CWU UNIT REP PAYMENT

wolfie citizen smith · Post by **wolfie citizen smith** » 06 Dec 2008, 00:03

Can anybody inform me if they (as a unit rep) or a rep within there unit gets a payment from Royal Mail weekly just for being the unit rep. The reason why I ask is that i was under the impression that if you took on the role as a unit rep, it was done on a volentary basis and if your services were required by Royal Mail then they would cover your duty for the time needed to discuss things, unless your services were required over and above your duty hours then you would get payment for that time from Royal Mail...........or am i mistaken?????????????????

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 06 Dec 2008, 17:15

No payment from Royal Mail for being a unit rep mate,and yes it is done on a voluntary basis but you do get release time from your duty under the I/R framework if your dom needs to set up a meeting with you.He may have to get your walk covered if your on one,or he may offer you overtime to complete your walk after youve had the meeting or he may arrange to have the meeting during IPS time,he may even ask you to come in on your Rest Day and pay you docket.Theres lots of options and most of the time they will try the ones that cost them the least,so when your Dom wants a meeting make sure its on the best terms for you mate.

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 06 Dec 2008, 17:32

johnnyp wrote:No payment from Royal Mail for being a unit rep mate,and yes it is done on a voluntary basis but you do get release time from your duty under the I/R framework if your dom needs to set up a meeting with you.He may have to get your walk covered if your on one,or he may offer you overtime to complete your walk after youve had the meeting or he may arrange to have the meeting during IPS time,he may even ask you to come in on your Rest Day and pay you docket.Theres lots of options and most of the time they will try the ones that cost them the least,so when your Dom wants a meeting make sure its on the best terms for you mate.

I know that my DOM stamps his feet and then tells the rep he's going to flex him up (at the moment 4 or 5 times a week

).

Big Daz · Post by **Big Daz** » 07 Dec 2008, 07:42

Reps only get a Honorarium payment in my area from the branch, nothing from RML were the same as Johnny P says for doing union work.

Post by **dvbuk55** » 07 Dec 2008, 14:48

Big Daz wrote:Reps only get a Honorarium payment in my area from the branch, nothing from RML were the same as Johnny P says for doing union work.

What's a honorarium payment and how much is it? And the money the branch gets is from HQ and the money HQ gets is from us.

gaza1968 · Post by **gaza1968** » 07 Dec 2008, 16:29

As a sub area rep and a unit rep for over 12 years i can tell you i have not recived 1 penny from royal mail, what i have recived is many atenpts by managers to disapline/dismiss, in fact i have lost income by represeting my members, as when iam on full time release either covering the area rep or in negoations/joint projects i loose around £25 a week from loss of D2D income, on an average year this will come to around 20 weeks or £500 a year. the only money i recive from the union is my expences and money for attending a monthly meeting of £120 a year which takes aroung 40 hours of my own time for the year, its clear being a rep is not for the gains you recive but you belive in representing the members and there intrests, for all who stand on the sidelines criticising unit rep beliving that we are in it for an easy time or the money you could not be further from the truth, most reps do it because the strongly belive in the princibles of trade unionism. Remember we are elected every year so if you fancy a go stand for election

shelanda · Post by **shelanda** » 07 Dec 2008, 16:35

Well said the times I lose my rest day the evenings spent on research the sundays unpaid returning from events etc. etc. but I do it because I believe in justice for all, even those that continually slag us off. But if anyone wants to replace me then they are welcome to the stress!!!

wolfie citizen smith · Post by **wolfie citizen smith** » 07 Dec 2008, 17:18

Well I can asure you all that have responded, I have been a rep in the past never to recieve a payment, however our current unit rep gets 2 hours S/A payment a day for 5 days, Monday to Friday. The rep also is on a walk the best in the office and has every saturday off...the rep holds 25 hours S/A and has books all at S/A rate. I was under the impression that you could hold S/A's but any that are over and above 12 hours has to be booked at pressure.....I have now had enough of this rep taking liberties and have completed a grievance report and I am considering a email to headquaters, however I'm a bit concerned if my complaint gets passed down to our area rep because they are as bad if not worse than our unit rep.. what a dilema
sorry about spelling mistakes

shelanda · Post by **shelanda** » 07 Dec 2008, 17:29

I must be lucky then cos I know that if anyone complained about any of our reps it would be thoroughly investigated whoever they were. I do think tho sometimes that things are never quite as black and white as they seem and some reps get the SA payment cos they always done them and yet cannot cos of their workload (I am not for 1 minute saying this is the case with your rep as I don't know) and I think that it can be in the offices interest if reps have smaller rounds as it gives them time to deal with problems without it meaning that they are still delivering when everyone else has been finished for ages, they have a life too, also it can be distracting knowing they have a lot of work ahead of them. Unfortunately this does not happen (often).

