Latest Strike action

Postal workers are on strike today for three days, the information from Royal mail and CWU differs slightly but both agree that workers are on strike.
Deliveries and collections will be affected.

Post update

Well, our mail was collected as normal on Saturday so, in theory, your copy of CJS Weekly is on its way to you. If for any reason it doesn't reach you please contact us for temporary details to download this week's edition from the website.

Weekly update

The first marsh tit was seen around and about this week and the feeders have been overflowing with birds. The goldfinches squabble for space, the tits queue up patiently and wait their turn and the spuggies hoover up whatever drops and the dogs clear up anything they miss.

It's been interesting with the threatened and now happening postal strikes, a huge heap of mail on Tuesday then very little and of course today nothing. There are reported delays to 40% of mail according to Royal Mail. CJS Weekly is printing and will be dispatched from here as usual, collection is due tomorrow (and should happen) but it's bound to get stuck in the back log. So don't forget if your copy is one of the many stuck in a heap somewhere you can contact us to obtain an electronic one. This week there are 74 new paid posts, 45 direct to CJS over 11 pages.

3000

That's the number of jobs advertised in CJS Weekly so far this year.
That's new, not previously published paid countryside jobs all in the UK.

This week's edition is currently printing and is already online. In addition to the usual jobs there's the training calendar for November.
Also a reminder to complete your subscribers surveys if you've not already done so. You'll also find more details about the forthcoming postal strikes and details of what you can do to obtain your copy of CJS Weekly.

The fascinating feature article this week is about a request for you to photograph ladybirds, apparently now's the time they're all coming in to hibernate and CEH would like you to photograph any you see and send them your photos.

And finally as if that lot is not enough for one posting, earlier this week we had the first reports of snow buntings, KH saw three on Saturday and AW's father-in-law reported 2 at Greenend, yesterday a small flock of redwing was seen heading into the field in front of the CJS office. Snow shoes at the ready then, usually three weeks after the first buntings...

Strikes - rats...

It's official. Postal workers will strike nationally, starting from Thursday 22 October. No real details yet. Keep in touch online at: http://www.countryside-jobs.com/CJS_Stuff/royal_mail.htm

Fingers crossed

Keep your fingers crossed. Today's the day CWU (postal workers union) are due to due to announce when, how much and where any strike action is going to take place. With luck it will be kept to a minimum but even if it is, as predicted, wide spread and prolonged we'll do our best to keep disruption to you as little as we're able.

More Royal Mail news

Ok, after a hurriedly scrambled staff meeting emergency plans are now in place and will be implemented as and when required.
For digital readers there will be very little change but even so there will be an indirect knock on effect which affects CJS in general and therefore digital subscribers.
First, we receive many publications by post and these will inevitably be late / not arrive which may result in a reduced digest section of CJS Weekly.
Second, subscriptions by post will be delayed both to you from us and any subs you send to us. For the duration we recommend that you subscribe online or over the phone.
And third, a major headache for us but not so much for readers will be the accounts - invoices and remittances sent by post, this is bound to cause untold problems ( a cheque sent to The Independent in London on 17/9 has still not been received so what will a complete walkout cause?).

What can you do? Please be patient, we do have plans to make sure as many of you as possible receive your copies; we will let you know when they're implemented and we'll try to keep you up to date with events here.

When the strike dates are announced, probably on Monday, we'll look at exactly how long the strikes will last and then we'll let you know exactly how what's going to happen with CJS.

All, in all then, more work, longer hours and frazzled CJS staff. Thanks a lot CWU.

PS who's buying the chocolate biscuits this time??

Royal Mail strikes again.

Oh goodie, they're at it again!
It's been confirmed that Royal Mail workers have voted for strike action, see the BBC for more details. http://bit.ly/2msKHA Exact dates and types of industrial action are yet to be confirmed but we're taking no chances.
To find out what's going on and how CJS will / is affected please read the updates both on this blog and on the main site, click here

CJS Monthly

Should now be on your desk, one of the longest for a fair few editions, eleven pages including training calendar. We're going to have work out the publication dates for next year because there are only two left this year - ulp...!
And don't forget you can read it online in many and various formats, good old web pages, PDF or now as e-book. Click Here to read the October edition.

Weekly update

Sorry, it's a bit late but we did publish CJS Weekly as usual this weekend (a bit busy on Friday and didn't quite get round to the blog!) This week it's nine pages with 54 new paid posts.
http://bit.ly/2rXthB Who burns off when a gale is predicted? Apparently land owners on the NYM! The Egton blaze was visible from the village on Saturday and the smoke drifted across the valley for several miles.

The bird feeders have been taken out of storage and filled, vast clouds of various finches promptly descended and the feeders were very quickly in need of refilling!