latest from Mount Pleasant wf bulletin!

[anna]

Hi there!

Here is the latest bulletin - shocking news is the jobs cuts (200-300) - these workers supposedly being replaced by a future packet sorting machine. But drastically shorthanded right now; "resign for SA" happening before resign for other jobs - how? And yes we know some places don't even have SA but this is still a huge central London office...

NO MORE JOB CUTS!
Another 200-300 MP jobs to go on "voluntary redundancy"? How can that be? There can (surely!!) be no agreement on any VR - that is, the LOSS of F-T jobs! But one mandatory condition for any more of us to leave on VR has to be that all part-timers are offered full time jobs!
Why should part-timers have to eke out a living, by doing several jobs, or relying on exceptional OT? What's more, there's a definite shortage of hands across the board at present. (Here, and in other offices.) So, new sorting machine or not, how can anyone call this a "redundancy situation"?

NOBODY ADAM AND EVES IT
Actually we're pretty shocked that HMP Screws think that they can dispense with so many of us! Or that they imagine that a new packet-sorting machine can take over all these human jobs!
But maybe even they don't fully believe it: they're talking about a "gradual" release of workmates. Yeah, we can safely bet that this machine, like all others, is going to introduce chaos. And more hands will be needed to put things right, than we even have at the moment!

BORN AGAIN UNION LEADERS?
Re our "future": has anyone seen the CWU video on "the challenges of 2017"? We started yawning in the very first minute, as Terry Pullinger tried hard to convince (himself?) that RM and us workers have the same interests… On and on, he went, worrying that "RM is shifting away from our agreements, which are meant to be based on mutual interest", warning us that RM is "seemingly favouring just chasing profits and feeding shareholders". We know he wasn't born yesterday, so he must somehow have managed to get himself "reborn" ?!

THEIR "PILLARS" IN FEWER WORDS
Yes, we need a solution for pensions. But in (a lot) fewer words, it means we have to fight together to restore the Defined Benefit scheme for all, ASAP! Defined Contribution schemes which guarantee nothing definite, should never have been created and must be replaced!
And yes, we could do with reduced working hours: a 35-hour week with no loss of pay. But one condition must be that all part-timers are made up to F-T. Yet RM - and we all know this - wants a fully part-time workforce - and would like them to be on zero-hours contracts if it can get away with it!

WHAT ABOUT CASUALS IN RM RIGHT NOW?
Yes here's the proof: the casual workers who have been slipped in here and there throughout the past few years! This was (surely?) never agreed by any self-respecting union official? Yet casuals are right now being used and abused in processing jobs in places like Greenford and elsewhere (and constantly abused on deliveries and in Romec cleaning!). What has the CWU HQ been signing up to, behind our backs already, in its twisted, "mutual interest", delusional "partnership"??

THOSE PILLARS WE CAN SMASH
So never mind all this talk about "pillars of security", in CWU-RM official-speak - the extension of the "legally binding" (their law, not ours) and strings-attached agreement beyond 2019 is not what we'd call security!
They talk of a "pipeline" (?*!) to ensure RM stays competitive... But we know it simply means, ensuring fewer workers are doing more for less - and offering us poverty in retirement. That is how RM plans to stay competitive!

THE HERME-NISATION OF RM?
Yes, when Work Time Sleeping was used to tell us in "scandalised tones" how Hermes is undercutting RM by making its drivers pay for their own van-running costs, out of their minimum wage... they let the cat out of the bag. The GMB union, which just had Uber prosecuted, is taking Hermes to court. RM is watching closely. Because they'd love to get away with murder - of our (already poor) Ts&Cs!

LIGHT DUTIES MEANS LIGHT DUTIES!
Not only do managers not understand the meaning of "light duties", but they're also inventing new retirement rules! They keep asking workers on light duties to do 1 hour or more on packets. And if they refuse, they're told they can take "health retirement" - whatever that means! But doesn't moving anyone off light duties require a medical review? Did HMP Screws ask for a doctor's opinion beforehand?

FRENCH NIGHTS
We're now utterly and chaotically short of hands on nights, after the last round of EVRs. It's resulted in havoc! Never you mind, though. This didn't stop managers from dumping a pile of packets destined for France on us! They definitely need a "coup de pied au derrière!" [Trans: kick in the backside]

WHEN BB BUZZES IN "COURT"
We had two nights of relative calm last week, and above all, no buzzing in our ears… B-Bee was buzzing the "judges" at a hearing. If more acting managers who're keen on keeping him buzzy at hearings will come forward, please, it'd be much appreciated!

GO! PETERBOROUGH!
We were very happy to see that workers at Peterborough walked out and then held daily gate meetings (for several days?) because they were being disciplined for finishing and going. Sure, we know that a dirty deal was signed up to some years back over "working your hours" but when work is finished, enforcing this is petty and bloody-minded on managers' part. We need to bring back "finish and go" for everyone!
(PS: we're "finished" with Bob, we'd like him to go!)

ROMEC UP TO NO GOOD
What were Romec managers plotting during that very long meeting - which they obviously found such hard work...? And why didn't they invite the union partners?

LIES AND STATISTICS
Let RM just dare tell us once more that letters are down and therefore further cuts are justified (to increase shareholders' dividends)! Latest figures show packets up another 2% and GLS revenue up 9%! These more than compensate for any relative falls...

[jetblack]

THEIR "PILLARS" IN FEWER WORDS
Yes, we need a solution for pensions. But in (a lot) fewer words, it means we have to fight together to restore the Defined Benefit scheme for all, ASAP! Defined Contribution schemes which guarantee nothing definite, should never have been created and must be replaced!

I'd tend to agree with you - but I'm not sure that its a solution that is realistically on the table.

Slightly different 'solution" - how about the risk is split between the employer and the employee ? Between DB and DC. For ALL employees.

Then all we have to negotiate with the employer is where the line is drawn - that is, what percentage should be guaranteed (by RM) vs what risk should be borne by the employee in the DC type scheme.

And, just thinking aloud here, the contributions made by the employee (and employer) into the DC side of the scheme should be able to be invested by the employee as they see fit. That is, they should not be limited to RM approved providers/funds. ie. the employer contributions into the DC section of the pension would, for all practical purposes, be not too much different to a pay increase. This would only be right and proper given that the employee are now taking responsibilty for, lets say, 40% of their own pension provision.

[postslippete]

Reading this, it alway seems that it is the largest Royal Mail offices that get hit the worst. Maybe its because it has larger numbers of staff and therefore payroll, that they are always cost cutting...


It happens at our place. Increased numbers of part-timers, impossible indoor work plans, more daft lapsing, managers doing deliveries everyday and every scrap of overtime closely scrutinised by the hour every week. Great place to work?? Im afraid my employee survey is going to say NO

[cloherty1976]

How do the 300 senior boys and girls think about the VR on there DB pensions. They might see it a little different and think xmas might have come early.