Half hour flex!

[TeaBag]

The flexi half hour is voluntary and repaid within 7 days? Try telling Plymouth MDEC managers this. (Please excuse this mini-rant)!

The late shift often calls voluntary flexi, sometimes once a week, but on nights its compulsory and often called twice a week. It's only voluntary on lates if it's not too busy, but when mail volumes "dictate" and are very high we all have to stay. No questions. And this is whether it is unforeseen or not. There is obviously a resourcing problem somewhere, but that obviously doesn't come into the discussion. As always, we are continuously told that we accepted the £400 so have to "deal with it".

On lates, we are expected to stay the half hour as long as we are given 2 hours notice. If we do not stay, we are exempt from TOIL arrangements and any early leaving that now rarely happens across the shift. The early leaving system, where we can leave 10-20 minutes early (subject to shift manager permission and only if all the mail is cleared) is a "reward and recognition" for maintaining 92%+ QA for the week, hitting ROI targets and has now incorporated doing the flexi. I can understand a reward system to improve efficient and quality performance, but why bring flexi into it? Widening the goal posts even more? Again, RM expect more from keyers, despite most being well above the "gateway" expected.

The 30 minutes we work is rarely repaid within the 7 days, it is banked as TOIL, which you can only take by either
a) applying on the day for time off, but is dependent on mail volumes, or
b) book the half hour in advance based on holiday availability.
I personally have 3 hours of TOIL banked up in this way, and the earliest slot I can book time off is in January 2010! I have stated at times that I will only work the 30 mins if I can take the time on a specific day, but am always told its mail dependent. Sounds to me like enforced overtime, payable when it suits the company.

We have been shafted big time, and flexi in Plymouth MDEC is a complete farce. It has been ridiculously administered by management, but because union membership is low, Royal Mail are often able to do whatever the hell they want. If this is a taste of things to come, especially with the software drop in 2012, we're all screwed. And again, I think it will be a low turnout on strike day, further cementing RM's power in the workplace.

[Big Daz]

Does this not make the workforce think that it might be a good idea to join the CWU?

[TeaBag]

You would have thought so. Unfortunately I don't think people can see past having to spend £12 a month. Yet they will be the first ones to complain when working conditions get worse. Alot of the people in there need to open their eyes, they seem to think MDEC jobs are the safest, which in reality is a load of rubbish.

[Big Daz]

Technology and automation is never ending, if its possible to replace MDEC staff with machines then RM will sooner or later do that. Then the battle to get savings reinvested in the T and C of CWU Mbrs starts all over again.