Does anybody know anything about the postal strike in the uk?
R we gonna have our tickets delivered by the royal mail?
is postage abroad affected?

Would really like to know!

remko said:

i've already received tickets for 14th and aftershow tickets for the 4th.there doesn't seem to be a major problem with delivery times.....BUT i still have'nt received my vip tickets for the 4th so that is a bit of a worry.....it is royal mail doing deliveries though.dont worry to much there's still a bit of time..enjoy your concert!

It said on the news this morning there will be a 2 week strike but it seems they will be doing at one day in a different area of the country at a time, not in a 2 week block, thank God!!

I'm going to the show on 4th August, but still haven't had my tickets yet (from Ticketmaster)....does seem a bit odd that some folks have their tickets for shows like 14th August, but for early shows, like the 4th some people still haven't got theirs. Is this the usual way Ticketmaster works?? Or should I be panicing a bit more by now??

On the bbc today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/h...914561.stm

Start of Royal Mail strike looms

A two-week campaign of staggered strike action throughout Royal Mail is set to begin at 1900 BST.

Each division within the firm has been allocated a different day to strike, in a move designed to cause continuous disruption throughout the period.

Union members are protesting over pay and job losses which they say will come from the modernisation of the firm.

Royal Mail says the changes are needed for it to stay competitive and vowed to keep delivering mail during the action.

The first action will see staff at Post Offices and Royal Mail sorting offices walk out in a 24-hour strike.

Royal Mail called the Communication Workers Union's (CWU) decision "hugely disappointing", but said it could not change its position. It also said it would have contingency arrangements in place.

"Only part of Royal Mail's workforce will be taking action on any particular day and we will be working through the disruption to deliver letters to our customers as quickly as we can," a spokesman said.

Tough competition

The strikes will see each section of the company, from the sorting and collection centres to those who make the deliveries, walking out for two separate 24-hour strikes over two weeks.

The move is designed to cause continuous disruption to the nation's postal service throughout the period at a "minimum cost" to CWU members, union officials say.

The union says the action reflects its growing frustration with the Royal Mail for its failure to take worker demands for job protection and increased pay "seriously".

The CWU fears 40,000 jobs will go as a result of increased mechanisation of the system. It is also objecting to a 2.5% pay offer.

Union officials argue that they support modernisation and the introduction of new technology and automation, but not in the manner that the Royal Mail has outlined.

The CWU says that automation and modernisation can still be achieved without huge job cuts.

Royal Mail insists that change is essential if the business is going to survive against tough competition from a growing number of entrants in the UK mail market.

The group has recently made representations to the UK mail regulator Postcomm to be allowed to lift the price of its bulk business mail deliveries.

It says this will allow it to claw back some of the 40% of market share it has lost to rival operators since it lost its monopoly 18 months ago.

'No pension decision'

Two 24-hour walkouts have been held in the last month - the first national industrial action at the Royal Mail for more than a decade.

Earlier this week Royal Mail denied a report that it plans to cut the pensions of 167,000 of its staff.

Staff would have to work for five more years before collecting their retirement pay, according to a company document published in the Daily Mirror.

Royal Mail said the document was "out of date" and that no decision on pension provision had yet been taken.

But a CWU spokesman said that the letter would "strengthen our resolve".

"The plans are so detailed they would appear to have made up their mind already."

Plus a Q&A: Postal Strike and You:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/h...913373.stm

What will this strike action mean for postal services?

Each division within the Royal Mail has been allocated a different day to strike, an action which is designed to create continuous disruption to the UK's postal service over that period.

It is conceivable that post could be seriously delayed if it is caught up in strikes at different stages of the postal chain.

On the flip side, you could be lucky and your post could make it through normally.

However, for those waiting on urgent items of post - whether businesses or private citizens - the risks of adopting a wait-and-see approach may be too great.


I am a small business owner - what could the strike mean for me?

Having regular postal deliveries is particularly important for small businesses.

UK businesses send and receive about 600 million cheques a year, according to the banking industry.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has said its members suffer particularly badly from such action because they are more likely to rely exclusively on Royal Mail.

"A cheque delayed in the post can mean the difference between life and death for a small business," an FSB spokesman said at the time of the first 24-hour stoppage.

The British Chamber of Commerce says that firms who still rely on cheques may step up their efforts to move to online payments and consider using the services of Royal Mail's rivals.

Is there any insurance I can take out?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Payment delays and other costs incurred by a postal dispute are not covered by business interruption insurance, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) told BBC News.

Business interruption insurance is designed to pay out if a business has to shut due to fire, flood or some other mishap.

I have sent a cheque off to my gas supplier to pay a bill. How worried should I be that they will not receive it?

If you fear your bill becoming overdue the best advice is to phone your supplier and explain the situation.

Tell them you have put the cheque in the post but it may be delayed, so that they can then enter the details of your call on your account file.

A British Gas spokeswoman told BBC News: "We will factor in that there is a postal strike but if people are worried they can call us to discuss the matter."

British Gas urged customers who normally pay by cheque to consider using its online payment service to avoid delay.

I am going on holiday in a few weeks and waiting for a passport to be delivered. Will it be delayed?

The good news is that the UK passport service says that there will be no delay in deliveries.

The passport service uses a private company SMS for passport delivery.

SMS will not be on strike.

But documents, such as birth certificates, submitted in support a passport application are returned to the applicant through the Royal Mail.

As a result, these documents could be delayed.

But there is an option to have your supporting documents returned to you via SMS.

My daughter is about to apply for her first passport - will this be delayed?

People who apply for a passport during the strike period may encounter delays.

Allow extra time for applications to reach the passport service.

The Passport Service suggests that people may wish to submit their applications via the Post Office's Check and Send service, as these are delivered via Royal Mail Special Delivery rather than standard post.

There is a £7 fee for the check and send service.

What is the dispute about?

Essentially, it is over pay and potential job cuts.

The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) has rejected a 2.5% pay offer and warned that Royal Mail's modernisation plans will lead to 40,000 job losses.

Postal workers' pay should rise to the national average over the next five years, the union argues, but Royal Mail says this would amount to a 27% increase which it could not afford.

The Royal Mail says that it has been losing business to its rivals since the postal market was opened to competition, and urgently needs to modernise its business practices.

incredibleD said:

i received my VIP ticket in the post today and i am not surprised that i received it because as the above article posted by incredibleD states (i have edited for th main points) that the strike is in diffrent sections of the country throughout the two weeks.

so, i am sure that everyone will receive their tickets on time, and i dont think that this will effect posts abroad.

I've printed out all the ticket info as back up to take with me. Prepare for the worst.

I already asked to pick my Aftershow tickets up from the venue. Wish we could have done that for them all due to this strike!

Savage said:

I was thinking of doing the same, printing off as much gumph from Ticketmaster as possible in case the tickets don't show. If they're not hear by this time next week I'll be giving them a ring to see what sort of contingency plan they have in operation (if any!!)

I've spoken to ticketmaster about this. If you haven't received your tickets a couple of days before the gig, call Ticketmaster and they will authorise duplicates to be printed at your nearest box office/TM office for you to pick up, so no real worries.

ZARIA7ETAN said:

Phew, that's a relief! Cheers for the info.

OK Thanx everybody for the answers.

(still wish the tickets could be printed by myself, like the aftershow -tickets though.)