latest Mount Pleasant Bulletin 30/3/17

[anna]

THE ONLY WAY TO GET THINGS SORTED
Fantastic! Doncaster Mail Centre workers walked out last Friday over the rude and unruly behaviour of managers. They said the last straw was when a workmate of 28yrs service was sacked over the phone, while off sick. He was told he had to take ill-health retirement - just the same as many of us are now being told! An "unofficial walkout" focused managers' minds immediately. They've undertaken to reform themselves(!) within 2 weeks. If they don't, the strike will be back on.

WE DON'T SEE THE BRANCH SIGNATURE?
This card which "is not a ballot paper" from the CWU says that "our branch" wants us to vote for certain candidates for the union leadership, i.e., the National and Postal Executive. And in case we're unable to understand this, they placed a red cross by each name. Incredible. They give no introductions, reasons, nor justifications, just tell us how we must vote. What do they think of us?

THEY'RE NOT FRATERNAL - THEY'RE PATERNAL!!
But it's worse when you read the back of the card where they offer an update on national negotiations. Yet again we're asked to blindly back the CWU's "alternative pension scheme", as it's "a fair deal... and addresses RM's concerns over cost" (???) but we've still had no details! Whereas RM has!
On all the rest, they say "Back your union". Yes, we're all for "union"! But what kind of a union asks for blind trust - as if members are kids and unable to judge for themselves!? We DO want to fight RM's cuts and attempts to turn us into a cheap, part-time, workforce! But collectively, consciously and with a full say over HOW we go about it! Surely.

TRUST ME, I'M A LEADER
Maybe one reason for this lack of accountability is that CWU top leaders (not local ones!) now need to defend their "Ground-breaking" Agreement, signed at the time of privatisation in October 2013. They tell us that this was why RM didn't break up and that legal guarantees protect us till 2019. Never mind that preventing privatisation was the only cast-iron guarantee! We voted overwhelmingly for a strike. Yet instead, they signed this Agreement. It was a groundbreaking mistake. They know it. Relying on a new "legal" guarantee would be another one.

WHAT IS THE "CWU"?
They say "it is only the CWU which will prevent Royal Mail from ruining our industry and slashing our terms and conditions". But by seeing this as "our" industry, when the bosses and big shareholders own it (!) they're again starting on the wrong foot, ignoring the reality of what we're up against. And just what is "the CWU"? The HQ machinery? The leaders? The activists? Or ALL of the members who, well-organised together, can fight the massive cuts which are looming?

PILING UP DUTIES
So the preference form is done and now we're expecting the EVRs to start at some point - packet sorting machine, or no packet-sorting machine!
But what really bothers us is that if 200 are to leave, how many will be left to do the work?! And why is it that there aren't any proposals to fight job cuts from CWU HQ - instead, they say they want to defend a "legal agreement" which actually allowed and still allows jobs to be cut?!

CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL
As we know, in Processing, managers are trying to get rid of light duties all together. Now they're sending us to be re-assessed by Occupational Health, when it's obvious in most cases that we're not fit to do heavier work or to stand - even for the 1½ hours of their little "experiment" - which is really designed to force us out the door!

LOST THEIR MINDS?
Yes, managers are out of order, saying that if workmates can't do packet-sorting (but isn't this to be taken over by a machine anyway!?), they must take medical retirement. There are plenty of jobs which don't require full physical strength - and apparently some, in "management" that don't require full mental strength either...!

SELF-DEFEATING "ECONOMIES"
In the meantime some are sent to do door-keeping because again, managers aren't providing the new full-time jobs required! And even so, early morning, doors remain shut way beyond opening times, giving us long walks and great annoyance!

WHAT'S THIS FOR?
What is this sort of half-automated small packet sorter which is being put in the place of one of the CFC machines? It was being built and rebuilt in the basement, and we have the impression that it's a back-breaker. Is it another of the HMP screws' little "experiments"?

MANAGEMENT SHUFFLE
So it's happening. With the EVR of 5 bosses there's a reshuffle from Earlies to Lates. Indeed, everybody and everything’s shifting to later... Next will be the later starts which RM wants. But what about the cut in the working day, with no loss of pay, which we want?

HOLIDAY CONFIRMATION IS URGENT
Why can't Romec's Jumbo tell us in good time if we're getting our holidays as requested? But since we had to book without knowing - well, we’ll just have to take these holidays as booked. Especially since some are for just a few weeks from now!

A GENEROUS GESTURE
Cheers, tho’, to the new Romec supervisor who did something no-one's done before: she gave a box of biscuits to each shift to say “thanks” for helping her settle in!

[jetblack]

A lot of this seems critical of the union.

I agree with some of it.

But what is it you are calling for here ? Greater democracy ? That is a laudible aim, I'll grant you. But bear in mind that a lot of members will likely take and vote for the £750 sweetener on offer, even though they'll be thousands down per annum in retirement if RM has its way on pensions.

Is this down to the CWU as well ?

Democracy is a nice dream - but FWIW positions within the union seem up for grabs to me. They are far from being the preserve of the privileged few - quite the opposite. The problem is, and has been, everyone is looking to someone else to fix the problem - and then complains when it all goes pear shaped.

Lets start pulling together - not turning in on ourselves.

Lets start participating - instead of waiting for Jesus. He isn't going to return.

[anna]

HI there, sorry if it sounds critical without offering anything... what you say is true - it would help though if those people without confidence but who would like to see change, got some encouragement... It's small things like organising regular open meetings where anyone can feel free to say what's on their minds, get answers to questions.

[baldrick]

HI there, sorry if it sounds critical without offering anything... what you say is true - it would help though if those people without confidence but who would like to see change, got some encouragement... It's small things like organising regular open meetings where anyone can feel free to say what's on their minds, get answers to questions.

That would be nice, but Management don't allow meetings on work premises, unless it is to approve something they want. The MP CWU branch has organised meetings outside, in the car park, or in the Church Hall in Exmouth Market before, but only a minority, less than 20%, attend.
People like to moan, but they don't want to give up their breaks to attend meetings.