Member Info for Scampthedog

Sold all my shares in IDS weeks ago when the price hit £3.36. Sank all the money into growth stocks: Nvidia, Microsoft, ARM, Apple, Meta...and other such companies. Taking into consideration the £3.70 offer per share, the tax I have paid on my employee shares, plus losing some of my 'Free' shares, and the administration and trading fee for selling my employee shares - I was about £4,200.00 down on the deal. I am not £4,200.00 down now. Far from it. I reckon I am about a grand down at present. I won't be a grand down come next February though...I will be grands up. And thats a fact!

As for Kretinsky and IDS...hope it works out for him. But, of course...he does not need 'hope'. He knows exactly what he is doing. The CWU won't know whats hit them when it finally comes. The Hubs will be 'fully' automated in several short years time: no more endless lines of people passing yorks from person to person...and far fewer people on the Loading Bays; self-driving vehicles will transport the yorks - and automated tracks will take the yorks from the vehicles to the trailer parked on each Bay. Postal rounds will be condensed, Mail Centres more automated with more parcel sorting machines. And the USO? Watered down radically from what it is today. In short...in three - five years from now this business, compared to what it is at this moment, will be changed out of all recognition.

The work force will be drastically reduced in number. Kretinsky will come after the legacy payments (the very first thing he will do) the night-shift allowance will be reduced, the sickness and absence policey changed even more less favourably, the £200.00 Christmas bonus, "My Bundle", the generous terms available for hire cars, your uniform allowance. The CWU reps won't be released for weeks at a time...and all paid for by the company. And lots more besides.

Oh, and contrary to what many people believe...more mail delivered by rail. Its Royal Mail's trains and rolling stock that are being retired (its old and unreliable) not the concept.

Good luck to the CWU...they are going to need it. And some!! This fella Kretinsky knows how to play hard ball. CWU versus Kretinsky? Its not even a question.

Well...thats it from me. Just to say I have made an absolute bundle here over the last seven years...and all reinvested. At times its been tough...very tough. But fun!

Good luck to you all!

This is a final goodbye from Scampthedog. Now, for the last time, signing off - Cheers!

...according to the Financial Times.

For the Ice-Man surely now cometh.

the reason for the 'revolving door' is quite simple (and it is not rotation in respect of 'fairness') and that is, the 'new starters' are on lower wages. i don't know how it works in delivery, but in processing it goes something like this: tried and trusted angard workers (those that have now been there long enough to be on the top rates of pay) suddenly find that the amount of weekly shifts they once received are being reduced in favour of these 'new starters'...obviously they are aggrieved and quite a few leave to find other more frequent shifts working elsewhere; this, of course, suits royal mail just fine: more people working for them for less pay.

don't think of it as a revolving door...it is more of a conveyor belt. angard would tell you, that they are not offering full time roles (which is true...although, obviously, in the very finest spirit of sneering exploitation and disingenuous opportunism) but only part time work...work to supplement your already other presumed income.

a load of complete b.ll.cks perhaps? most certainly...but it sounds well enough. to royal mail, that is. but not the poor sap who has been flogging his guts out for them over the last six months.

reduce staffing levels by v.r and natural attrition? no compulsory redundancy? can't see it myself. and here is the best one (saved it for last) : agency workers to go before royal mail employees? ha, ha, ha, haaaa!!! oh lord! that will be the day that will. get rid of the agency my fat ****!!

royal mail would come apart at the seams.

and one last thing. do not think for one moment that this ongoing pantomime of 'give us what we demand or we kick off again' is over for the foreseeable future...because it ain't. it all starts again very soon. autumn probably.

p.s the price is now certainly right for somebody. no prizes for guessing who.

Dear Daniel.

Having not heard from you for some while...I thought it might be rather interesting to run a few 'whats and ifs' past you.

1. Have you seriously considered what a future Labour government might do (and it does seem more and more that this could be the most likely outcome after the next General Election) regarding any ideas about re-nationalizing Royal Mail?

2. Failing any re-nationalization, could they perhaps insist that you sell down your present holding?

3. But what if they did decide to re-nationalize...where does that effectively leave you?

4. Or, for instance, if they were suspected of having ideas about re-nationalizing (prior to a General Election)...what happens to the share price? No prizes here, boys, for giving the correct answer.

5. Would that not then, on a successful General Election result for the Labour party, scupper your plans for World-wide domination when attempting to create a huge, sprawling international parcels network?

6. So just what are your deep laid plans, Daniel? With 27.58% of the available stock, you must have some idea of what you wish to see achieved concerning the future prospects of IDS? Or, more importantly (from your viewpoint)...what you yourself wish to achieve.

In short, Daniel, are you not in a little bit of a dilemma at this point in time? I mean...do you intend to take that final step or not?

Might I suggest...that your rather too much exposed here right now. You need to make a decision, old chum. Because if you don't...some select, confused group of middle-aged, muddle-headed, ban-the-bomb, commie-hugging socialists might just take it into their fuzzy, gin-soaked heads to make that decision for you.

Not a very pleasant thought that.

My very best regards!

