Posties work on after their pay is stopped

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... 5739594.jp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THREE Peterborough postal workers have pledged to continue working – despite having their pay stopped by Royal Mail bosses.
Lee Lennon-Banks, David Bull and Steve Goodley were told by bosses at the Royal Mail sorting office, in Papyrus Road, they had not fulfilled standards.

However, the trio – who have worked for the Royal Mail for a combined total of 45 years – claimed they had never been told what standards they were meant to match.

Despite having their pay stopped, the three are still coming to work – even though they have been confined to duties in the depot. However, they will stop work next Thursday and Friday when postal workers hold a national strike.

Mr Goodley (34), of Magee Road, Walton, Peterborough, said: "I was called in to see the managers at 6am yesterday and told I was not working hard enough, and that my pay was being stopped.

"I have been working here for 12 years, and I am working as hard now as I always have.

"We have been given an unmanageable work load, which we have no chance of reaching."

Mr Lennon-Banks (31), of Benland, Bretton, Peterborough, added: "People are scared to go for a break at the moment for fear of not getting their work done."

Mr Bull, (38), of Cranemore, Werrington, Peterborough, who has been a postie for 22 years, said: "I believe I have done nothing wrong, so I will continue to do my job and serve the public."

Area representative for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) Mark Cooke said: "There have been no agreed standards, so the three workers have not been told what they have done wrong. We will be taking the cases to an employment tribunal. All the three want to do is deliver mail to the public."

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "At a time when mail volumes are falling by about 10 per cent annually, Royal Mail has no alternative but to cease pay to a very small number of individuals who have, after a series of discussions with and repeated requests from their managers, refused to work flexibly in the ways already agreed by the CWU, in the presence of the TUC, in the 2007 Pay and Modernisation agreement."

[k979aaa]

They have too work on as they would be in breech of contract but royalmail are also in breech of contract as non payment of wages is a serious breech of working rights!.

[islfor]

They should stop all Managers pay as they dont do sod all, only bully & drink coffee all morning.

[pickaname]

An example of pure evil

[NoSurrenderX]

Total disgrace!!! My van broke down on delivery this afternoon..I called the office to report it at 12:30pm and guess what?? The manager had gone home for the day and thats from a 6:30am start!! :mfo Total and utter joke. :cfo

[HESS]

Same thing happened to 2 local DO's up my way (Ayrshire)...posted it on here on a thread marked "where is our union"...!! Area rep sought advice from regional then national union officials,but to no avail...!! Poor bastards all over the country are being hung out to dry.....!! Well done to those troops staying in work ...can't be easy..!! Hopefully National IA will sort this s**t out....?

[IWW Fellow Worker]

Total disgrace!!! My van broke down on delivery this afternoon..I called the office to report it at 12:30pm and guess what?? The manager had gone home for the day and thats from a 6:30am start!! :mfo Total and utter joke. :cfo

Stayed late then did he?

[Body Beyond Repair]

Hess as you know my office was one and my good friend was another where this occured 4 weeks ago,as you mention not much help comming from national officers after area rep seeked advice on the issue.The local rep advised the 3 to continue working for the day so not breacing their contract while he wrote up a disagreement on the issue of forcing compulsary overtime.RM in there wisdom ploughed ahead with there imposition of the unagreed procedure so the 3 lads requested grievance forms to fill in and will wait the mandatory 28 days before starting proceeding after this for an employee triburnal.

[Tamsky]

All of these tactics are issued from "the Bunker" in a command and control stategy that is meant to intimidate staff. Many DOM's hang their heads in shame when faced with forcing the instructions, however some DOMs relish the opportunity to humiliate postal workers at every opportunity.

I have witnessed behaviour by managers recently that would make Genghis Khan blush. Not doubt these are the type that pulled the wings off daddy long legs when they were boys, this sadism has developed and flourished under the active encouragement of the Dark Lord Mandelson and the spiv Crozier. Have they no shame?

As I understand the situation members have to exhaust the IR Framework (while it lasts) and the Individual grievance procedure (while it lasts). If the matter is unresolved through the agreed process members can pursue the employer by application to an Employment Tribunal where an award may be made. Seek advice from a Rep (while they exist).

In the meantime I would not advocate turning the other cheek. Support Your Union by joining the picket line, only together can we beat the bullies.

[Body Beyond Repair]

[mailsort6]

By not paying these 3 people their wages is a fundermental breach of contract, if they work the hours they suppose to stated within their contracts. The implied or express terms of their contract of employment is that they should be paid for the contractual hours they work. RM might also be in breach of the Employment Rights Act 1996, if a employee is not up to a certain standard the employee is suppose to be retrained and if they do not improve you give them a written warning, RM are not following procedures again.

[La Poste]

That's right,if you download the conduct code it specifically states the first thing management should do is have a face to face and advice you on how your standards should be improved. They should offer encouragement and advice on improving your standards, it's there in black and white.

http://www.glosamal.co.uk/Docs/Conduct% ... eement.pdf

See page 12.

[Big Daz]

When we signed our contracts did they specify work standards, if not there can be no breach of contract on the part of our comrades!!

:cfo :mfo

[stokes11eg]

Get the union in to fight for these boys NOW!!!!

[simonj12]

I'd like to know more about RMs official procedures but I dare say that the fag packet it's written on is lying in a bin somewhere. From my training as a PFWW manager a few years ago (now ex I hasten to add), this would be a classic situation to consider whether to implement either the conduct code or the capability procedure depending on whether the poor performance was down to the employee's attitude or genuine inability to do the job. If indeed there is any poor performance which I seriously doubt the more I learn about this disagreement. Both these courses consist of 3 stages: informal warning; formal warning; consideration of dismissal, except in extreme circumstances. The only occasions I stopped anybody's pay was mostly for AWOL (nearly always for not phoning in sick and then failing to turn up) and once to an employee who turned up to work drunk and who was consequently suspended immediately and escorted off the premises. The only other situation I could envisage for suspension without pay would be violent conduct. Even employees suspended for suspicion of theft were on full pay until an investigation had concluded how likely they were to have commited theft. At which point they would either be dismissed or return to work. I don't know the differences between RM and PFWW procedures but tbh I thought they were very similar.
Stopping these lads' pay MUST be illegal otherwise you all may as well tear your permanent contracts up and work as free-lance casual.