Is there any point in a part timer being a member of CWU?

[General Mannerheim]

Just what legal cover are you supposed to get??

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I think I'm due a refund.

[whatamess!!]

What do members thing the starting position on moving d2d into workload was? I know it was into workload with no payment! Due to declining mail volumes

No you don't.
Someone told you that and you believed them but did you stop to think why they told you that or indeed why whoever told them did so.

The starting position in negotiations is always the status quo,any deviation from that either has to be negotiated or comes with consequences.
The "into workload" was a red herring,D2D was always in workload it just wasn't measured and measuring or not measuring workload means nothing to an OPG as long as the workload exists.
What do you think the consequences would have been had Royal Mail simply removed the payment for D2D and why didn't they?

We could always in life believe everything some one tell us is untrue, we make judgement on the person who told you.

D2d was in workload, but how many did it in workload, some would do it after shift,take home to prep etc but because the payment was there some felt this to be exceptable. They have removed payment for d2d. The consequence being less being delivered and no one giving a s**t anymore, it's easy now for a Dom to say leave them if you have no time. Before members would not have left them as they would have not got the payment, now they get the payment and only have to work their hours. Before you say it I agree the agreement was not good and I also agree members have lost money regarding d2d, especially barons.

[fishtank]

We could always in life believe everything some one tell us is untrue, we make judgement on the person who told you.

The only possible source for the statement that Royal Mail planned to remove the payment for D2D and stick it in workload regardless was Royal Mail themselves.
That's who told you even though it might have been indirectly...now using your statement...make the judgement as to whether it was true or not and more importantly why they told the union this.

[chrisj]

From my experience a lot of full time staff including some Reps do not have a clue what things are like for a part-timer... the ignorance is even greater when you talk about the part-timers on 24/25 hrs staff on temp or perm contracts.

If people don't know or don't care about a set of people then how can their interest be looked after? When the 24 hour contract was introduced at my office - most full-timers ignored these new breed: the training and emotional support was left to other part-timers usually 30hrs staff. In some cases the managers did not even speak to these people for weeks on end; and follow-up chats after probation never happened.

The biggest issue was the issue of full-timers prepping for 24 hours staff. It was rarely done satisfactorily. often not even half way but they get away with cause mangers are too weak and/or don't care...

Union Reps rarely ever introduce themselves and offer some introduction/induction; the only time they get involved is when there is a problem - usually overwork, not being paid overtime, being harassed or bullied by manager and other colleagues.

I pay to the Union just in case, I get into trouble! I don't look for trouble and don't do anything deliberate to get into trouble but no one is perfect.

Union contribution for me is like paying danger money or like paying protection money a la Mafia extortion payment. I would not break a strike but I do not want to strike either because the strike is likely not going to be for my benefit and it is often counter-productive. People 'all' working together as a Union is key and I would prefer 'work-to-rule'* first before any strikes.

* Work to rule will actually affect me more than a strike because I do a lot of Overtime!

Being a Part-time reserve is the lowest of the low but do the majority of the full-time staff care enough - no saturdays for many months and being shafted from pillar to post so that the established staff can keep their privileges

[chrisj]

Just to add, the issue about full-time staff throwing out for the 24hours staff is an area where the CWU and therfore the Reps should have been pro-active - but do they care or are they that concerned because this is a minority issue.

The problem is so obvious: the 24-hrs folks come from induction/training having been told that all they have to do is come in and bad up (should do redirection and missorts in my view) but alas this never happens - and the same all over the country. You can see from various posts.

The issue here is that nobody can realistically throw out 2 rounds to completion - not on bust days anyways. The other part of the problem is that as soon as the rest of the FT staff leave the IPS, the double preppers also stop prepping the second walk (some might have spent a disproportionate amount of time prepping their own walk anyways).

It has taken RM's paired walks and new delivery method to minimise this problem. Now a double-prepper is more likely to prep his/her paired walk; so if he/she does not prep sufficiently, the FT and PT will suffer the consequences.

This is something that is about to start at my office following revision - we wait to see how that fair? Because so far, the FT are there clock watching and trying to bully PT staff into coming in early and/or to get with it so that they can go out before recommended time.

Another thing, is it true that the Union Reps do not have access to the list of WU members in the office/depot?

[fishtank]

Another thing, is it true that the Union Reps do not have access to the list of WU members in the office/depot?

Assuming you mean CWU members your Branch should hold a current membership list for your office so yes the rep does have access.

[DB1100]

Nobody gets any D2D money.

You know what I mean,delivery supplement or whatever it's called,it doesn't change the fact that a part timer delivers more d2d than a full timer and gets paid less for doing it.

[bydand91]

I would say it is always worth joining a union and if your not happy with them don't join or stop paying your fees. The union needs its members to back them. Every rep should have a list of its office members,if not they should phone there local area rep and he will produce one.

[Mr Whizz]

Good posts, chrisj....my contract hours are from 9 -2 but my manager said it's best to come in at 8:30 every morning (so that I don't hold the driver up who takes me to my starting point) He also said that I should come in at 8am on Saturdays because everyone wants to finish early.

The reality...I get in early and whoever is meant to be prepping my walk then leaves me to it and I have to start prepping the remainder of a walk I'm not familiar with....which means I'm delayed and he can get on with his own walk.

My point is that CWU must know that this is happening in every DO but they're not doing anything about it.

[fishtank]

My point is that CWU must know that this is happening in every DO but they're not doing anything about it.

There is a belief among management and some reps that a part-timer wants all possible overtime available.
In that scenario not having your duty fully prepped would be advantageous to the part-timer.
I'm sure that is the case with some part-timers.
I'm just as sure it's not the case for all part-timers.
It is definitely not as simple an issue to resolve as some think though.

[Mr Whizz]

My point is that CWU must know that this is happening in every DO but they're not doing anything about it.

There is a belief among management and some reps that a part-timer wants all possible overtime available.
In that scenario not having your duty fully prepped would be advantageous to the part-timer.
I'm sure that is the case with some part-timers.
I'm just as sure it's not the case for all part-timers.
It is definitely not as simple an issue to resolve as some think though.

I think it is pretty simple...if a walk is completely prepped then I (and other 25 hour per week workers) should be able to comfortably finish in 5 hours....maybe a bit faster in quiet days/maybe a bit slower over on busy days...but fair.

[fishtank]

I think it is pretty simple...if a walk is completely prepped then I (and other 25 hour per week workers) should be able to comfortably finish in 5 hours....maybe a bit faster in quiet days/maybe a bit slower over on busy days...but fair.

But you can always comfortably finish in 5 hours any day of the week whether your duty is prepped or not.
So isn't the real issue not one of workload or of who preps your delivery but an issue of unacceptable expectations and pressure that you will work beyond your contracted hours?
Not really that simple.

[smelly_cat_lady]

You'll only find out when you need help

[billyboy123]

everyone part time or full time should be in the union there are benifits to join the union i dont like the thought of us union members paying for none union members to get pay rise bonuses ect while paying f**k all towards the cost of having these benifits in my opinion leeches

[krussel]

You'll only find out when you need help