Why I will be crossing the picket line.

[wacko74]

You say you consider yourself a neutral in this dispute then you make the comment "I feel a gratitude and respect for the company I work for."
Just tell me what "gratitude and respect" RM have shown you lately?

[krussel]

Hey Peejay14 you sound just like my old DOM But he died Or did he

[dvbuk55]

You say you consider yourself a neutral in this dispute then you make the comment "I feel a gratitude and respect for the company I work for."
Just tell me what "gratitude and respect" RM have shown you lately?

What do they call folk who pay people to whack them - that's a bit like working for RM lately.

[Funked!]

I'm sorry, but the union holds no appeal for me. At our meeting with the manager this morning he told us that he didn't know why our postcode was striking, and straight away a postie responded by stating that his (the manager's) view was not the view of the union. I considered the next pointless 15 minutes of small talk about the whys and wherefores of the strike to be a waste of my time, and I didn't get out the office until nearly 11am. The debate is so complex and nothing was achieved, but it shows the strength of feeling. To be honest our manager was smiling through gritted teeth at the brazenness of the postie who felt moved to respond. I also felt that the manager's position was not respected, and I feel that union membership can be used as an excuse to justify disrespect and disharmony in the office. I had made my position clear and that I was reluctant to cross the picket line on my way to work, and so the same postie turned to me in front of all and said that one way around my problem would be to join the union myself. Keen to hit the streets, I did not respond to my fellow postie's kind invitation to join the fold. Still didn't get finished till after 3pm!

I am not reading too much into either side's weighty arguments. I am keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the street ahead, occasionally glancing down to check the address of the top letter. I probably have no place on this board, as I don't really have any strong opinions that either side could support or contend with. I'm neutral in colour, and while being a postie is the best and most respectable job I've ever had, I am willing to do most jobs. Saying that, leaving the company would be very disappointing. I'll be a postie as long as there's mail to deliver, and with any luck I'll be able to adapt as the company modernises to keep up with the world around us. I myself receive my bank statements online, just because it's more convenient. I'm not surprised people on here found my first post boring. I am being boring, I'm not really getting involved. I feel a gratitude and a respect towards the company I am employed by.

Don't know about you guys, but I am not confident that the nature of the job of postie has much 'staying power' in today's high-tech world. I don't see the need for posties increasing, but rather decreasing in the near future. Yet I believe that as the nature of the job changes, there will still be the need for workers. If I show my commitment to my employer now, then they will see that I want to be a part of their future plan. That's all I want to fight for, my own place on the company's payroll. By my very nature, I feel constantly challenged to prove my worth, and never feel that my job is secure, especially when so many good folks all around are lining up at the job centre. I don't even rate myself as a particularly great postie, a bit average is nearer the mark. I don't have it within me to stand up and challenge my employer, I barely have enough strength to complete my duties in the time permitted, but to use the analogy already used above I am determined to soldier on and give as much as it takes to prolong my employment.

Too think i've just wasted 5 minutes of my life reading this!!

[westlondonpostie]

Yet I believe that as the nature of the job changes, there will still be the need for workers. If I show my commitment to my employer now, then they will see that I want to be a part of their future plan.

You need to be very careful in choosing which side you are on, If in the near future you f**k up, Royal Mail will not take into consideration that you worked in a previous strike they will just try to get you sacked, just the same as the rest of us, but you will more than likely find yourself on your own without the support of you're Union or Colleagues,

[Wiggins79]

Off topic this I know, but hoping someone can answer me this. I'm a day-off relief on a 28hr contract. I work in a small subs office (8 rounds) and I'm not in the union. I used to be, but got fed up of paying out £50-odd quid each year only to discover that my union rep was totally useless (and uninterested) when it came to helping me with a problem. In light of the current ongoing crisis, I was intending to rejoin, but thanks to the our driver, who brings the mail out being moved to work in town on the phones (!) I've lost touch with the only person who was capable of sorting out my re-application.
Whilst I support the strike (and most of the reasons behind it) I've been asked if I will be coming into work on Friday morning. When I said I wasn't intending to I was told if I wasn't in the union, then I had to come in. I then said I refused to cross a picket, but was then told that there wouldn't be a picket after 9AM, so I could come in then. I'm pretty sure they won't be a picket as the only other person who is definitley striking in the office certainly won't come just to picket and I seriously doubt the local rep will sit outside our small office all day (I imagine he may turn up early when work is supposed to start, like he did last time round, and then leave after a half hour). I'm also wary of getting any support from the union when our office "revision" hits the fan in the new year (which we have been lovingly promised by our line manager), especially after my previous experience.
I'm getting a bit sidetracked here, but what I want to know is- assuming there is no picket after 9AM, can RM force me to come into work on a strike day if I'm not in the union?
Thanks for any advice.

[General Mannerheim]

I`m crossing the picket line as I have to go for my RTU on Friday. :cfo :mfo
Maybe I should wave as I pass the picket line. And then join the line with my P45. on the way out.

[REDLETTER]

Yet I believe that as the nature of the job changes, there will still be the need for workers. If I show my commitment to my employer now, then they will see that I want to be a part of their future plan.

You need to be very careful in choosing which side you are on, If in the near future you f**k up, Royal Mail will not take into consideration that you worked in a previous strike they will just try to get you sacked, just the same as the rest of us, but you will more than likely find yourself on your own without the support of you're Union or Colleagues,

You could always try ACAS to resolve any problems

[peejay14]

I do like my job, but I am afraid that the intimidation of the union may force me out. I am grateful to anyone who gives me something, e.g. my wages. And I have a respect for authority, I feel that if I have a grievance with my management then I can approach them directly, not by refusing to do what they ask of me.

