GenevaSaint

Money is not one of the issues they're striking about though, well at least not directly.

Depends on the role I'd guess. Sorters, drivers, collections, actual posties probably all earn different amounts. I know someone who does two nights 11pm - 6am and takes home £125 per week.

Sounds like a new Dan Brown novel.....

Pompey first team, we did them 4-0 ;-)

MB is right, not read the 2012 doomsday site, but in the far east alone there are been 4 (i think) earthquakes minimum of 6 on the richter (sp?) scale in the last 2 weeks if memory serves.

Mmmmm, yes they're cheeky buggers. Another useful antifraud type activity is to get your debit card changed on a regular basis as the card number changes, thus invalidating any repeat payments people try to take.

And you don't think that it's taken 20 years because the unions have fought tooth and nail against modernisation? You don't see balance as my missus works for them and reckons more than half are work shy and she wants modernisation. They're using machines to sort the mail that are no longer produced and you can't get spare parts for. One of the union demands is that the new walk sequence (I think) machines are not introduced. Why? Less staff are required to run them. I'm against the strike and the CWU for trying to keep their outdated work practices in place. We all know this sort of thing would never be acceptable in the private sector. If I felt the employees were hard done by I'd have a different opinion, trust me, in this case they're not. The union have even tried to bring the pension deficit into the equation to make the strike look more valid. As far as I'm aware the government are obliged to underwrite this are they not? "It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant force in society today" Isaac Assimov. Businesses also need to adapt to the climate of change or face the consequences. When competition really opens up for the final mile they're fooked imo. Finally, I agree, a binding agreement between the parties at ACAS would seem the only solution at the moment.

And you don't think that it's taken 20 years because the unions have fought tooth and nail against modernisation? You don't see balance as my missus works from them and reckons more than half are work shy and she wants modernisation. Will respond to the other points later.

16 digit card number and CVV code and the world is their oyster. Years ago I had a charge to a credit card I had closed and RBS honoured the payment. Took me months to get my credit rating corrected. I never sign up to anything that is a repeat payment via credit or debit card now.

Hamster, what does this have to down with Brown or any government. The Royal Mail have bought in the casuals not the government, well at least not directly. I guess they could raise issues with it to the RM. FWIW though, there is always an influx of casual staff over the xmas rush period, there are just more of them this year!

60k voted for strike 20k against strike So 80k voted out of a work force of circa 180k I think. Remember though, not everyone is a member of the CWU!

You'd have to leave Ferguson in for his exploits with Aberdeen alone.

Trophies are not the best indicator of a good manager. Dario Grady won nothing at Crewe, look at the against the odds battle every season selling their best players. Look at the production line they turned out. It's not as simple as so and so won a cup or league. FWIW I don't think Benitez is a great manager but he's won the Champions League. Look at some of the dross he's signed in his time and Liverpool choke every season when it comes to the crunch.

Unless you know the criteria they based their decision on you cannot supply an alternative list. Anyway, it's all about opinions, theirs differs to yours. I think he did a great job bearing in mind our pedigree until the 76 cup final win, league cup final, our forays into Europe, several near misses in the FA Cup semis, 2nd in the league. Look at the coup of bringing the European football player of the year to unfashionable Southampton. As someone has also pointed out, you can win feck all but play good football on a limited budget, in my eyes that would make you a better manager than someone given 200m to buy the title.

Let him stay please! He makes Wilde, Lowe and Crouch look competent.

Lets go for 1947 onwards as I like the results :-D Saints Avg 19104 Pompey Avg 17364 "1st Division Avg" Saints 19621 Pompey 27270 ( jcls :-) ) As you point out though, it's not like for like due to the stadium limitations for both clubs. "2nd Divison Avg" Saints 19363 Pompey 13304 "3rd Division Avg" Saints 15755 (includes 5 seasons in div 3 south averaging 14k) Pompey 12362

I thought we were down to 15k in 93-94 after the move to all seater. Anyway, '94 onwards graph is on the attached link. http://www.footballeconomy.com/stats2/eng_southampton.htm Just for fun here are Pompeys figures. Why do Pompey have 600 - 700 staff? Are they all Harry's loan signings that never play ;-) http://www.footballeconomy.com/stats2/eng_portsmouth.htm

That's an obscene amount of money for running the CWU. Pigs and troughs and all that.

