Quote from thisnameistaken :

Yeah, why should we support blue-collar workers taking action to secure fair pay/pension/conditions when it means our mail gets delivered late.

Trust me, if someone handed me a letter and said "deliver that to Scotland for 28 pence" (or whatever the hell the price of a stamp is these days) I'd say something along the lines of "you're ****ing joking". For this I appreciate the postal service as they are reasonably priced.

I also really appreciate the services they provide - more than once have I been to the "local" post office and come away reasonably pleased - which is surprising as I am quintessentially British, and as such I crave disappointment at every opportunity.

Now, that said..

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I for one will be supporting the arsehole fat cats who inherited a monopoly from the government and managed to make it unprofitable, yet still find enough spare cash to cream small personal fortunes off the top.

I didn't say that I was supporting the "arsehole fat cats"

My point was that there are other ways to get want you want. Strikes are not the solution when a country depends on the service - you are only likely to piss off those that would otherwise assist or support the cause. Don't forget that the Royal Mail isn't the only postal service out there now.

If I went to a customer and shutdown their entire network because they weren't treating me right, I'd be tied down to the desk and taken for an anal ride by guy in a wig (a judge). Why is this not the equivilent for the postal service, or the railways, etc? I don't see why it's different? Just because there's a large number of people involved, and historically there's a union?

Quote from Blackout :

Well, how about that, we almost had a nurse strike starting Tuesday morning, but it was called off today when the parties agreed that more money should be given and inflation increased. Whopping 28% raise in salaries, well, I guess it has been underpaid work for what they do. But it's going to mean trouble locally.

Everyone is about to go on a strike over here at the moment. Bastards.

But you can't get booze as there is strike and soon you can't get painkillers as pharmacies are going to strike, good thing health care works as guys start to having symptoms of too low alcohol level in blood and there is no even pills that would help

I think UK and Finland are both going down in some aspects, service level, freedom, well being etc etc.

We really should invade Norway

Quote from tristancliffe :

It's a shame, because RM used to be a great icon of the UK.

Unfortunately, they no longer employ people with a brain, and hence this mess occurs. As long as RM doesn't cave in it'll keep some respect. It shouldn't pander to those stupid enough to not change jobs

you are most welcome anytime to any sorting office and explain your feelings to the lads.

Quote from The General Lee :

You Sir, have just explained how 95% of Britons feel when Royal Fail goes on strike because of a really petty reason.

i hope i dont hear you winging in a few years time that you only get your post two or three times a week, because thats whats going to happen.
im my time, 2nd deliveries, sunday and bank holiday collections, and thousands and thousands of rural post offices have gone.

is this what the workforce wants? no, because dispite you slagging the posties, we still want to offer a SERVICE, its the management AND the goverment who want it to be a business, but dont want to make the competition to fight us on a level playing field, and if you were in the job you would understand that last statement.

and i hope when you get old enough to worry about your pension, your employer doesnt turn round to you and tell you, "sorry my old son, but you are going to work another 5 years for 10 grand less"

thats my ******** rant over.

Quote from mr grady :

i hope i dont hear you winging in a few years time that you only get your post two or three times a week, because thats whats going to happen.
im my time, 2nd deliveries, sunday and bank holiday collections, and thousands and thousands of rural post offices have gone.

is this what the workforce wants? no, because dispite you slagging the posties, we still want to offer a SERVICE, its the management AND the goverment who want it to be a business, but dont want to make the competition to fight us on a level playing field, and if you were in the job you would understand that last statement.

and i hope when you get old enough to worry about your pension, your employer doesnt turn round to you and tell you, "sorry my old son, but you are going to work another 5 years for 10 grand less"

thats my ******** rant over.

Sorry, but as somebody that has seen this same government screw up MY pension (it is worth less than 60% of what I originally planned for), and as somebody who has worked most of his life to put a roof over my families head and food in their stomachs, I can only sympathise and FULLY SUPPORT the British worker that is being driven to extinction by a mixture of Government balls-ups and Corporate greed.
I note that most people that are slagging off the strikers are mostly still fairly young. I do not attempt to presume upon your individual personal statuses; however, just try and imagine yourselves in the shoes of somebody that may not be ABLE to just "go and get another job".
Admittedly, we are enjoying a period of relatively low unemployment (if you believe the government figures), but as long as this country has a policy of letting people in to take our jobs in their MILLIONS, then jobs are going to be harder to come by.
Before anybody says "but they only do the jobs that nobody else wants"...I say BULLS**T! Nobody wants 'those jobs' because they are usually very low paid, to the extent that most families are better off on the dole.
IF the government was to limit the number of immigrants, and ensure that jobs were fairly paid, along with cutting benefits to skivers and scroungers who don't know the MEANING of the word 'work', then maybe this country can start getting back on it's feet.


(oops...didn't realise it would end up as such a long rant!)

Quote from mr grady :

i hope i dont hear you winging in a few years time that you only get your post two or three times a week, because thats whats going to happen.
im my time, 2nd deliveries, sunday and bank holiday collections, and thousands and thousands of rural post offices have gone.

I fail to see how striking will prevent this though? if anything it's more likely to occur in the long term!

