A ballot of members at the Communications Workers Union (CWU) has come out strongly in favour of a Royal Mail strike.
The vote given to 110000 staff supports industrial action by 89% on a turnout of 73%. That’s above the legal threshold that requires a voter turnout of over 50% to be valid.
No dates have been mentioned and, possibly the action can be avoided if Royal Mail and the union can negotiated acceptable terms in the next few weeks. It seems likely that strike dates will be organised to disrupt the peak volume of Christmas and ecommerce parcels using the network in the run-up to Christmas.
Sadly, a union official speaking of the result didn’t sound a compromising tone.
Deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger said: “This ballot result is hugely significant and demonstrates a strength of feeling that can only be translated as a massive vote of no confidence in the managerial leadership of the Royal Mail Group and the direction that they advocate. Any sense of vocational spirit and working together with management has been lost in a climate of fear and insecurity. This massive failure in trust has created a breakdown in relationships and a toxic environment where working together to solve difficult problems has become almost impossible. The managerial leadership has failed and should resign or be sacked.”
What marketplace sellers need to do
Whatever you think of the rights and wrongs on either side of this proposed Royal Mail strike action, if you’re reliant on Royal Mail for your consignments and despatches then, for the sake of your own business, you’ll need to find other courier services in the event of stoppages, if you don’t have them on board already. You can find plenty of options in the Tamebay Guide Shipping section.
The field of alternative shipping suppliers has increased greatly in recent years. And indeed some of the costs are very competitive these days, so if you haven’t reviewed the field in a while, now is the time to prepare.
44 Responses
So how am I going to be able to send Dave Ward a Christmas card, then?
Snowball and Napoleon, assume command and consider it a duty to prepare for the Rebellion. The animals revolt and drive the drunken and irresponsible farmer Mr. Jones from the farm, renaming it “Animal Farm”. … Food is plentiful, and the farm runs smoothly.
Think the business owners among us made it clear on the pages discussing possible strike action that we will take our own action to support our businesses.
If that includes moving work from royal mail to a non striking competitor then so be it. I am aware already of 2 courier companies who will be eager for extra work.
If royal mail lose enough business will they then make staff redundant despite what the unions and strikers want?
My items are all letter post – what do I do – go out of business????
I’m going to wish my postman a ‘Happy Broken Leg’, compound fracture at least but then the little s!!! would still get overpaid for doing nothing.
This is only the start of a period of discontent if Lab get in so SME’s sharpen up
^^^ Perhaps If Labour had been “In” The Post Office wouldn’t have been privatized and this situation might never have happened..
I send mostly large letter items so I’m stuffed. But I will say this, if I switch to another courier for my packet items, I won’t be coming back to RM.
we dont think the other couriers will mind to much if you call your large letters
small parcels
True – they won’t mind – but to spend £3 instead of 76p / £1.22 for a large letter for sending £4 items (records mostly) it puts me out of business. Anyone know of any cheaper minimum chargers from couriers for small items?
what’s the panic about, from a seller point of view?
customer will complain about late delivery? “sorry, but you may have seen that RM are on strike” should cover that.
ebay & amazon will protect your store from any defects arising as a result.
it may be an inconvenience, but it’s really not the hell and damnation people appear to be expecting here.
As James said….
Why would buyers purchase from you if you cannot send the items?
They can instead pay more and buy from other people who can deliver.
You are aware how royal mail usually deals with backlog post?
How bad this is depends on how any strike is organised. If it is odd days, simply change your handling time in Business Policies. That will extend your delivery, but you will still sell, although you will lose any top-rated seller discounts. If it is an extended strike, then it is a much bigger issue.
I think Ebay will need to consider the problem, it already looks at other metrics rather than just LDR
With Amazon, not so much of a problem, today’s sales are showing:
Expected dispatch date: 6 Oct 2017 – Will post today
Deliver by 10 Oct 2017 to 14 Oct 2017
I’m guessing most of the people commenting are Tories,god help us if they win another term in office, with people like these in charge of companies there will be no ordinary working class people left to deliver your parcels and letters.Thank god there are still unions left to protect workers rights, if it was down to you lot we would all go back to Victorian working practises.
