What type of postie are you?

[peejay14]

Before, I could face going in to heavy mail bags, short staff, miss-sorted mail, questionable door-to-doors, random starbursts, rotten weather, difficult finishing times...
but this is worse.

Contributing to this website for just two weeks has made me question what 'type' of postie I am. Stating that I am neither for nor against this strike, but that I am prepared to carry on working regardless, has led to all sorts of accusations from other members of this site. One or two openly doubt whether I am actually a postie.

Well I am a postie. But what 'type' of postie? This is a fast changing thought, but to put it bluntly I think that I am not the type of postie that worries about what the customer thinks of the service. Don't get me wrong, I take pride in my own work, but as long as I am doing what the company asks of me (never easy) then I go home content.

I think that it is somehow difficult for some of my fellow posties to recognise that as one of their own I can truly and honestly admit that the strike does not interest me. To me, being a postie is just a job like any other. For most of my youth I did not believe that I would ever take on such a job, mainly because I did not think that I would cope with the physical and endurance aspects of the work. However, at a time in my life when I was unsatisfied with the direction my career was taking (in other words, hating the line of work that I was pursuing) I decided upon a drastic measure and did the unthinkable. And here I am. And yes, I was right, the work is heavy and hard, and not much fun. So why don't I quit, because unexpectedly the job suits me, and actually I believe that if a job tests you to the max every day then that job is good for you.

So you see, the difficult nature of the job, while once being a turn-off, is now actually spurring me on to become something better. I relish the challenge. And of course I am not alone in enjoying what I do, but it seems that some posties are striking because they feel that the company is asking too much of us.

I am a certain 'type' of postie, and I hope we can all agree that not all of us think the same way. To my simple mind, I get paid to work. And after that brainwave, I focus all my energy upon my duty. I'm not interested in striking or improving my lot. I take what I'm given and I'm grateful. If I ever again reach the point where I become dissatisfied with what I am doing with my life, then I will move on to something else. I just have never been taught that if I do not like what I am given then I must ask the people who gave it to me to get their act together or else I will refuse their gift in the future until they do. I have been taught, or at least I have learned, that if I do not like what I am given then I must look elsewhere for something better.

All of that means that I will continue to look to my employer for my next days work. I'm sorry if that offends anyone who feels strongly opposed to my way of thinking, but please don't think that I shall be working during the strike out of spite. I shall be working because it's what I want to do. You may refuse to work because that is what you want to do. But lets not fall out over it. I can understand the opposing point of view that is leading some people out on strike, to the extent that I don't doubt that changes in working practises have changed the job we do beyond recognition. But I've not been in the job long enough to have noticed a dramatic change, though I feel that there is a tide of change at the moment that is leading to a bigger ask of us posties, yet not so big an ask that I do not feel able to respond (yet).

This strike is a big headache for someone taking the position that I am, where I am hoping that it will all blow over without having to play a part in it. The more it drags on, the bigger my headache, because as the strength of feeling grows on either side my position will increasingly be scrutinised, and it is already difficult to try to justify - just look at the length I am going to.

Having now posted an original topic, I know that this will be open to abuse and ridicule, but as you may read I’m not really in the mood for joking

[BELIAL]

[Pat Ostman]

No abuse from me, just plain facts. I am pro striking, you are not. No need for ridicule.

As long as you are not asking the union to represent you, your striking colleagues to appreciate you, and as long as you do not benefit from a deal struck whatsoever, I see no problem?

In other words, we suffer while strikebreakers get paid and reap the benefits of us being on strike. You see the problem now?

As for what postie I am, well I consider myself a man of principles. My union voted for a strike by a majority and I respect that.

[Thorby Bislam]

You wont get any abuse or ridicule from me. That is a long well thought-out post, and as such deserves a respectful answer. Although I cannot agree with your conclusions, I'll try to give you a serious answer.

What type of postie are you ? In your own words, you are the type of postie, the type of man, who thinks only of today, never of tomorrow. For example, you say ...