Big Daz · Post by **Big Daz** » 07 Dec 2008, 17:30

dvbuk55 wrote:
Big Daz wrote:Reps only get a Honorarium payment in my area from the branch, nothing from RML were the same as Johnny P says for doing union work.
What's a honorarium payment and how much is it? And the money the branch gets is from HQ and the money HQ gets is from us.

Its basically a thank you payment for all the hard work a rep has put in during the preceeding 12 months, the amount varies as well some union rep jobs get a bigger payment than others rather than a equal amount for union rep jobs. Also I belive if somebody holds two or more union rep jobs they only get payment for one rather than 2 or 3 or whatever amount of union rep jobs they may hold. So as I local rep and a political officer I only get the political officer payment and nothing for local rep.

As to whether or not all branches do a honorarium payment, I havent got a clue.

wolfie citizen smith · Post by **wolfie citizen smith** » 07 Dec 2008, 18:30

linkinpark wrote:Thank f*ck for our local reps! we love most all of you for the thankless, unpaid, hard, put on your shoulders job you do for many of your waking hours!
And each and every one of you deserves more than the sh*t you get from members who wont listen and management that take the piss and that you get in the neck every day of your working life! With all the other CWU REPS in the MCs,DOs, and Post office counters like H&S Learning reps and commitee members you are awesome and i thank you!

I was'nt talking about reps that do there role for free and enjoy that work. I should know I was one of them. I was talking about our unit rep who seems to believe its a free ride to earn extra money for nothing and enjoy rubbing our noses in it

gaza1968 · Post by **gaza1968** » 07 Dec 2008, 18:59

wolfie citizen smith wrote:Well I can asure you all that have responded, I have been a rep in the past never to recieve a payment, however our current unit rep gets 2 hours S/A payment a day for 5 days, Monday to Friday. The rep also is on a walk the best in the office and has every saturday off...the rep holds 25 hours S/A and has books all at S/A rate. I was under the impression that you could hold S/A's but any that are over and above 12 hours has to be booked at pressure.....I have now had enough of this rep taking liberties and have completed a grievance report and I am considering a email to headquaters, however I'm a bit concerned if my complaint gets passed down to our area rep because they are as bad if not worse than our unit rep.. what a dilema
sorry about spelling mistakes

Come on if he/she is that bad why dont you or another member stand against him/her put up or shut up

Big Daz · Post by **Big Daz** » 07 Dec 2008, 19:09

I wish the members in my office would do that, I want to step down and just do the job of political officer. Plenty of issues for a new rep to deal with just over the horizon and its also a chance to re negotiate anything they dont like or negotiate the introductioon of things they think should be happening.

wolfie citizen smith · Post by **wolfie citizen smith** » 07 Dec 2008, 19:11

gaza1968 wrote:
wolfie citizen smith wrote:Well I can asure you all that have responded, I have been a rep in the past never to recieve a payment, however our current unit rep gets 2 hours S/A payment a day for 5 days, Monday to Friday. The rep also is on a walk the best in the office and has every saturday off...the rep holds 25 hours S/A and has books all at S/A rate. I was under the impression that you could hold S/A's but any that are over and above 12 hours has to be booked at pressure.....I have now had enough of this rep taking liberties and have completed a grievance report and I am considering a email to headquaters, however I'm a bit concerned if my complaint gets passed down to our area rep because they are as bad if not worse than our unit rep.. what a dilema
sorry about spelling mistakes
Come on if he/she is that bad why dont you or another member stand against him/her put up or shut up

DONT WORRY BRUV IT ALL STARTS MONDAY

I;LL BE GLAD TO TELL YO THE OUTCOME

Big Daz · Post by **Big Daz** » 07 Dec 2008, 19:23

Yep nominations open in my branch Monday morning, the notices are up on all notice boards ive started telling the mbrs and theve got untill early feb to put in for local rep.

Persoanlly im putting back in for political officer as its something I can do (except meetings and other events) in the comfort of my own home.

My branch committe has agreed to put a motion to our branch AGM to set up a campaign group to deal with any issues we may need to run a campaign on which will consist of the three Area IR reps , political officer and Branch sec and branch chair.