Royal Mail's New One Plan!

[motherhubbard]

However often a OPG is far more productive when he or she thinks they are going to finish early than they are if they are going to work too time. That is the culture of the business.

I can get understand that. What I don't quite get is how if allowing everyone to finish early makes an OPG more productive, why an office with people finishing early would be a "broken" office?
They are all finishing super early and being super productive yet the office is inefficient?

And how does ghost overtime figure in all of this?
As DVBUK asked - are people actually working over 70 hours/week or simply claiming it?
Surely ghost overtime will drag down the efficiency of a unit if people are being paid for hours they don't work?
A "broken" office might not be broken at all if people were simply paid for the hours that they actually worked, which is what those that don't work overtime actually have to do.
Why should they be lumped in the category of a "broken" office and have to become more efficient to simply pay for their colleague's ghost docket?

[Sugar]

Judging by the amount of posts on here about runners and flyers than you seriously saying thousands of people are coming in early not having their meal reliefs just to work to time ?? If they are that is really disturbing and is part of the problem that some of the so called efficient offices may really not be as efficient as they are using more hours than is recorded by coming in early and not having their meal reliefs.

Can't believe you actually posted that Dingo.

If other offices are like ours then around 25+% start before thier time and over 50% don't have a meal relief before going out on delivery and a number of those do that so they don't have to deal with managers if they can't complete.

About time the CWU got in the real world and opened its eyes to how badly offices are run not only by managers but OPG's and all the corner cutting they do.

[DB1100]

Judging by the amount of posts on here about runners and flyers than you seriously saying thousands of people are coming in early not having their meal reliefs just to work to time ?? If they are that is really disturbing and is part of the problem that some of the so called efficient offices may really not be as efficient as they are using more hours than is recorded by coming in early and not having their meal reliefs.

Can't believe you actually posted that Dingo.

If other offices are like ours then around 25+% start before thier time and over 50% don't have a meal relief before going out on delivery and a number of those do that so they don't have to deal with managers if they can't complete.

About time the CWU got in the real world and opened its eyes to how badly offices are run not only by managers but OPG's and all the corner cutting they do.

In my office the figure is even higher,in fact if you start on time you are seen as slow and a trouble causer and are subject to threats about your performance,it really is time that the CWU got into the real world of delivery offices nationwide and addressed this problem.

[motherhubbard]

Nobody should be allowed to start before their time and nobody should be allowed to go home before their time.
It isn't difficult.
I'm not sure if their is another job where you can apparently make up your own start and finish time. (outside of places that operate flexi time)

[Martin Walsh]

I have to say unions were formed not by headquarters but by people in the workplace standing together to stop management from attacking workers.

There are hundreds of offices who would not put up with a bullying DOM who insist staff have to come in early or work their meal reliefs or if they don't complete their walks they get taken down the conduct code. If they did it in some of the offices I know the DOM would be the only one left in the office as the others will be at the gate.

There is a National Agreement called Dignity , Fairness and Respect at work. It was only agreed 2 years ago to ensure that

1 No one will be forced to work beyond their time.

2. A process for dealing with individuals who cannot complete a walk.

I understand some offices may not be united , but yo should flag up to your Area Rep or Divisional rep if you being forced to work before your time , your being forced not to have meal relief.

At a time when the union is looking at a 35 hour working week we should be allowing staff to be bullied to work above their hours which is for a full time around 36 hours 20 mins minus meal reliefs

I just wonder the density of CWU members in these units who are having to work more than there paid hours as it would not happen in my division and if it did it would not be for long.

[fishtank]

Union density is a real problem, I don't think people generally don't want to be part of a union so why do we think union density is falling. We're too quick to blame the symptoms and not willing to look at the cause.

It shouldn't be hard to find the branches that are failing to recruit, we need some kind of task force to go into these areas, start asking some difficult questions and find out what is wrong.

We pander to these branches too much because the officials are voted in by members but in a great deal of cases there is very little real democracy on show. A 5-10% turnout of 3000 members is relatively easy to manipulate.

