Why we go strikes/or not

[barkersboy]

We have voted for strike action IF necessary. My question is WHY? Where I work in the company, harassment & bullying by our management is rife simply because our managers are being forced to meet unrealistic targets imposed by Royal Mail HQ. Our people work their 8 hour shifts to the minute, then cut off or feel obligated to our customers to give the extra 5 minutes to complete despatch. There is a drawback here because we give the extra 5 minutes once in a while now the managers ask for another 5 minutes more regularly.
To every postman out there,distribution, mdec, deliveries, sorting I ask you "Are you doing the work you are paid for" "Are you doing the hours you are paid for".
If you are continuing with or hope to continue with 'Spanish practices' "FORGET IT" Times have changed! The gravy chain is over.
I am a postman, I will work my hours. I will do my duty to the best of my ability. I will not do more hours than I am paid for. I do care for the public and our business customers. How i wish we were a public/business service.
If the government (labour or conservative) have decided we are a business they can not believe that the Universal Service is viable. Under any concievable business plan, there is no way that Royal Mail could deliver mail from Lands End to John O Groats for X pence per stamp. Any other system of postage charge would be unworkable.
Going back to WHY. If we as postal workers are above reproach we can change the current harassment/bullying by managers, we can put the pressure on government to get real,and we can win the battle to keep the post office as a public service.
I will be on strike. Everything in our unit is bad, disgusting and against tthe public. Are you sure you have the right Reasons for strike?

[andy2007]

Is anyone ever, above reproach?
But the fact is, that as you said yourself: The problems with the local Managers, are generally because of pressure from above. But does that mean that we should just accept what happens, because they're doing it out of fear and intimidation?
Or do we fight the root cause?

As for Spannish Practices. Well, we all work to 5 mins before our time (indoors), and only get the 5 mins, so we can drop off the Scuds and FLTs, in time for the next Shift to collect their keys. We have the basic breaks (40 mins Meal Relief, 20 mins Coffee Break). We also do "other meaningful work", if there's a lull in our own section. Which as I'm sure you appreciate, happens from time to time. But we're never idle, unless there's a major problem on the Motorways, and the Lorries are severely delayed. After all: We can't process the work, if it ain't there. But that's very rare.

[barkersboy]

[quote][/quote]
We have to fight the root cause. But we have to do it from a semi perfect base. We have to be doing what we do is right. If wed dont, we are as culpable as management.

[fishtank]

I have no sympathy for local managers.

They have made large bonuses since 2007 on the back of those below them.

Now that D.Os and MCs have been cut to the bone its a lot harder to make the savings asked for,this is their own bed and they can lie in it.

[barkersboy]

Yes. Just one if the things that are wrong within royal Mail. Not one of the managers in my unit has earned a bonus. In the main the postman has pulled the individual managers out of the crap. HOW/ by using years of experience in postal sorting and despatch. Our managers are known as 'post movers'. they shove the post into work areas and the postmen then deal with the mail as best as they can. Note that the managers disappear when the operational work is to be done. The managers know there will be problems along the line but they hope the postmen will solve the problem.
We postmen know we do the work and the local managers take the bonusses. I would rather have my concious knowing I have done my job than being a manager earning bonusses off the back of the real workers.