The Royal Mail has capped retailers supplies this month to 20% of a retailer’s annual allocation so limiting the number of stamps that can be purchased before the price rise at the end of the month when the cost of a first class stamp rises to 60 pence. Some retailers are running low as customers buy stamps in bulk before the price rise. Demand for stamps has increased after the announcement of the price rises at the end of last month.
Sale them off!
The government is to go ahead with the privatisation or sale of Royal Mail.
Business Secretary Vince Cable made the commitment after receiving updated recommendations from the businessman Richard Hooper.
A deal has been done
Reply
Postal workers have voted to accept a deal to settle the long-running dispute with Royal Mail over pay and working practices.
Workers voted by two to one to accept a deal agreed between the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Royal Mail. The deal commits Royal Mail to retaining full-time staff, improved flexibility and a voluntary approach to any redundancies.
a deal for now
The union has agreed not to strike again before Christmas. Further talks will take place in December with the aim of finalising a deal by the end of 2010.
Royal Mail strikes are called off – for now
The national strikes have been called off until at least the New Year to allow for fresh talks between Royal Mail and the Union. Royal Mail deliveries should be free of any additional disruption over Christmas.
High Court on Friday
The Mail union accuses the Royal Mail of using agency workers as strike breakers to do the work of CWU members involved in the continuing UK-wide industrial dispute and is seeking an injunction preventing Royal Mail from using 30,000 agency workers.
All Out
Two more strike days have been announced. These are Friday, 6th and Monday, 9th November.
Unlike the current strikes, which have involved members in different roles striking on different days, the two new dates will be all-out strikes.
35m items delayed
Royal Mail has said that the strikes have delayed 35 million items. That’s 35 million bits of business that other providers could be taking.
No work today or tomorrow or the day after
The second phase of the CWU’s nationwide postal strikes are now happening with 44 thousand members striking on Thursday (today). Further 24-hour strikes are due to take place on Friday and Saturday.
“I can see the strike action increasing now,” CWU general secretary Billy Hayes has said – great!
This weeks strikes or no post this week (either)
- Thursday 43,700 staff in mail centres, delivery units in mail centres, network logistic drivers and garage staff walking out from 0400 GMT
- Friday 400 Sites in Plymouth, Stockport and Stoke will be doing bugger all too
- Saturday 77,000 delivery and collection staff across the UK