16/07/2019 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi, find below the Mount Pleasant bulletin of the 17th of July - the back and front pages are attached. Comments welcome!

NEW LEADERS, YES: US!
So we've received our ballot paper for the CWU's National
union elections – with a letter from the union here at MP
reminding us that we need a stronger union to face RM's
attacks – yes, and a real union through which we can
organise our fights!
By the way, we noticed there are hardly any new faces
and not one of them has mentioned the word “fight” – not
in the way we mean it... And some of the candidates
sound more like they're applying for a position on RM's
board...

RM'S AMAZONISATION: DEFORESTATION!
We wonder how they could mention 20,000 jobs going
without proposing a fight back? Especially when one
candidate even told us there'd be no VRs offered... What's
that supposed to mean? Anyway, if what he says is true,
what are we waiting for? Shouldn't we already be on
strike?

WE NEED AN UPDATE
The rumour mill keeps grinding... now we hear that
Romford MC will “definitely” close and that some mates
there might end up here at HMP. But we know they had a
union meeting on the 10th of July, so why should we rely
on hearsay? When will we get a report-back??

MORE WHITE ELEPHANTS
We know it's impossible to fit a large parcel-sorting
machine in this place. And now we're told that one of the
ILSMs will be removed, to be replaced by a small parcelsorter.
Well and good. However we've also been told that
these machines don't actually work. But never mind, that
shouldn't be a problem: neither do the managers.

WHERE TO LUMP
What do managers think they're doing on nights? They've
lumped together tracked and normal large packets and cut
our numbers from 9 to 6 workers – our backs, arms and
legs have noticed the change! We're left with no choice
but to lump together many more minutes on our breaks
then...

WE WON'T SORT OUT THEIR MESS
And managers dare to ask why there are mis-sorts on
packets? We can give them a simple hint: more work with
less hands = an ugly mess. And since their re-sign was
just about cutting our numbers to do more work, the ugly
mess is here to stay!

WE'VE SAID IT AND WE'LL SAY IT AGAIN
Why should managers need 6 months to review the extra
8hrs they've given to us part-timers? It's obvious we're
needed everywhere on every shift – not only on Nights and
Saturdays? We know managers are slow, but this is wilful
delay! We need these 8hrs in our contracts now and for all
of us!

SHAMBOLAND
The latest “trick” due to the re-sign shambles is to ask
processing mates to cover collections if we have a driving
licence! Of course if we do go driving, at least it gives us a
welcome change of scenery (one without managers'
faces)...

WHERE'S THE ALLOWANCE?
And by the way, we haven't forgotten that managers got
away with introducing a 2nd Tier among drivers by cutting
the driving allowance for all new recruits... Not ok: same
work, same pay – period.

...AND WHEN OUR HEARTS STOP
Why do we not have defibrillators on every floor of the
main MP building? The suits have them in 185, so what
about the workers? What's more, if there were
defibrillators everywhere as they should be, they'd provide
a vital public resource – since MP is "open" virtually 24/7...

OPEN THE DOORS... AND THE JOBS!
How many doorkeepers are left "keeping doors" these
days? One by one, mates have departed and managers
failed to replace them. Instead, they've just made those
who remain cover more doors or they've shut the doors for
good – or only open them late/for a few hours. Since doorkeeping
has always been the kind of job we can take when
we're older, but not yet ready to retire, this loss leaves us
with virtually no options...

BRING BACK THE EXPERTS!
It's extremely annoying that those of us left on the morning
shift, on top of 3rd class (not a typo!) have to sort all the
"left-overs". And we also have to try to decipher illegible
addresses, since the experts in this field are long gone
thanks to RM's injudicious cuts. Is there any way they can
be "tracked" and brought back? We need them!

BEE MIGHT FLY
Sounds like B the B might buzz off somewhere else soon.
So we might actually get to work in peace on the late shift
now, rather than have to waste our time swatting him
away...

ORNAMENTAL CARP
It's not hard to notice the shrinking food portions in the
canteen... did Quadrant bosses think we wouldn't? A
portion of fish and chips, just like most other things we buy
these days, is smaller, but costs the same... In fact the
battered fish is more like a fish finger!