'Cutting off', 'job and finish' - Spanish practices revealed

[POSTMAN]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... -Mail.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A refusal to reform outdated “Spanish practices” dating back to the 1970s is at the heart of the industrial dispute which threatens to bring Britain’s postal network to its knees.

By Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor

Typical Spanish practices - or inflexible working patterns - include “cutting off”, when postal workers finish their deliveries early and then refuse to do any more work for the rest of the day.

“Job and finish” is where staff go home early if they finish their round before the end of the day.



In some cases postal staff refuse to deliver an extra two streets to provide holiday cover or decline to accept revised delivery routes generated by computer-aided planning.

Workers are entitled to automatic overtime if mail volumes reach a certain level, guaranteed overtime at Christmas, and the right to refuse to work outside postcodes.

Earlier this summer Adam Crozier, the organisation’s chief executive, complained that in some mail centres there were “demarcation lines which date back decades”.

In another instance, distribution drivers were refusing “to work in the mail centre even when they have no driving to do but there is work in the mail centre which needs attention.”

Both Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union agreed to stamp out many of these practices two years ago as part of the deal to end the last national strike.

Yet slow progress has been made in reforming these outdated working practices. Two years ago, at the time of the last national strike, Mr Crozier claimed 92 out of 1,442 “Spanish practices” had still to be eradicated at the Royal Mail.

They included allowing staff to claim for overtime in two to three hour blocks, even though a far shorter period was actually worked, signing in and out at the same time and an automatic two hours’ overtime for working on Easter Saturday.

Yet many postal workers were not embarrassed about taking advantage of these Spanish practices to waste time and limit their workloads, according to an internet discussion forum, which professes to be independent of both Royal Mail and the CWU.

One worker boasted of how he wasted time by filling in “739” forms - which tell anyone who is not at home that they have a parcel to collect - while still at the sorting office, rather than on the doorstep once he had checked whether the recipient was at home.

[POSTMAN]

A slow news day,lets bring up an old article,rewrite it a bit and send it out.

Oh and for the record mr hope is on the site.

[Stormproof]

What a load of Bring in clocking in/off machines, I've nothing to hide and it'll piss the runners off.

They included allowing staff to claim for overtime in two to three hour blocks, even though a far shorter period was actually worked, signing in and out at the same time and an automatic two hours’ overtime for working on Easter Saturday.

Utter rubbish, I originally joined RM in the 80's and I never got automatic overtime for working on Easter Saturday, we could work Good Friday with options of either a day off or time and half if you wanted to work it, if I remember rightly.

[POSTMAN]

Yellow journalism,the term is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion, such as systematic political bias. Yellow journalism can also be the practice of over-dramatizing events.

Ethics and standards in practice

As with other ethical codes, there is a perennial concern that the standards of journalism are being ignored. One of the most controversial issues in modern reporting is media bias, especially on political issues, but also with regard to cultural and other issues. Sensationalism is also a common complaint. Minor factual errors are also extremely common, as almost anyone who is familiar with the subject of a particular report will quickly realize.

From outside the profession, the rise of news management contributes to the real possibility that news media may be deliberately manipulated. Selective reporting (spiking, double standards) are very commonly alleged against newspapers, and by their nature are forms of bias not easy to establish, or guard against.

Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media, in the selection of which events and stories are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" usually implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism.

Or as we say regularly on RMC,never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[concerned]

Hello Mr Hope, i thought journalists spent time actually researching the subject. Isnt that what makes journalism a challange? I think your article to be honest, was pathetic. Yes, being honest there are probably a few old skool posties who throw their rattle in the pram everytime their round is more than than normal,who are used to the old days of leaving early. But if you had done some research you would have found these practices barely exist these days and the vast majority are running around trying to peacefully deal with their workload. Do you 'cut off' each day - or do you stay at your desk 24/7? Cut off simply means finishing when you have worked your hours. So please, do me a favour - in future do some research and actually talk to people on both sides. That will provide readers with a balanced article and not one made up out of one sentance. And for the record, i do not work for RM, yes my teeny business is being affected with cheques held in the post. But to be quite frank Mr Hope, i am not a narrow minded pratt.

[Phantom]

I'm owed nearly 17 years back pay then if we all get automatic overtime payment at easter and christmas!

Typical Newspapers, getting it wrong every time!

[Pat Ostman]

A little knowledge is a very dangerous thing. As demonstrated by Mr Hope.

Totally one sided story, opinionated and worthless journalism.

[Pat Ostman]

Hello Mr Hope, i thought journalists spent time actually researching the subject. Isnt that what makes journalism a challange? I think your article to be honest, was pathetic. Yes, being honest there are probably a few old skool posties who throw their rattle in the pram everytime their round is more than than normal,who are used to the old days of leaving early. But if you had done some research you would have found these practices barely exist these days and the vast majority are running around trying to peacefully deal with their workload. Do you 'cut off' each day - or do you stay at your desk 24/7? Cut off simply means finishing when you have worked your hours. So please, do me a favour - in future do some research and actually talk to people on both sides. That will provide readers with a balanced article and not one made up out of one sentance. And for the record, i do not work for RM, yes my teeny business is being affected with cheques held in the post. But to be quite frank Mr Hope, i am not a narrow minded pratt.

[opgpat]

OMG.

This looks and reads like a transcribbed brief from Royal Mail PR to Mr Hope. He clearly has no journalistic integrity as the story is full of bias and has several points of clear factual error and quotes only one side of the dispute. THIS ISN"T JOURNALISM IT'S PROPAGANDA!