If postmen are so lazy why the hell did all you eBay sellers not move years ago? You know nothing about the job your concerns are you getting as much profit from your fake goods as possible and ripping off the general puplic!! You would be surprised how many people think it’s an easy job but the truth is I see new starters pack in after a month because it’s not as easy as they thought £10.50 a hour has never ade me a millionaire!! And I wouldnt do the job for £7.50 a hour I can sit behind a till or computer for that!! Get real people oh yeah I forgot mails down 40 percent in the last ten years? REALLY??! Get from behind your desk and get in the real world ,don’t believe everything you read.
S.b – no, but as the country has voted the Tories into power 3 times in a row, last time just 4 months ago, it’s safe to say the people who vote do like the Tories.
John – plenty of eBay sellers gave not experienced strikes affecting thousands of pounds of business before.
Some of us did move a chunk of work to other companies over time – because those companies can deliver. Royal Mail staff apparently will not deliver for what is said to be 48 hours at a time – and unless agreement is reached this will keep happening.
I do not fancy losing money because you guys want time off, not when other people will eagerly take the work and do it.
You guys do not want my business fine, your competitors do. Enough people stop using Royal Mail then the organisation can get rid of some staff. Oh wait, you will strike about that too won’t you?
The world has changed, as Royal Mail will not supply the service by choice then those with a choice can decide to send by other companies.
Quick look – myhermes will do parcel delivery for 2.79 – hey, they are not striking.
check out my hermes pay rates and conditions fellas
because that’s coming to you,
once you bugger up royal mail
the stance of these flag waving activists is exasperating
its a job not a crusade
striking is suicidal, the days are gone where royal mail had the monopoly
Perhaps the workers wanting strikes are too young to recall the effects of strikes in the 70s and 80s.
They can always get jobs working elsewhere if they find Royal Mail too hard a company to work for. Unless of course this is the best job they can get in which case why they would choose to cut the jobs themselves is beyond me.
Like I said you have know idea how flexible Royal Mail workers are you keep saying the world has changed . My work conditions change every year! Don’t know why you guys are so worried when you have Hermes . Your like children . I work dam hard and then go home to look after my to children LG’s is not the only person who looks after children! I don’t want to strike I want a company that cares about the customers like it used to before profits I want a company that gives me a fair deal and conditions. Royal Mail is being run in down don’t be blinded by your self gains. If I lose my job that will have a shirt service and conditions I will take my redundancy and work for Hermes with the same shit service and terms move to a new courier and stop bleating on and on posties don’t guve a dam anymore if Royal get what they want this job will be two a penny!!
if it were all about a fair deal and fair conditions . there would be more sympathy shown but your being being used
and lead by the nose to further political ideology
In truth you don’t really understand this dispute I working for Royal Mail know exactly where this is going and I and a lot of other posties do not want to be part of the new Royal Mail! Trust me in a few years time Royal Mail as you see it will be a bad service!! What don’t you guys see ? Please please understand the facts I don’t give a dam about a pay rise . I earn about £14000 a year take home not a massive wage!! Decent yes. Massive no!! It’s not all about pay and pensions have you seen the strings attached! If I was you I would move courier because Royal Mail will be know different from them soon! Open your eyes
John don’t waste your time , you can’t educate pigs, the people on here know jack shit about Royal Mail and only care about there profits!. Like you said in your earlier post selling fakes for as much as they can with no sympathy for there customers, we all need each other in this world !!
without pigs posting packages royal mail employees wont take home any bacon
And I care about my profits so not so different then? Try looking at the wider picture cg Royal Mail is heading for the gig economy sure you don’t care but its my livelihood
Buy the way I don’t agree with sick pay if I don’t work I shouldn’t get paid