Quote from mr grady :

s this what the workforce wants? no, because dispite you slagging the posties, we still want to offer a SERVICE, its the management AND the goverment who want it to be a business, but dont want to make the competition to fight us on a level playing field, and if you were in the job you would understand that last statement.

And the reason why some/most people are rather annoyed is most likely that most people who have no friends and relatives don't 'get' it. I don't recall anyone actually saying what the problems are any more generically than 'working conditions', 'pay related issues', etc. What the hell does that mean to me? Why is the playing field not level, in respect to courier companies? Maybe I've just missed it all because I've been working ( - sorry twisted humour - try not to take that the wrong way), but who knows?

Quote from mr grady :

i hope when you get old enough to worry about your pension, your employer doesnt turn round to you and tell you, "sorry my old son, but you are going to work another 5 years for 10 grand less"

Maybe I'm just a paranoid git, but is it not normal for people to also start a saving or pension scheme of their own as well as relying on their employer? A tenner or so a month from the age of 25 or so could mount up quite nicely a decent amount in various accounts?

Quote from Bladerunner :

I note that most people that are slagging off the strikers

No.No. No. I am, at least, not slagging off the strikers themselves, I am having a go at the mentality and thought process behind a strike.

Quote from Bladerunner :

that may not be ABLE to just "go and get another job".

Having seen people in my family be made redundant, suffer from terminal illness and still get a job in their final 12 months, in a different line of work, I cannot see how anyone can justify that are unable to change career/job.

Maybe here my experiences are vastly unusual, and maybe the circumstances pushed them to do something that they would not normally, and maybe this has shaped a somewhat jaded look at the world. I apologise if this is the case. I assume that one day I'll find out for myself, and I can only hope that I have the stones to do something as clearly radical as switching career.

Quote from Bladerunner :

IF the government was to limit the number of immigrants, and ensure that jobs were fairly paid, along with cutting benefits to skivers and scroungers who don't know the MEANING of the word 'work', then maybe this country can start getting back on it's feet.

Maybe a Sean of the Dead-style slaughter would do it? Shovel or record to the head? Go for the ones with the huge number of kids, a council flat and no job first... Start low - go for the argos...

Oh wait... What am I saying

Quote from the_angry_angel :

Maybe I'm just a paranoid git, but is it not normal for people to also start a saving or pension scheme of their own as well as relying on their employer? A tenner or so a month from the age of 25 or so could mount up quite nicely a decent amount in various accounts?

Since the age of 18 I have been putting 'a tenner a month' (or the rough equivalent...when I was 18 it was only 3 shillings and 4 pence!!) away towards my retirement.
Due to a government CON I have seen the net value of my predicted PRIVATE pension drop from £20,000 per annum to £12000 per annum.

Quote from the_angry_angel :

Maybe a Sean of the Dead-style slaughter would do it? Shovel or record to the head? Go for the ones with the huge number of kids, a council flat and no job first... Start low - go for the argos...

Current 'welfare' bill:
Incapacity benefit - £12.5 BILLION p/a (how many of those are REALLY incapable of work??)
50,000 alcoholics 'drinking' the system out of £85 million p/a.
The poor sods who are too 'stressed' to work - £600 million.


Labours answer? they are introducing new 'tests' to stop people throwing a sickie.. which will remove 20,000 people from the list of those claiming benefit. This amounts to...wait for it...a whopping, massive total of...less than ONE PER CENT of the 2.7 MILLION currently claiming benefit.

Lets start with the ones who have never bothered to even get off of their fat lazy arses and go out and get a job.

PS..what have you got against people who live in a council flat then??

Quote from Bladerunner :

Due to a government CON I have seen the net value of my predicted PRIVATE pension drop from £20,000 per annum to £12000 per annum.

[quote=Bladerunner;603931]Lets start with the ones who have never bothered to even get off of their fat lazy arses and go out and get a job.

[quote=Bladerunner;603931]PS..what have you got against people who live in a council flat then??[/quote]Nothing at all, I was going for a "stereotypical sponger", according to some news establishments I think the humour got bypassed somewhere along the line though.

Perhaps it's time to put the thread to bed before someone pops their clogs, from too much blood pressure..

[quote=the_angry_angel;603936]

[quote=Bladerunner;603931]Lets start with the ones who have never bothered to even get off of their fat lazy arses and go out and get a job.

Nothing at all, I was going for a "stereotypical sponger", according to some news establishments I think the humour got bypassed somewhere along the line though.

Perhaps it's time to put the thread to bed before someone pops their clogs, from too much blood pressure..[/quote]

Should really have put a smiley after the council flat question..I was actually responding in the same way that it was meant..just didnt come across that way.

