10/06/26 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi, here's the Mount Pleasant bulletin of 10 June... comments welcome.

WE REJECT THE UNION LEADERSHIP!
The union leaders tell us that the result of their ballot
showed a "majority" (65.4%) voted for the cuts to the
USO! That's a lie. The turnout was only 32.9% - a
record low! In fact, less than 22% of us (65% of 32.9%)
actually voted for this deal! Around 78% (~70,000 of
us) didn't vote, or voted against - not counting mates
who've left the union or not joined! If these results
show anything, it's that we have no confidence in the
union leadership. As for us opposing ALL of RM's cuts
- that goes without saying.

NOT A CLUE
The CWU leadership still claims its agreement was
"overwhelmingly accepted" - Dave Ward even said the
low turnout "shows members didn't feel it was right to
vote against the deal, because they know change
needs to happen"!! What a fool.

YES, IT'S A SELL OUT!
This time, the "changes" Ward has agreed to include
new starters on Deliveries on a 2nd Tier, cuts in
deliveries, with knock-on effects on Processing,
Distribution, etc. Ward goes on to say that"the CWU
accepts that without USO reform the company won't
survive and prosper" ... At least he's clear on which
side he stands - because we know that the company
only "prospers" by trying to turn the screw on us!

OUR WAGES NEED TO CATCH-UP!
On EC Deliveries, DUMs are already busy cutting the
Scheduled Attendance on Saturdays and cutting parts
of the Sunday Night shift. Some of us worked these on
overtime, simply to make ends meet!

THEY NEED US
DUMs in EC are trying to cut wages - starting by
cutting 130 hours of overtime and trying to pile more
work into our contracted hours. But we are not having
it! Anyway their plan will just end up adding to the
mountain of undelivered mail...

WE NEED TO DECIDE WHEN TO START!
Distribution drivers who start their shifts between
11.30pm and 12.15am have had enough. There's no
proper transport to come to work that late and the
traffic at 8-9am when we try to return with our 7.5Ts is
impossible. We get back home so late, that our entire
day is messed up! Management cut air mail to save
money and now lorries transporting mail arrive too
late at the Mount - which is why we've had these late
starts. But why should we pay for RM's cost-cutting?!

LET'S MEET AND DECIDE!
And it's not just Distribution managers who are
screwing up our shifts: on Processing, they keep trying
to push more and more of us to work weekends! And
then managers have the cheek to talk (and put up
posters) about the importance of the "work/life
balance"? Sure, we do mind about our work/life
balance, which is why we are the ones who need to
decide which shift patterns and start/end times are
convenient for us!

THEY HAVE NO PLAN
In fact, regular shift patterns have gone out the
window: we do not start at the same time, we don't
have breaks all together, etc., etc... And we know this
is due to managers trying to fill all the gaps in their
chaotic postal service (non-)plan - and they're still
failing!

THEY NEED THEM!
By the way, this week on Processing Lates, we were
asked yet again to move to any odd area, that had
nothing to do with our normal duties, as we were all
reserves. This was probably due to an even worse
shortage of workers on the shop floor than usual, since
casuals were not brought in. And it goes to show that
casuals are needed... permanently! And on contracts
to match!

SHORT, AGAIN SHORT!
RM-PFS has messed-up cleaners' Night shift pay...
again!! In fact, they've got it wrong on and off since
last year... always under-paying us, of course, not the
other way around. In November, our pay was so short,
managers had to pay us from an emergency fund until
the issue was resolved! If RM-PFS keeps screwing up,
let them pay us from their emergency fund until they
get it right!

H&S NOT DOWN TO LUCK!
A few weeks ago on the Platform, a workmate fainted
and hit his head. Fortunately, another workmate
trained in first aid was around and could help! But we
can't leave this to chance. A trained first aider on the
Platform on Nights needs to be there permanently!

THERE IS LOTS OF CASH IN RM'S COFFERS
While we're still waiting for the 3% peanuts to appear
in our pay slip, it was bonus time for managers a
couple of weeks ago. And we heard some of them
made a few grand from our sweat, blood and tears. So
the company can find the money when it comes to
these useless, hot-air blowing, headless chickens?
Good to know, next time management claims poverty!

A SMOKING "JOINT"?
Ward is so concerned for the future of "the company",
that he's now launching a "joint campaign" with RM
bosses for a "level playing field" in the delivery sector.
This campaign is meant to get the government to end
self-employment in other companies, so that RM can
win a larger share of the parcel market... when RM
already has its full 10 fingers in the gig-economy pie,
employing drivers as bogus self-employed in
ParcelForce and eCourier!