In regards to the first paragraph, would be interesting to see if he retires. Alot of people in this line of business miss the thrill. Look at Jamie Dimon and the recently moved on Bill Winters. Neither need to work, Bill Winters who recently left JPMC has $50m dollars in JPMC shares. I wonder what motivates these people some days! I work for JPMC, and will not be receiving a massive bonus! I'd just like to say to everyone on here who reads the Mail, not everyone will get £1m + bonuses. Just like the **** in the paper today, all Goldmans staff get $500k or whatever the figure is, that's for traders only, not the receptionist or back office staff that process the trades etc, so much bs is spoken about bank bonuses. All that said, I will be wishing I was a trader in January! Fair play to your mate. We all make choices about jobs and career paths, you don't go into the Fire, Police or Ambulance service to make millions. I do earn a good wage though, I know a paramedic and I don't feel worthy at times.

Yeh sorry, I knew what I meant! So The Delivery (singular ;-) ) being 4 hours later, why is this such an issue? Do you not agree that by moving to one single delivery they've saved money, moved into profit and possibly actually deliver more 1st class mail within their aim of 1 day.

It helped thousands (hundeds of thousands probably) of people at the time, unfortunately you're correct Bungle, it's left us with a housing problem going forward. Which then helps those who could afford a buy to let mortgage as the council pay to house people in private houses, which makes "rich" people richer, which drives the housing price boom and we all now painfully know where that leads...... PS. I put rich in quotes because I'm not sure what you'd call rich. I don't call myself rich but I could have afford a buy to let mortgage if I'd have fancied the risk.

I didn't say the Royal Mail Group have not made a profit in 20 years, I said it's the first time in 20 years every division made a profit. If you read the articles it's clear to me that despite a fall in volume of mail (letters, packets are up) the modernisation drive has pushed Royal Mail (not the whole group) and Post Office Limited into profit. Which means for Post Office limited going from a loss of (108 )m in 2007, to (34)m in 2008 to a profit in 2009, pretty good progress if you ask me. http://www.news.royalmailgroup.com/article.asp?id=2222&brand=royal_mail_group http://www.royalmailgroup.com/portal/rmg/content1?catId=75500716&mediaId=75500717 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/21/royal-mail-profit As for the 5k bonus, I've not heard that from my missus or 2 mates who are posties. Are you sure it's for all Royal Mail employees or just da management! I'd say they RM group would be better off putting that money into closing their pensions black hole.

Apart from the last financial year, the Royal Mail has not made a profit in all four of it's business sectors during the previous 20 years. Modernisation was and still is required, maybe the across the board profit in 20 years was due to cutting unnecessary services such as the 2nd delivery. As for the time of the 2nd delivery, I can see that as an issue to be honest. From the BBC "This came after its main letter delivery business and its Post Office arm returned to profitability." Now why could that be............

Yeh I know, which sucks, missus still works at RM in a sorting office. Talk about an old boys club. How can anyone justify getting duties and holidays based on length of service is beyond me, the union don't want modernisation or democracy as that will blow their little clique apart. I just hope the 80k who voted no or who are not in a union walk straight through the picket line. The CWU best make the most of this strike as under a Tory government next year they'll get nothing of that I'm sure. BTW to make this non political I don't vote Tory, I just feel that the CWU are way out of line here and not serving the best interests of their members or Royal Mail employees in general.

I agree 100%. The CWU while trying to protect their members are ultimately damaging the industry. I think the worst thing is, only 80,000 out of 240,000 (a figure I think I remember) employees actually voted. 60k for strike, 20k against. I'm not sure how many members there are in the CWU in total, seems a poor turnout really, what's wrong with the members who were indifferent!