could rebrand as Turdels?.....lol

Scamp, whatever happened to "The Iceman Cometh"? .....lol

Derek, at those prices I would imagine that they are offering the same service as Royal Mail Sameday?

I used the RM Sameday service frequently as an employee and quite often I would be asked by my line manager to try to avoid using them due to their eye watering prices impacting on our non staff budget.

JB, I believe that RM were looking into a superhub in the south of England before the pandemic, possibly just outside the M25 north of London however land prices attract a premium and it didn't happen, then the pandemic hit and brought proceedings to a halt. As it happens, it was probably for the best as the south is served very well along the M4, M25 and M23 corridors with Medway, Gatwick, Swindon and Bristol plus they also have Southampton. All are big mail centres with parcels automation which I am assured currently have ample capacity to cope with current volume.

FRANKFURT/LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Private equity group Advent International is considering options, including a potential sale, for its British parcel delivery service Evri, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Advent holds a 75% stake in Evri and is working with advisers on its options for the business, which could be valued at around 2 billion pounds ($2.55 billion) including debt, one of the people, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

German mail order company Otto Group holds 25% of the business formerly known as Hermes UK. Evri generated sales revenue of 1.4 billion pounds in its 2023 financial year, unchanged from the previous year, its latest results, opens new tab show. https://www.evri.com/annual-reports

In recent months, Evri has seen an uptick in performance that will show in its next set of results, adding momentum for a potential sale, the person said.

Advent and Otto Group declined to comment. Evri did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Evri started as Grattan Mail Order in 1974 in Bradford, Yorkshire, with staff and their families delivering parcels and invoices to customers.

The company was rebranded as Hermes before Advent took a majority stake in the UK business in 2020, as well as a 25% stake in Hermes Germany from Otto Group. Hermes UK became, opens new tab Evri under Advent's ownership in 2022.

"inferior"..... should be "infer"..... I hate predictive text.

There was an article on Sky News yesterday which seemed to inferior that there was also something afoot with Evri?

"Yodel is among the biggest parcel couriers in the UK, competing with Royal Mail, Evri and Amazon Logistics.

Evri, which is owned by the private equity group, is also beginning the process of exploring a sale, according to a Reuters report last week".

https://news.sky.com/story/barclay-family-scrambles-to-find-buyer-for-parcel-delivery-group-yodel-13065965

Pauly "Masturbatory Glee? "..... Probably the episode that wasn't released, although they did spoil Don't Stop Believin' for me....... forever.

Redceo, "a caller was complaining that his customers need their "candles" delivered next day. :-))))"

Are you sure that it was candles and not canoes?.....lol

Bluetigeruk, Royal Mail Special Delivery next day before 1pm up to 100g is £6.85 or up to 500g is £7.65.

£3.30 will get you a RM tracked 24 letter up to 750g.