Especially shocking as Mr Hope appears to be the Telegraphs 'Royal Mail' correspondant'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hello Mr Hope, i thought journalists spent time actually researching the subject. Isnt that what makes journalism a challange? I think your article to be honest, was pathetic. Yes, being honest there are probably a few old skool posties who throw their rattle in the pram everytime their round is more than than normal,who are used to the old days of leaving early. But if you had done some research you would have found these practices barely exist these days and the vast majority are running around trying to peacefully deal with their workload. Do you 'cut off' each day - or do you stay at your desk 24/7? Cut off simply means finishing when you have worked your hours. So please, do me a favour - in future do some research and actually talk to people on both sides. That will provide readers with a balanced article and not one made up out of one sentance. And for the record, i do not work for RM, yes my teeny business is being affected with cheques held in the post. But to be quite frank Mr Hope, i am not a narrow minded pratt.

seconded - many thanks concerned your a gem

[TrueBlueTerrier]

OMG.

This looks and reads like a transcribbed brief from Royal Mail PR to Mr Hope. He clearly has no journalistic integrity as the story is full of bias and has several points of clear factual error and quotes only one side of the dispute. THIS ISN"T JOURNALISM IT'S PROPAGANDA!

Especially shocking as Mr Hope appears to be the Telegraphs 'Royal Mail' correspondent'

Are you sure you got that the right way rounds - I think a more accurate description is "Royal Mails Daily Telegraph Correspondence"

[concerned]

Well really, do you not think its about time now someone from the union publically spoke out about these Spanish Practices? Seriously, its almost 'slander'? Or legally look into it? At at least also point out that most of the time branch managers go home before their staff even finish? Im livid. And another thing, how many managers have lost their job since these staff cutbacks happened? And why, when a legal case was mounted against the manager of my local branch - did he get signed off indefinately sick and then moved to another branch when he had broken parts of the employment contract? Mr Hope - are you reading this? Maybe you could look into this?????

[opgpat]

I'm so incensed by this collection of lies i'm going to write to the Telegrahs letters page to see if they will publish a response.
Need to check a few 'facts' with anyone in the know:

He syas about Job and Finish but isn't this already over with the 'way forward agreement'? We we told by our managers 6months ago there is no more J&F and obviously with Pegasus revisions the realtiy is job and finish is impossible. More like unpaid OT.

'Workers are entitled to automatic overtime if mail volumes reach a certain level' What is he on about here? Is this a MC thing? I'm on deliveries. Or is it more fabrication? OT denied or not in the book is the world I live in.

'guaranteed overtime at Christmas, and the right to refuse to work outside postcodes' What's he on about anyone?

With regard to his quote about a Postie 'wast[ing] time by filling in “739” forms' obviously the guy is struggling to carry the packets as we all do at times and can do the job to the allowed time by managers only by cutting such corners.

IF ONLY OUR JOB WAS THIS CUSHY!

[andy2007]

I'm so incensed by this collection of lies i'm going to write to the Telegrahs letters page to see if they will publish a response.
Need to check a few 'facts' with anyone in the know:

He syas about Job and Finish but isn't this already over with the 'way forward agreement'? We we told by our managers 6months ago there is no more J&F and obviously with Pegasus revisions the realtiy is job and finish is impossible. More like unpaid OT.
No. It was supposed to be phased out, over several months, after the Pay and Modernisation Agreement. Although there are still some places, where people are allowed to finish early. Not that many people still can, without coming in early, from what I hear. In other words: They're working their full hours. But just starting and finishing early.

'Workers are entitled to automatic overtime if mail volumes reach a certain level' What is he on about here? Is this a MC thing? I'm on deliveries. Or is it more fabrication? OT denied or not in the book is the world I live in.
I've never heard of it. And I'm from an RDC. It could be specific to MCs (as you suggested), but I doubt it. Either it's a local thing, somewhere in the Country. Or it's a total fabrication (most likley explination IMHO).

'guaranteed overtime at Christmas, and the right to refuse to work outside postcodes' What's he on about anyone?
I don't know about refusals to work outside Postcodes, as I don't work in Deliveries. But we don't get garanteed overtime over Christmas. Unless you're counting the Scheduled Attendance (SA) that we have all year round. For covering Weekends, for example. We don't have anty permanent Duties for the SAWN Network.

With regard to his quote about a Postie 'wast[ing] time by filling in “739” forms' obviously the guy is struggling to carry the packets as we all do at times and can do the job to the allowed time by managers only by cutting such corners.

IF ONLY OUR JOB WAS THIS CUSHY!

[baldrick]

I'm so incensed by this collection of lies i'm going to write to the Telegrahs letters page to see if they will publish a response.
Need to check a few 'facts' with anyone in the know:

[/color]
'Workers are entitled to automatic overtime if mail volumes reach a certain level' What is he on about here? Is this a MC thing? I'm on deliveries. Or is it more fabrication? OT denied or not in the book is the world I live in.
I've never heard of it. And I'm from an RDC. It could be specific to MCs (as you suggested), but I doubt it. Either it's a local thing, somewhere in the Country. Or it's a total fabrication (most likley explination IMHO).


It certainly doesn't happen in my MC. It's the shift/production manager who decides if OT is needed to clear the work. There has been virtually no OT in my MC for the last year apart from the Xmas pressure period.

[/color]
With regard to his quote about a Postie 'wast[ing] time by filling in “739” forms' obviously the guy is struggling to carry the packets as we all do at times and can do the job to the allowed time by managers only by cutting such corners.

I thought the out of context quote was indicating that the postie was writing out the 739s to save time having to write them out on the doorstep, so he was saving time on delivery, not wasting time.

IF ONLY OUR JOB WAS THIS CUSHY!

Perhaps he should do a piece on lazy journos writing badly researched and innacurate so called reports,
instead of actually going out with a postie and finding out the truth. Could mention their inventive expenses claims and
exorbitant pay and overtime too.