Workers Fight Mount Pleasant 25/2/16 (sorry so late I forgot to post it )
MORE LIKE A POST-MORTEM?
So Dave Ward got his photo opportunity outside the Mount with his "battle bus". A shame he came to talk about the anti-union Bill when it was already about to become law! He sounded like a widow speaking at a wake - after the union campaign’s funeral! The Bill, on the other hand, is very much alive and out to kick us...
ANSWER THIS ONE PLEASE!
What's more, we wondered how come these guys came to tell us to "be against" this anti-strike bill, when they never suggested any actual mobilisation or fight and when they themselves recommended a "no-strike" agreement with their “RM business partners” 3 years ago?
A WAY TO HOLD THE UNION TO ACCOUNT?
Of course we have to fight this law – and break it! And we can! But what's the biggest worry for the union bureaucrats (Dave said it!)? The threatened loss of the "check-off system" in the public sector, whereby union dues are deducted by the boss from our pay and paid to the union (for a fee!). They're afraid of losing subs… but more importantly, that "special relationship"!
SECRECY UNDERMINES EVERYTHING!
The union guys are preparing for pay talks according to the Voice - the 3-year deal runs out in March - in just a few weeks time - but they're saying absolutely nothing concrete! It's all "secret", behind closed doors. Well that's not right! Open those bloody doors!
ONLY ONE WAY TO GET THEM OUT OF BED
Of course it's nothing new that the union leadership behaves like the bedfellows of the bosses. They'll stay in that cosy bed until we sort out (literally) and walk out on our own steam and with the representation we trust.
GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK
Another band of brothers and sisters is leaving on EVR - they'll be gone by 7 March! But we're hearing rumours of yet more redundancies. And since we don't see anyone being replaced, we wonder if RM is planning to substitute them - and us - with these new machines..?
WHO NEEDS LUDDITES?
Yes, in a recent WTS we were shown one which is being piloted in Bristol - and, oh wonder of all wonders, this tunnel shaped and laser bedecked machine is to sort packets!! Well sorry, but we expect the usual stupidity from RM: trying to save on maintenance, compatible software, etc., meaning they'll end up with a train crash...
LATES MATES
Wouldn’t be nice if there were more union reps around the place, particularly on Lates? Why can't we elect more? Obviously, Lates is when we need reps the most, since this is when big volumes come in (often all at once!) creating conflict and chaos which can last well into the night - and when we often have to "mount" our own impromptu resistance!
WHERE’S OUR PUDDING AND PIE?
By the way, we seem to have lost a long-standing Romec full-time official all of a sudden! No party, no kisses. Like the nursery rhyme: when Georgie Porgie ran away... he didn't even say goodbye!
WE’LL MAKE LIGHT WORK
We think it's pretty clear to everyone in HMP: some of us can’t physically do heavy duties. But managers are nevertheless refusing to put us on lighter work. So the only way round it, is for us to take as many breaks as we need. Too bad for them if their bonuses go to hell!
NOT WORKER BEES
Bob The Builder has recruited his favourite sub-bees from the night hive to become unofficial acting managers to do useless mail counting. We wouldn't mind, if it wasn't for the constant buzzing noise coming from this small army of drones!
OF MICE AND MEN
Talking of nights, why are we stuck on them, when we've been asking over and over, to move to days? In fact we thought managers actually wanted fewer of us on nights. Not that we're in favour of job cuts – we want others to take our places, of course, and many might want the night premiums anyway. That said, Homo sapien isn't a nocturnal animal – if they wish to have workers on nights, they can try asking Mus musculus, our nocturnal furry friends from downstairs.
BRAIN SURGERY
Of course we make jokes about Buzzy Bee. But after the incident of him switching off the fire alarms, (something he also did at Nine Elms), it’s hard to find much to laugh about. He really does need his little bee-brain seen to, by appropriate therapists… And what about the managers who appointed him to this job? They certainly need their heads examined!
HE’S NO MATE, NOR CHINA PLATE!
In the French language, it's not a "bull" but an "elephant" that you wouldn't let loose in a China shop… So accordingly, us cleaners are demanding that the Romec elephant get out of our shop! PS: he's no china!
WHO'S BEEN TAKING MY YORKIE?
Sometimes on the platforms, we feel like we've landed inside the story of the Three Bears. We arrive to find that Goldilocks has been in our house! And when faced with the 3 types of Yorkie – one with Small, Wee packets, one with Middle-sized packets and one with the Great, Huge packets, instead of taking the York with the little, wee packets, (as she does in the story book!), she's been taking the Yorks with the big ones! Leaving us (very annoyed) Bears with the much more onerous others…
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