Peace and goodwill to you all.

and it don't take a genius to realize the s.p will go up...eventually.

p.s anyone one buying here over the last few weeks would have been totally ****ed off half an hour before the close of play last night...golden crosses or no.

1. still hold all my employee share scheme shares...stll paying to buy them every month.

2. still hold all my shares in my isa...and will continue to add at appropriate.

3. still think newdealz is full of ****.

4.

Someone knows something...just look at that great big golden dump at the end of play. Shocking!

We can surmise two things.

1. Explains why Kretinsky has not been buying over the last week or two.

2. People 'in the know' certainly know something. And Big D is certainly 'in the know'.

The Yorks at the two Hubs have gone from the black floppy plastic type construction to the more rigid white plastic type; there are two machines installed at Warrington Hub with people operating them around the clock seven days a week producing these white plastic inserts...and at great cost it has to be said.

This is the main problem with the whole processing operation at the Hubs: tipping the mail onto the moving rail. Even using the new white plastic inserts that fit into the exsisting Yorks the mail, at times, and you would not believe it unless you saw it for yourself, just refuses to be shaken out of the York by the robotic arm...this then entails the York being wheeled back round from where it exits to be returned back into the cage in another attempt to empty the contents. As this happens hundreds of time a shift it is obviously both time consuming and costly.

Add to this the fact that much of the mail that does go onto the rail never gets processed because it is clumped together with other dumped mail and eventually gets diverted back down into a section called "non-conveyables" where it has to be hand-scanned...and you can now understand why everything at these new Hubs is not exactly tickety-boo.

Its like I stated previously...yes the Hubs are saving a lot of money...just not what is actually required to make this whole brave new idea work the way it needs to.

Heads WILL eventually roll. They always do.

Certainly not contesting your figures and statements concerning I.D.S and its finances for this latest financial year...you know a lot more about that than me I think is fair to say. In all honesty it is something I know very little about. But I do know a lot about the day to day running of Royal Mail.

Interesting comments by snapemonster...very, very interesting in fact.

"So I go to these two sites occasionally. Whilst I agree they definitely aren't running at the levels hoped for. Part of the problem is not getting enough work into the machines as quickly as possible. Often inefficiency leads to trailers of incoming work being parked up and it just sitting there."

A lot of truth in that comment. This is due to the total control the 'Flow-Room' has over everything that moves or breathes at the new Hubs...very much a case of the blind trying to dictate to the informed. Only the other day one of the Bay-Marshalls at Warrington Hub complained to me that, against his protestations, the Flow-Room had insisted that some incoming trailers containing First Class mail be parked up in the yard; he was at a loss to explain it to me as he had plenty of space on some empty bays: it has to be said things like this happen all the time hampering an already shaky operation even more.

"However, whilst these sites may be overbudget, you must also consider that it's basically wiped out all the 2C from most mail centers, you can see a clear drop in work at YDC due to this. So I guess the work is still getting done at the new sites as desired, but at a slower rate. The savings elsewhere may still be realized."

"You're likely correct in regards to the Mail Centres, there is a noticeable decline in volumes, even compared to pre covid levels, but how much of this can be accounted for direct sortation? I'm unsure, but the volume of work to sort are down a lot, this has definitely picked up in recent months, however, but still lower."

This is, indeed, directly due to the Hubs. When the mail is scanned at the Hubs a lot of it goes straight to the Delivery Offices...the next time it is scanned (apart from the inward York itself carrying the items) is when the postie delivers it to the customer. This is where the massive savings are being made: going from the Hub to the Delivery Office and not via a Mail Centre cuts out an enormous amount of extra handling and scanning.

And this is also where the next big flash-point with the CWU will come...no they have not gone away. Mail Centres will need to be reduced and many bigger remaining ones turned into Super-sized Delivery Offices. You don't have to be a genius to see where this is all going.

You seem a decent enough guy...but, with the greatest of respect, you really don't have a clue what is actually happening concerning Royal Mail behind hundreds of closed doors. But do take heart...your not alone when it comes to that.

Those two Hubs are hemorrhagging money at a staggering rate. Warrington Hub is handicapped by its lack of size...Daventry Hub is handicapped by completely the opposite. Ironical is it not? Perhaps a building the size of something in between?

And yes I do still hold all my R.M shares that I have acquired both through my ISA and the R.M employee scheme...and been adding every time they have crashed. Last buy approx: £2.37

But you really should not doubt the words of people who have a considerable inside knowledge of things...especially when you yourself have absolute none.

Some good advice: wait until the half-yearly results are out in November...you won't have to wait much longer.

Don't be tempted to buy here at this price. Disregarding the latest upgrade (Overweight) and new price target (3.10) there is still plenty of turbulent water to pass under the creaking old bridge that is I.D.S.

The new Hubs are saving Royal Mail a lot of money, that much is certainly true...but to a lot lesser extent than what was expected or required.

Warrington Hub has failed miserably to acheive the much anticipated hourly processing rate...this was hoped to be around 48,000 items an hour; it has proven incapable of getting anywhere near this lofty target. It is processing, on average, about 28 - 30,000 items an hour...and will continue to do so despite their very best efforts. In other words: it is not so much a failing on the part of the machine...but a failure that was predetermined by the inadequacy of the building; was far too small to allow the machine to be installed in the most ideal way.

