Comments on: Tomorrow’s world: the demise of Fed-Ex http://futurismic.com/2009/11/19/tomorrows-world-the-demise-of-fed-ex/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Chad http://futurismic.com/2009/11/19/tomorrows-world-the-demise-of-fed-ex/comment-page-1/#comment-56637 Chad Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:52:25 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9609#comment-56637 Though, I am sure there was mismanagement, no amount of great management, on either side, can save a dying industry. If the union members did operate rationally they would realize mail is going to be almost non-existent at some point. This rationality would allow them to begin looking for a new job/career before they are let go in the next few years. Just because my cousin is a U.S. Postal employee, does not mean I want his job artificially protected. I must say I do not wholly sympathize with them, as I have no desire to pay for useless jobs just so their lives aren’t disrupted (this is a general statement, as I do not live in the UK). It’s time we all woke up to reality. Though, I am sure there was mismanagement, no amount of great management, on either side, can save a dying industry. If the union members did operate rationally they would realize mail is going to be almost non-existent at some point. This rationality would allow them to begin looking for a new job/career before they are let go in the next few years.

Just because my cousin is a U.S. Postal employee, does not mean I want his job artificially protected.

I must say I do not wholly sympathize with them, as I have no desire to pay for useless jobs just so their lives aren’t disrupted (this is a general statement, as I do not live in the UK). It’s time we all woke up to reality.

]]> By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2009/11/19/tomorrows-world-the-demise-of-fed-ex/comment-page-1/#comment-56291 Paul Raven Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:11:47 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9609#comment-56291 In my experience, union members fear losing their jobs, which isn't entirely unreasonable of them; I think your generalisation might apply better to the people who run the unions. All the cold rational logic in the world isn't going to make it easier for someone to tell his family that the major income stream has gone, after all. My caveat wasn't to appease the unions, it was to appease the workers themselves; I know a couple of postmen personally, and I can sympathise with the horrific mismanagement they're operating under... so I can also sympathise with them reaching for the only bit of driftwood near their sinking ship. YMMV. :) In my experience, union members fear losing their jobs, which isn’t entirely unreasonable of them; I think your generalisation might apply better to the people who run the unions. All the cold rational logic in the world isn’t going to make it easier for someone to tell his family that the major income stream has gone, after all.

My caveat wasn’t to appease the unions, it was to appease the workers themselves; I know a couple of postmen personally, and I can sympathise with the horrific mismanagement they’re operating under… so I can also sympathise with them reaching for the only bit of driftwood near their sinking ship. YMMV. :)

]]> By: Chad http://futurismic.com/2009/11/19/tomorrows-world-the-demise-of-fed-ex/comment-page-1/#comment-55894 Chad Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:31:22 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9609#comment-55894 To me the most interesting thing about the post was the caveat at the end. The caveat almost comes across like an apology to the mafia. Your facts about the business the Royal Mail is in are all true. Unfortunately, facts are not what these people want to hear, so most won’t even notice the caveat. Unions are populated by people who fear and hate change. Thus, they will react emotionally, not logically, to the new environment. The same thing happened in the U.S. over the last 10-20 years, with the last holdouts at the auto unions finally got their wake up call during this economic disaster. To me the most interesting thing about the post was the caveat at the end. The caveat almost comes across like an apology to the mafia. Your facts about the business the Royal Mail is in are all true. Unfortunately, facts are not what these people want to hear, so most won’t even notice the caveat.

Unions are populated by people who fear and hate change. Thus, they will react emotionally, not logically, to the new environment.

The same thing happened in the U.S. over the last 10-20 years, with the last holdouts at the auto unions finally got their wake up call during this economic disaster.

]]> By: Dave http://futurismic.com/2009/11/19/tomorrows-world-the-demise-of-fed-ex/comment-page-1/#comment-55647 Dave Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:40:28 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9609#comment-55647 Actually, most of the physical objects I get from the couriers are already inefficient information transfers: books, video games. Actually, most of the physical objects I get from the couriers are already inefficient information transfers: books, video games.

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