[Martin Walsh]

Fish I am not in position to comment on the ballot result. The strength of Branch's varies as does the membership density we now have Branch's will as little as 7% non members and some with 25% non members.

What is the root cause ? I do think we should find out ! Is it the fault of our agreements , the fault of our Branch structure , our reps ? Or is it that some members believe the union is something pay in and every thing is done for them and that they do not have to take a stand in their own workplace or is it a combination of all of those things ?

Unite have shown that even managers can get a big yes vote if the issue is right and the campaign is right. My point is first and foremost the union starts in your own workplace you need to unite to stop bullying from management and you should get support from others ! If an office is not united sadly you will always be a target for bullying management

[steve1873]

I have to say unions were formed not by headquarters but by people in the workplace standing together to stop management from attacking workers.

There are hundreds of offices who would not put up with a bullying DOM who insist staff have to come in early or work their meal reliefs or if they don't complete their walks they get taken down the conduct code. If they did it in some of the offices I know the DOM would be the only one left in the office as the others will be at the gate.

There is a National Agreement called Dignity , Fairness and Respect at work. It was only agreed 2 years ago to ensure that

1 No one will be forced to work beyond their time.

2. A process for dealing with individuals who cannot complete a walk.

I understand some offices may not be united , but yo should flag up to your Area Rep or Divisional rep if you being forced to work before your time , your being forced not to have meal relief.

At a time when the union is looking at a 35 hour working week we should be allowing staff to be bullied to work above their hours which is for a full time around 36 hours 20 mins minus meal reliefs

I just wonder the density of CWU members in these units who are having to work more than there paid hours as it would not happen in my division and if it did it would not be for long.

That is the thing, they don't insist. Far from it. But the workloads are such, that many, many people see starting early or working through their meal relief as the only way to complete and avoid daily confrontation. That is the reality. I cannot condone that thought process from my colleagues throughout RM, but I can certainly understand it.

[k979aaa]

Fish I am not in position to comment on the ballot result. The strength of Branch's varies as does the membership density we now have Branch's will as little as 7% non members and some with 25% non members.

What is the root cause ? I do think we should find out ! Is it the fault of our agreements , the fault of our Branch structure , our reps ? Or is it that some members believe the union is something pay in and every thing is done for them and that they do not have to take a stand in their own workplace or is it a combination of all of those things ?

Unite have shown that even managers can get a big yes vote if the issue is right and the campaign is right. My point is first and foremost the union starts in your own workplace you need to unite to stop bullying from management and you should get support from others ! If an office is not united sadly you will always be a target for bullying management

The biggest problem is the B&H procedure is weighted in the managements favour if you so much as confront one of them you are a troublemaker where as daily abuse and confrontation and intimidation is viewed in a different light against the postmen/women. Till this is all stopped and with the management closing ranks against the rank and file nothing will ever change look to Scotland and it's culture of bullying management this is a sign of things too come for all of us.

[General Mannerheim]

This one plan is a right load of shite,
We are No1 in the `acute` office list, yet we are always the first to have anything tried out in Royal Fail land, Park and Loop, the new booking in system for Callers office staff ,Revision after Revision and yet we are s**t apparently?
The geezer doing ours has been in and told us he's getting things back to basics and then only turns in 1 or 2 days a week and never on a Saturday ...guess getting back to basics only involves turning up now and again.

[Sugar]

I have to say unions were formed not by headquarters but by people in the workplace standing together to stop management from attacking workers.

There are hundreds of offices who would not put up with a bullying DOM who insist staff have to come in early or work their meal reliefs or if they don't complete their walks they get taken down the conduct code. If they did it in some of the offices I know the DOM would be the only one left in the office as the others will be at the gate.

There is a National Agreement called Dignity , Fairness and Respect at work. It was only agreed 2 years ago to ensure that

1 No one will be forced to work beyond their time.

2. A process for dealing with individuals who cannot complete a walk.

I understand some offices may not be united , but yo should flag up to your Area Rep or Divisional rep if you being forced to work before your time , your being forced not to have meal relief.

