Why is Royal Mail failing - some thoughts and answers to points made
1) Royal Mail used to be more than a delivery service, i.e the village postie and "Granny Smith". To the Royal Mail we were/are all equal whether you are a big corporate or a little old granny who sends just a few letters to your family and those all important xmas cards. It is the case that when a postie kept one delivery they would notice things out of place, someone wasn't around, person in the worng place (i.e. burgler etc). Someone for the neglected to see adn speak to. No longer can Royal Mail be this in these times.
2) Part Privatastion of Mail system - impossible to do. It doesn't work.
3) Royal Mail is the ONLY one of the mail delivery that HAVE TO delivery to every address in the UK, hence the profit from cities is used to subsidense sending that letter from one end of the country to that remote house in Scotland for 30p. By allowing others to bid for the profitable deliveries the system fails. Also as Royal Mail have to deliver the "final mile" at a reduced cost, they then do not make money.
4) Overtime is not there as it once was now due to the "working to time rule", this rule I agree on.
5) Royal Mail now only care about the profit, i.e. big companies - and Granny Smith doesn't matter. THis is why your post is getting later and later.
6) The wage - around 18k-20k p.a. on average including overtime and junk mail extra payments.
that is for a 5 day week, you get 1 Saturday in 6 off, start work @ 6am and finish @ between 2pm and 2.45pm depending on the day. You will sort for 2-3 hours of the day and then walk for the 5 hours of the day. You HAVE to walk at, at least an average of 3.8 mph with a bag that starts @ 18kg's, you will normally have 5-6 bags to deliver each day. Wind, rain, snow, sun. You WILL be chased by dogs, made-by even bitted. If you empty mail boxes you constantly run the risk of HIV due to disgarded needles. You take more that 5 days off in a year and you are put on disaplinary - FACT.
So the wage isn't bad, but it is not as cushy as it apprears. The is alot of lift, carrying, lugging, mind-numbing sorting, pressure, stress, abuse from customers.
How often do people moan that their post is late, yet you see the same person doesn't let a post van out.
I do not agree with the strikes as I feel the Union are as much to blame as the RM managment but they need to decide whether RM is going private or not, they have so far done a half ar$e job, and hence we now have a half ar$e result and service.
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