Will we get a yes vote?

[baldrick]

What did a drivers assistant do?

Some drivers (not all) in my MC had assistants. They were the ones with particularly
heavy firms collections, or where it was condidered necessary for security reasons.
I think about a half of the late drivers had assistants. There were 24 Van Assistants.
They used to spend the first four hours on facing or packet sorting then went out with
their drivers after 1600 on the collections.
They now have to spend the whole of their duty on facing and packet sorting. They
nearly all have 15-20 years service, and picked the van assistant duties to get out of the
MC for at least part of the day. At least one immediately took VR rather than spend all
day in the MC. A number of the late drivers have also opted to take VR as a result of
the pressure being put on them - which will result in their collections being done by
newer drivers who don't know the routes, or more collections being put on existing
routes, and mail arriving later back at the MC, with less time to process it.

[Pinky 1]

who in their right mind would vote NO ?

Cue NT - oh I forgot, he hasn't got a vote as he's not a CWU member.

[dvbuk55]

What did a drivers assistant do?

Maybe the same as an Assistant DOM

Wow - they'll be sorely missed then by the driver anyway.

Yep.....................they'll have to et their own coffee now

Seriously though dgp have you ever heard of a drivers assistant? I know Cashco used to use them but that was understandable.

[baldrick]

In Central London (not just Mount Pleasant) collection drivers do get assistants if
they have large firm's collections - and as there are a lot of banks, company headquarters,
and large mailing firms which have large numbers of mailbags to be collected, often from
premises at the top of multi-story buildings.

[dvbuk55]

In Central London (not just Mount Pleasant) collection drivers do get assistants if
they have large firm's collections - and as there are a lot of banks, company headquarters,
and large mailing firms which have large numbers of mailbags to be collected, often from
premises at the top of multi-story buildings.

Do Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh or any other major city with multi-storey buildings have them too?

[baldrick]

Of course they do, but I wouldn't know if RM drivers have assistants in other cities.
They should have if they have heavy firms collections or need assistants for security reasons.

Of course it also would depend on the amount of time allowed for each collection.
The drivers in my MC who had assistants generally have 3 minutes for each firms collection.
If you get a typical office building with 2 firms with 3-4 (often overweight) bags on the first
floor, one firm with 5-6 bags on the fourth floor, and two firms with 30-40 bags between them
on the sixth floor - plus all the specials at each firm that need to be counted, checked and signed
for, it is impossible to do this in the 15 minutes allocated on your own. Our Van assistants jobs
have been ceased by executive action, but the drivers are not being given any more time to
do the collections, which really should be retimed. And they are actually being given more
collections.

[norbert]

who in their right mind would vote NO ?

Cue NT - oh I forgot, he hasn't got a vote as he's not a CWU member.

- Not Private Fraser or Lord Hellmail

[Night Tonic]

No, not a CWU member but if you do manage to gain a wage rise or better conditions I'll benefit and I won't lose any money either. Isn't that the kind of stuff you love to hear? :)

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No, not a CWU member but if you do manage to gain a wage rise or better conditions I'll benefit and I won't lose any money either. Isn't that the kind of stuff you love to hear? :)

See Socialism in action aint it great.

[Night Tonic]

And tell me, how can RMC say "We have no affiliation with either Royal Mail or the Communications Workers Union (CWU), except that most of our members work for Royal Mail and/or are members of the CWU" when affiliate literally means "To adopt or accept as a member, subordinate associate, or branch?" - you can hardly be unaffiliated if most of us are members surely?? Oh well, not much makes sense anyway. least of all a yes vote.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

RMC as an entity has no affiliation with either organisation because it gets no support either financially or materially.

I as a member of RMC have an affiliation with the CWU because I am a member of that nationally recognised union, I also have an affiliation to Royal Mail because I am an employee.

The question of affiliation is shown by you not being a member of the CWU and "concerned" not being an employee of Royal Mail or a member of the CWU. It is possible in law for an organisation to be independent and its members affiliated or members of another organisation isn't it.

To adopt or accept as a member, subordinate associate, or branch?" - RMC has not been adopted, or accepted as a member, or as subordinate association of either RM or the CWU (in fact we have upset both at times) and we certainly are not a branch of anything.

[brothermagrew]

Well said Teebs

And IMHO RMC is a force for good