At a time when the union is looking at a 35 hour working week we should be allowing staff to be bullied to work above their hours which is for a full time around 36 hours 20 mins minus meal reliefs

I just wonder the density of CWU members in these units who are having to work more than there paid hours as it would not happen in my division and if it did it would not be for long.

Dingo simple answers.

Our unit in the last employee survey had a return of around 40% yes in the bullying and harassment question. Nothing was done about.

The unit is run off b&h with lots of pressure tactics employed by managers. OPG's are too scared to react or complain for fear or victimisation further down the line so do anything and everything to avoid speaking with managers about oversized duties or not completing on time that day.

Dignity and respect is a dirty word in the unit.

Branch and area rep are very weak and continually undermine the unit reps who themselves are reluctant to flag up the IR framework or put in disagreements because they'll ended up going nowhere are they are targeted by management and feel there is no support for them from the union as a whole. As for the Div rep, well I've seen some of their "shitty" responses to reps questions and queries.

The whole system is a joke. Reps need better support and training especially when dealing with managers and the legality of things. lets face it royal mail will train their own managers in a lot more than the union do especially when it comes to putting their own interpretation on an agreement. Unit reps work dam hard a lot of the time its those above who let them down.

[dvbuk55]

Unit reps work dam hard a lot of the time its those above who let them down.

Odd you should say that, my ex rep said only yesterday he'd had a disagreement in for 6 months over the FT/PT ratio now running at 55/65, a far cry from the 75/25 ratio touted as the optimum realisation, with absolutely no support from Area or Div. He actually quoted the dingo "grow a pair" advice, he stated having a pair wasn't the problem having the support from the hierarchy was. How difficult it is now for a rep with a workforce of FT/PT ratio so disproportionate when the PT members are reluctant to join the union. Surely the dimmest of union officials must see how unity is a long gone ideal when most of the workforce are being held to ransom on part time contracts and are reluctant to join the union.

[steve1873]

Unit reps work dam hard a lot of the time its those above who let them down.

Odd you should say that, my ex rep said only yesterday he'd had a disagreement in for 6 months over the FT/PT ratio now running at 55/65, a far cry from the 75/25 ratio touted as the optimum realisation, with absolutely no support from Area or Div. He actually quoted the dingo "grow a pair" advice, he stated having a pair wasn't the problem having the support from the hierarchy was. How difficult it is now for a rep with a workforce of FT/PT ratio so disproportionate when the PT members are reluctant to join the union. Surely the dimmest of union officials must see how unity is a long gone ideal when most of the workforce are being held to ransom on part time contracts and are reluctant to join the union.

The ratio can't be 55/65, so I will assume a typo and you mean 55/45?

[dvbuk55]

Unit reps work dam hard a lot of the time its those above who let them down.

Odd you should say that, my ex rep said only yesterday he'd had a disagreement in for 6 months over the FT/PT ratio now running at 55/65, a far cry from the 75/25 ratio touted as the optimum realisation, with absolutely no support from Area or Div. He actually quoted the dingo "grow a pair" advice, he stated having a pair wasn't the problem having the support from the hierarchy was. How difficult it is now for a rep with a workforce of FT/PT ratio so disproportionate when the PT members are reluctant to join the union. Surely the dimmest of union officials must see how unity is a long gone ideal when most of the workforce are being held to ransom on part time contracts and are reluctant to join the union.

The ratio can't be 55/65, so I will assume a typo and you mean 55/45?

How so? There are 55 full timers and 65 part timers - it's not a percentage, it's an actual breakdown of the workforce.

[trythat]

I see that RM have started the propaganda over this 'One Plan' to larger masses, it's in the courier. But as usual RM say one thing in one paragraph and then say something different in another. Looks just as I thought it supped up crappy WCM.

Be interesting to meet these 'champion' helpers when they come to the office and meet some of us sceptics.