I will admit that some views of the stereotype scrounger are true, we have a large enough proportion living in my estate...they are easy to spot, they are the ones with new BMW's and Audis

That is one reason why this is such a sore point with me..I work my b*ll*cks off all my life, and these lazy b*st*rds get it handed to them on a plate.
Its bloody demoralising coming home from work at 8, 9, or 10 at night, and seeing them buggering off down the pub for a session...EVERY BLOODY NIGHT!
I can barely afford one night a MONTH out!
Then again, they don't have to pay any rent or council tax...
I ****ING PAY IT FOR THEM!!!

heres my 2 cents

i feel for the workers but im self employed. some of the work i do i get cheques thro the post. no post = no payment hence im kinda working for free with no money to pay bills, feed family etc.......

how is that fair......maybe i should give up work and spunge off the state, seems the norm these days.
(last bit is sarcasm by the way)

all i will say now is that angry angel is twisting the knife but not adding any backup to his arguments.

pm me anytime mate, and i will give you all the info the want, i would prefer to do it that way as i could be putting my job on the line even talking about it on this forum.

Why are you even taking it personally? Being a hard man on the internet isn't cool.

I for one don't know how the system works, I don't want to know. What I do want is my post delivered on time, and not being stolen would be an added bonus. Like 99% of the population, when something goes wrong people are going to find someone to blame, and of course it's the workers - purely because they (the population) don't know how the system works. You can't take it personally.

Quote from pb32000 :

Why are you even taking it personally? Being a hard man on the internet isn't cool.

I for one don't know how the system works, I don't want to know. What I do want is my post delivered on time, and not being stolen would be an added bonus. Like 99% of the population, when something goes wrong people are going to find someone to blame, and of course it's the workers - purely because they (the population) don't know how the system works. You can't take it personally.

Good post. I don't really give a flying wotsit how much they pay or what 'conditions' they work in, as long as I get my post with my breakfast and don't have to use the big coins for a stamp. If 'The Workers' don't like it, they can always work elsewhere, and it's silly to suggest some people can't. There are other jobs out there. Some nicer, some less nice, some better paid, others worse paid, and some require a brain whilst others don't. It's your choice.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Good post. I don't really give a flying wotsit how much they pay or what 'conditions' they work in, as long as I get my post with my breakfast and don't have to use the big coins for a stamp. If 'The Workers' don't like it, they can always work elsewhere, and it's silly to suggest some people can't. There are other jobs out there. Some nicer, some less nice, some better paid, others worse paid, and some require a brain whilst others don't. It's your choice.

How much postal workers are getting paid then? I'm afraid that our countries are using money such way and doing such decisions that soon you have to start using big coins for a stamp.

Delivery costs have gone up ~2.3% from september, eventually this affects all prices so workers do need again more money to get shelter and food, which again gets prices up. If this continues soon we are in situation where you can't pay rent and get warm meal once a day with 2000e/month income.

Quote from JTbo :

Delivery costs have gone up ~2.3% from september, eventually this affects all prices so workers do need again more money to get shelter and food, which again gets prices up. If this continues soon we are in situation where you can't pay rent and get warm meal once a day with 2000e/month income.

Did you know that inflation was 2,6% in September and 2,7% in October? So relatively, delivery costs have went down, not up because it's below inflation rate. (source: http://www.stat.fi/til/khi/200 ... 0_2007-11-14_tie_001.html)

Inflation is normal in the economic growth. That's how it is at the moment, when we hit the peak and start falling down (normal) there should be deflation, and things should come cheaper.

But the thing is, giving people huge raises above inflation rate, will decrease the value of money, and they need another raise sooner. It's a vicious circle you can't go into. And once the economy stops growing pays are not cut with the deflation rate, like they were raised during inflation, because people wont allow it. Which would only be fair in exchange, and would make it easier and faster to move back to economic growth.

I hope I didn't confuse my tiny head trying to be too smart.

Quote from pb32000 :

Why are you even taking it personally? Being a hard man on the internet isn't cool.

I for one don't know how the system works, I don't want to know. What I do want is my post delivered on time, and not being stolen would be an added bonus. Like 99% of the population, when something goes wrong people are going to find someone to blame, and of course it's the workers - purely because they (the population) don't know how the system works. You can't take it personally.

you read my post all wrong, i wasnt being a "hardman", i just wanted TAA to understand the full story, he contacted me and its all honkey dorey..........and as for taking it personally........... im a postman, go figure.

I thought you were a Postie

Of course, we expect you to stick up for the Postman and box in general, I would if the same was going to happen in my line of work. I am becoming a bailiff when I pass my car test so I have alot of sticking up for bailiffs to do...Infact, I have done it 3 or 4 times already

We are not having a go at postman, like "TAA" said, we are being British and having a good old moan at the mentality behind Royal Mail going on strike.

Not only do WE (the tax payers etc etc) not get the post on time, due to the back log, alot of it goes missing. If your line of work envolves taking orders/complaints over the phone and then sending items out by RM, then it means you get about a week of ear ache and generally rude bastards on the other end of the phone and all you want to say is, "ITS NOT ME THAT WENT ON ****ING STRIKE!" but you can't. If you are expecting something quite important to arrive, example...Passport, wages, ebay items etc and it doesnt arrive or is late, it could really eff you up. Not only that, if anyone else, me, Bladerunner, Trsitan, anybody, went on strike for what-ever reason, then we wouldnt get a pay rise, better hours, whatever...we would get slung out by our ear and told to find a better job you idiot.

I'm sure if you didn't work for the Royal Mail then your outlook would be much different.

E-Mail FTW!