The UK shipping kvetching thread

[Aclea]

Thought it might be an idea to start a dedicated thread for updates and moans considering how many threads are being swamped by posts on the subject, especially with the situation regularly changing because of current conditions.

[Aclea]

Since they usually count as large letters, this will probably affect single disc deliveries in the UK:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/r...-a4426521.html

Royal Mail has stopped Saturday letter deliveries across the UK until further notice to "ease the additional burden" on staff caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The delivery giant said it will "temporarily" scrap the deliveries on Saturdays from this weekend.

It said its letter delivery service from Monday to Friday will continue as normal and said customers “should continue to post both letters and parcels as usual on Saturday”.

Royal Mail will continue to collect all mail from businesses, post offices and post boxes, it said.

Shane O’Riordain, managing director of marketing, regulation and corporate affairs at Royal Mail, said: "Our postmen and postwomen are working very hard across the UK in challenging conditions.

"As we said at the start of the coronavirus crisis, there will be some disruption to services.

"We understand the importance of the postal service in keeping the UK connected at this time."

She added: "We have also listened to our hard-working colleagues who have asked us to ease the additional burden on them if possible.

"As a result, we are making some temporary changes to postal services."
Royal Mail said it has been in talks with the Government and regulator Ofcom throughout the crisis and will keep the temporary change to postal arrangements under review.

The move was criticised by the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU), which represents postal workers.

A CWU spokesman said: “We will be seeking urgent discussions with the Government on this issue.

“The reduction of the Universal Service Obligation was a key factor in our live national strike ballot.

“The last thing we want to do is call strike action at this point but we will not sit back and see our members’ jobs put at threat and the service to the public worsened.”

Last month the union called for households’ deliveries to be cut to three days a week due to coronavirus.

[SymbioticFunction]

Not sure how Royal Mail's scrapping of Saturday deliveries will ease the additional burden. Would have thought that would make it worse. Maybe someone can please explain that to me? btw Just in case anyone thinks I'm being rather unfair towards Royal Mail employees, I should point out that I was actually a postman, and CWU member, for over eleven years (from 1997 to 2008).

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

Not sure how Royal Mail's scrapping of Saturday deliveries will ease the additional burden. Would have thought that would make it worse. Maybe someone can please explain that to me? btw Just in case anyone thinks I'm being rather unfair towards Royal Mail employees, I should point out that I was actually a postman, and CWU member, for over eleven years (from 1997 to 2008).

To give the workers an extra day off. So they don’t overwork people.

[SymbioticFunction]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

To give the workers an extra day off. So they don’t overwork people.

But surely this just means that there will be much more to deliver on Mon-Fri, instead of staggering out that additional work. Royal Mail reducing working hours but expecting the same results doesn't help postmen.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Thought it might be an idea to start a dedicated thread for updates and moans considering how many threads are being swamped by posts on the subject, especially with the situation regularly changing because of current conditions.

Round these parts we would call this the squinny thread.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

But surely this just means that there will be much more to deliver on Mon-Fri, instead of staggering out that additional work. Royal Mail reducing working hours but expecting the same results doesn't help postmen.

Or it could mean possibly they redeploy some staff who might be out delivering that day to sorting through the growing backlog at the sorting offices.

[malcy30]

Read elsewhere they may be prioritising parcels as they still get some business from people like Amazon and they don't want them moving away totally to use their own Amazon Logistics or others like DPD and Hermes they use. There's also the likes of Yodel and TNT (where they deliver themselves, rather than letters they handle where Royal Mail do final delivery).

So for letters the Royal Mail pretty much has a monopoly still even when earlier parts of the delivery journey are handled by companies like Whistl or TNT.

Cutting back is already happening here, so this is just making it official. We are now only getting post about 3 days a week. Even pre-lockdown as they couldn't hire enough delivery staff locally we were missing at least 1 and sometimes 2 days of delivery as the pooled staff across multiple delivery rounds.

