No postal service until next Thurday

[Matblack]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7027142.stm

I don't know if people realise but the latest move by the CWU is a 48 hour strike which started at noon today and another on Monday.

This will effectively mean no post until next Thursday.

Its all very well having a unionised work force but with deregulation of the industry we are going to start seeing other carriers capitalise on situations like this and the unions will have no one but themselves to blame when they lose jobs.


MB

[Mark]

Totally agree with you there Matt.

I wonder why they are even bothering to stop the strike at noon on Saturday and restart at 0300 on Monday. I'm not sure if the reason is legal or financial, but the cynic in me thinks the latter.

I can understand them being concerned over job losses, but screwing your employer is no way to go about preserving them. So much for not wanting to cause inconvenience too. :/

[Admiral Huddy]

Agreed.. but all the time there's no serious competition they can get away with it. Same goes for the railway workers and alike. 21st century and were still in the hands of the bloody unions. So 70s. Most of my family work for Royal Mail and do not want this to get out of hand but at the same time realise something has to be done. All of them agree that striking is not the answer.

[Mark]

No serious competition? Well, actually there is, but the problem with them is that they still rely on Royal Mail for the part from the destination sorting office to the final address. That's how they can undercut RM so much - no local delivery organisation to worry about.

[Admiral Huddy]

What competition?

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Admiral Huddy

What competition?

OK - only for large(ish) contracts, but then that's where Royal Mail got a sizeable chunk of money from. They wouldn't touch domestic stuff (it's not even profitable for RM).

[lostkat]

Originally Posted by Admiral Huddy

What competition?

Well TNT for a start. Leon said that the phones went absolutely mental yesterday with people wanting to send stuff, because it had been in the news on they were mentioned as one of RM's competitors. I think RM probably make most of their money by the large contracts they have with various companies, rather than the letters etc. sent by the public.

On the letter side, TNT do a lot of sorting for various large companies (ever seen "TNT Mail" on an envelope?). They then deliver it to the Post Offices, and the normal posties deliver it. Basically, they carry out all the "value add" where the money is made, and then palm it off onto RM to finish off.

I don't think there's any competition for mail sent by the public, which is why we're getting hurt by this so much because we really do have very little option for sending letters and stuff at the moment without paying a huge price for the privilage.

[Norky]

Well my business is knackered until next week. Surely by effectively holding a 6 day strike they're just creating a monstrous backlog for themselves?

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Norky

Well my business is knackered until next week.

You and me both mate. In fact, it will affect our cashflow so much I might not get any wages next week. Bunch of tossbags.

[Matblack]

Originally Posted by Desmo

You and me both mate. In fact, it will affect our cashflow so much I might not get any wages next week. Bunch of tossbags.

I get the impression that many business use cheques and royal mail as just another way of extending the credit period. Its just so easy to use BT or BACS these days and its cheaper than a first class stamp (free in the case of a standard BT). I'd hate to be a small business these days and be forced back into the stone age by clients who refuse to use the 'easy' way

MB