As for the new Midlands Hub at Daventry...I have not heard one single positive comment, as of yet, concerning the place -- just the very opposite in fact! Apparently...many problems there and much disorder.

The latest confirmed reports? Warrington Hub already six million pounds over budget. And Daventry? Eighteen million -- and its only just October! By the time Christmas has come and gone and we get to April 2024...that deficit at Daventry could be anywhere from sixty to seventy million; and possibly even -- considerably more!!!

I.D.S have sank all their eggs into two baskets...if this doesn't come off it will have dire consequences for the future prospects of the entire Royal Mail operation.

As per usual Royal Mail have done things topsy-turvey and back to front. They should have sold off some of the Mail Centres first and condensed them into bigger ones...same for the Delivery Offices. But, of course, this was what the last dispute was all about in the first place: redundancies.

Sometime in 2024 this thorny and most contentious issue is going to feel the need to raise its ugly head once again: trouble coming...and a lot sooner than many people, including some very well paid analysts, may realize.

This is purely a numbers game...and, unfortunately, for Royal Mail...they are not adding up they way they were supposed to.

Oh...they will get it right eventually. But at what cost? Needs bearing in mind.

Some good news though! Royal Mail has now managed to secure the much needed slots from Rail Track that will accomodate the proposed train services running out of Daventry Hub...to start February 2024. There will be a re-sign for all the drivers whose duties are concerned accordingly.

Warrington Rail Terminal is being considered for use as a VOC (trailers, cabs, tabs and keys). It is rather on the small size...but will have to suffice. WRT can expect at least 5 or 6 extra trains a day (more than double at present) when that re-sign has taken place.

All in all we are getting there. But this stock is not a buy at present.

and its all contained within this latest rns.

its the only game in town...and has been that way for the last several years.

everything else means ****. period.

Anyone heard any whispers?

ZZzzzzzzzzzz.......................

Not only are his postings informative and wide-ranging...they ae also balanced and unbiased.

Plus the fact he understands considerably (times considerably by a factor of ten at the very least) more than you will ever possibly understand about I.D.S...and that's concerning any matter on the subject you may wish to inquire about.

As for the result of the ballot?...now I am not so sure.

I work in processing. Last night I asked at least 20 people what would be their choice...a yes vote or a no?

To my amazement they all replied "no"; I was even more surprised by their most evident open hostility when expressing their objections. Passions are indeed running very high.

A "yes" vote is probably the most anticipated outcome...but unless it is by a big majority...then any workable deal is completely dead in the water; and that more than likely is the same for both the futures of Ward and Furey...and don't they just both know it.

What we have here is the potential for a real mess! A no vote or a yes vote by a small majority...it will all amount to the same thing -- total meltdown!!

"Maybe IDS and DK have played a blinder and knew what the end would look like a year ago?"

Your whole contribution (ending with the above) was absolutely spot on, simx. Ten out of ten! Go to the top of the class.

Mr Thompson...congratulations. Mission accomplished.

The CWU...a busted flush.

So many concessions...and all, as expected, in delivery; the most obvious being both the daily adjustments in shift start and finish times and seasonally adjusted weekly working hours.

However, what I find most interesting (and all rather comical I should add) is the CWU's complete climbdown involving data usage regarding the information collected by the PDAs: the very thing that got Mr Thompson "ripped a new one" by the sanctimonious and weaselly Mr Jones.

A few lines from the new agreement:-

Technology and data will be used to understand workplace and individual
performance in a fair, and consistent way. It will also help support the identification of
potential operational improvements. This approach will include formalising and
enhancing the role of workplace coaches to focus support where it is needed with an
emphasis on solving the vast majority of performance concerns informally via peeron-peer support and coaching.

Individual data will be used for coaching purposes in a supportive manner.
In exceptional circumstances where a serious incident or accident has
occurred which may be a potential gross misconduct issue, relevant data
may be used. Where this is the case managers will explain the reasons to
the individual; including what, why, and how the information or data has
been used in that relevant investigation.

Royal Mail is launching a new APP/Tile on the PDA for the access of frontline delivery staff.
In developing a new approach both parties agree to the pilot of a new “my performance”
app/tile on the PDAs that will push walk/route-based safety & customer information directly
to OPG’s with the objective of raising awareness of individual contribution and initiate
support where it is required through the workplace coach.

Regarding the above? A TOTAL CAPITULATION BY THE CWU!!

OliGarch, you asked when the IceMan will finally come for us? Not so sure he will, matey. When all is said and done...has he not achieved what he would want to achieve in the short to mid term? But time will tell...as always. And that time, is anytime in the next two years. Because in two short years from now...things will start to change again. And this time, when that time comes...it will be winner keeps all.

Kretinsky has been involved with IDS for several years now. I would wager, a couple more will not bother him in the slightest.

still shakin...

...and I am adequately happy with the outcome also.

Having said that though...a little disappointed with the £500.00. Would have preferred the £1500.00 and 2% myself...plus the proposed added 6% next year of course.

But...happy enough. However, don't fancy the rodgering.