When I told my customers today that they were in the lucky minority whose postie was working through the strike, their response was not 100% happy, but on the whole they seemed relieved that the strike would not be delaying their mail. Some customers seemed resigned, some customers don't seem to rate their daily delivery as all that important (understandable, when a lot of the time what they receive is unwanted, e.g. junk mail), and a few customers were in support of the strike (mostly the old and life-hardened ones). It is my impression that the youth of today don't care what all the fuss is about because they do all their communications electronically. We have to fight, to save our jobs, because the postman is going out of fashion. I don't believe that it is the company that is damaging the postal service, I believe that it is the public who are spending less and using less a service that is going out of date. Postal customers now have an array of alternatives to get their messages delivered. I don't believe that the strike is self-defeating, I believe that it is self-serving, to turn the tide of postal customer disaffection we have to put their interests first and listen to their needs. We have a big enough battle on our hands to save our jobs, this is no time to be picking a fight with our employer. People on this board like to look to the past and talk of how grand the postal service used to be and how past union struggles achieved so much, but times are different and those days have their pride and place in the past. I'll go as far to say that if these were the 1970/80's, I may well have had no reason to refuse to join the union and strike for the reasons most posties are giving today, but this is the 21st century. Even united, the company and the union have been fighting a losing battle to modernise and stabilise the service. When both sides calm down and start somehow to work together to take us forward again, they must somehow change their strategy to start winning the battle to save the postal service. I believe that there is a future, just one that doesn't resemble the past.

This strike will prove to be a public relations disaster, especially when a lot of people are out of work already, and don't have the money to spend on special deliveries at the moment. Please note that I am not against this strike because I disagree with the unions grievances, I am just against strikes on principal. I feel that strikes are a step too far, and a failure on the part of the negotiators. It should never come to this. And there are three parties involved in this problem: the company, the union, and the customers; but two of the parties are shouting so loudly at each other that the third party is becoming disinterested. On the radio today, the news reporter said that the company and the union were only communicating by phone call and e-mail - how fitting, as communications between them were faltering the postal service was not required.

[Turpin]

PEEJAY have sympathised with some of the posts but the more you go on I feel there is more to you than meets the eye.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Off topic this I know, but hoping someone can answer me this. I'm a day-off relief on a 28hr contract. I work in a small subs office (8 rounds) and I'm not in the union. I used to be, but got fed up of paying out £50-odd quid each year only to discover that my union rep was totally useless (and uninterested) when it came to helping me with a problem. In light of the current ongoing crisis, I was intending to rejoin, but thanks to the our driver, who brings the mail out being moved to work in town on the phones (!) I've lost touch with the only person who was capable of sorting out my re-application.
Whilst I support the strike (and most of the reasons behind it) I've been asked if I will be coming into work on Friday morning. When I said I wasn't intending to I was told if I wasn't in the union, then I had to come in. I then said I refused to cross a picket, but was then told that there wouldn't be a picket after 9AM, so I could come in then. I'm pretty sure they won't be a picket as the only other person who is definitley striking in the office certainly won't come just to picket and I seriously doubt the local rep will sit outside our small office all day (I imagine he may turn up early when work is supposed to start, like he did last time round, and then leave after a half hour). I'm also wary of getting any support from the union when our office "revision" hits the fan in the new year (which we have been lovingly promised by our line manager), especially after my previous experience.
I'm getting a bit sidetracked here, but what I want to know is- assuming there is no picket after 9AM, can RM force me to come into work on a strike day if I'm not in the union?
Thanks for any advice.

Non union members can strike according to the Government: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... /DG_179248" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and you can get a join pack by visiting the CWU Website http://www.cwu.org/join.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[growler]

We all have our problems, some greater than others, financially and otherwise. It is better to lose a little pay now than lose it all at a later date. So the rest of us will suffer while you join the Management Lackies, BUT good luck to you.

sauasage beans and chips

[Destroyer]

sauasage beans and chips

Isnt it 'Sausage Chips and Beans' ???

Enjoy ur 30 pieces of Silver !

[pony]

I could understand if this went on and we were striking for the 5th or 6th time but surely people can hold out for one day.
This could be the only strike day we have.
I have a mortgage,my house is in need of 1000's spending on it,i need a new car but one day isn't going to make or break me.
I don't get upset with people if they break the strike.Its up to them.But they give up all rights to moan about the job in the future and should just accept the crap thats thrown at them from RM without question.
C'mon be strong for 1 day....its 50 quid not £500.

[Postbot]

I actually move house on Monday increasing my mortgage and bills, I also have 3 dependants, I will stand on the picket line and make sacrifices elsewhere to cover the loss of pay.
Sadly in my office i'll be a minority apparently from a manger headcount we have 52 people in our office 8 have their day off on Friday 8 are on annual leave(not sure how) leaving 36 possible for work/strike 22 of the 36 people are coming in.

I feel ashamed to work their at present, I agree that if you are in the union and you go into work you should leave that union, don't just have it there for security back up and support if you have a problem personally and then weaken it all other times.

We live in a democracy there has been a democratic vote in favour of strike action an overwhelming one, I despair at the lack of foresight and balls, and can only hope that when the s**t hits the fan these same people just suck it up and take it without complaint on their now even poorer work conditions, though if it was like last time these non strikers will get cushy numbers and revised down duties after its all over.