[Ste7en]

We haven't had a Saturday delivery for weeks. I've also noticed they seem to bundle post and only deliver it 2 - 3 times a week, often bundled together with rubber bands, parcels and letters together.

[ZombieTwin2]

My Star Wars 4K Blus are currently sitting in a warehouse somewhere in Australia, waiting for commercial flights to be resumed.

When they eventually arrive here, they’ll doubtlessly be stopped by Customs and delayed by another week or two whilst HMRC decide how much money to screw me over for.

The temporary ceasing of postal deliveries on Saturday means that it will potentially be an extra day or two for the dreaded card to be popped through my letterbox for me to go to the sorting office and be extorted out of my cash (including the outrageous “handling fee”) in order to get my discs.

Rant over.

Kev W

[bigmoorer]

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

But surely this just means that there will be much more to deliver on Mon-Fri, instead of staggering out that additional work. Royal Mail reducing working hours but expecting the same results doesn't help postmen.

It would appear a current Postie would agree with you too. Seems management are possibly up to something.

[TarPot1]

I work for Royal Mail. The amount of packets and parcels at this time, is larger than at Christmas.

It seem people are ordering a lot of stuff at the moment, whilst in lockdown.

There seems to be no easing of burden on the staff. It's just to get them to focus on parcels which are building up considerably.

[Ste7en]

Originally Posted by TarPot1

I work for Royal Mail. The amount of packets and parcels at this time, is larger than at Christmas.

It seem people are ordering a lot of stuff at the moment, whilst in lockdown.

There seems to be no easing of burden on the staff. It's just to get them to focus on parcels which are building up considerably.

Well, that sucks

I have tried to minimise my ordering. I've cancelled non-limited orders with the intention to reorder once we are back to 'normal'. Also, the Mrs has noticed how many packages are getting delivered and I've had my arse kicked

I did have a few pre-orders outstanding for April / May which I have left in place. I'm opting for 'no rush delivery' on Amazon as well.

Any tips on handling packages (ooer!) and avoiding any lurgies?

[TarPot1]

I hope the link works. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what's happening.

https://www.facebook.com/34871884895...type=3&theater

[Ste7en]

Bloody hell!

[TarPot1]

Originally Posted by Ste7en

Well, that sucks

Any tips on handling packages (ooer!) and avoiding any lurgies?

Quarantine for a few days or a wipe over with antibac will do it.

The staff are being very cautious by and large and are working in difficult circumstances.

I don't want to say too much on here to be honest! But management are doing all they can to get your parcels to you quickly.

However, your parcels should be fine.

[TarPot1]

Originally Posted by Ste7en

Bloody hell!

Indeed. It has slowed from that, a little. But volumes are through the roof.

[SymbioticFunction]

Bearing in mind that I haven't been a Royal Mail employee for 12 years (and could therefore be posting complete nonsense) but I would have thought the backlog would not just be down to much more post being generated but the social distancing measures that have had to be implemented in the sorting offices and distribution centres. Even in periods of low volume, I should imagine that the current social distancing amongst indoors working Royal Mail staff would surely make it much more difficult to effectively sort through the mail.

[TarPot1]

Originally Posted by SymbioticFunction

Even in periods of low volume, I should imagine that the current social distancing amongst indoors working Royal Mail staff would surely make it much more difficult to effectively sort through the mail.

Yes, you would imagine that. The reality is much different.

Take the linked photo above as an example. If there are lots of yorks full of parcels taking up space in sorting offices, it leaves less space for people to distance themselves.

At the moment, there are no periods of low volume.

[Aclea]

For what it's worth, your efforts are greatly appreciated - and sorely overlooked by the media and many others. I'm constantly amazed that you're still able to offer a decent service under extraordinary conditions, and not without the kind of risk others are shielding ourselves from, and that shouldn't be taken for granted (or worse, berated for the understandable delays the situation has created) the way that it has.