To my simple mind, I get paid to work. And after that brainwave, I focus all my energy upon my duty. I'm not interested in striking or improving my lot. I take what I'm given and I'm grateful. If I ever again reach the point where I become dissatisfied with what I am doing with my life, then I will move on to something else. I just have never been taught that if I do not like what I am given then I must ask the people who gave it to me to get their act together or else I will refuse their gift in the future until they do. I have been taught, or at least I have learned, that if I do not like what I am given then I must look elsewhere for something better.

You, Peejay, have no commitment to the service or to your colleagues. In fact, I wonder if you even see them as colleagues ? Or are they, to you, simply people who occupy the same space as you for eight hours a day ? If that is the case, nothing I or anyone else on here can say will mean a thing. You'll work blindly on until you decide you've had enough and then you'll leave.

Are you able to comprehend that thinking like that is alien to almost every other postman ? We have worked for this company for some time, some of us for decades, and we are committed to it. We see a once world-leading company being reduced to a third world sweatshop and we are angry about it. We are angry because we care. If we didn't care, we wouldn't be taking IA.

[Pat Ostman]

Are you able to comprehend that thinking like that is alien to almost every other postman ? We have worked for this company for some time, some of us for decades, and we are committed to it. We see a once world-leading company being reduced to a third world sweatshop and we are angry about it. We are angry because we care. If we didn't care, we wouldn't be taking IA.

[opgpat]

Peejay -
You've written a lot there by way of background and I can totally see where you are comming from. Basically you don't ask for much out of life which is a noble attitude. It's often peoples ego that drives them to great heights in terms of their career but in the process they burn people by the roadside for the sake of their own aims and usually even their own family suffers. In a way you are a perfect postman for the RM. You like the hard work, keep your head down and take your wages with a greatful nod. In a perfect world you would get by fine and do no-one any harm on the way.

But.... the problem you aren't quite seeing is that you work for an employer that wants to exploite you. That's the one fact that should spur you to action. If someone came up to you in the street and started rifling through your pockets, slapping you in the face and taking your money would you let them do it? That's what RM are doing to you. They aren't just going to give you a few more houses to deliver to. They are going to end d2d payments, 30quid a week and a permanent pay freeze is probably on the cards. If you don't mind having a pay-cut of 1500 per year then keep going in.

It's all very well being content or grateful with what you have but what you do have has been fought for in many many worker battles over the past 100 years. And you are guilty of taking all that for granted. The battle for freedom and respect is continuous and we are all responsible for furthering the struggle for fairness. When you lie down and say your happy with whatever you are given you are inviting those with no respect for their fellow man to abuse and exploit you.

[Post Off]

It's too story-like, and too resolute from start to finish for me to buy this. It's also too much like a bible bashing sermon, with the intention of stoking up guilt mostly, and a bit of sympathy.

I smell a rat; Scabbers comes to mind.

[smokerjim]

It's too story-like, and too resolute from start to finish for me to buy this. It's also too much like a bible bashing sermon, with the intention of stoking up guilt mostly, and a bit of sympathy.

I smell a rat; Scabbers comes to mind.

Maybe, but until there is a reply to the very good points above, I think we have to give the benefit of the doubt - many here take no prisoners when management plants and lackeys are recognised, but we also have to consider some might not see that RM's agenda is to take everything and return little ( whether staff, social customer or small business ), all we can do with them is open the door of enlightenment & leave them to walk through themselves.

[DemonPostie]

I will reply aswell, before the reactionary, sometimes immature ones on here find this thread and fill it full of unconstructive, offensive twaddle.

First off, we obviously have completely different world views. Although like you I left a previously "unfulflling" career in a moment of (perhaps premature!) disaffection to find a new, more challenging, and just different line of work, I do not feel like I should be "grateful" for the job to the extent that I will be crossing a picket line.

Yes, I am grateful to have this job. And to be perfectly honest, it IS a pretty good job. I enjoy it, it gets me outdoors, the pay isn't as terrible as what I was previously doing (retail). The work is hard, but not THAT hard. My office, from reading some of the other threads on here, is one of the very nice ones to work in, good comraderie, respectful and caring managers, &c &c...

HOWEVER, there is more to life than going in at the start of your shift and leaving at the end of it. There is a wider picture we are looking at here. The Royal Mail is a service, it is a great institution that this country should be proud of. And it is being eaten alive by its management and by the "labour" governement. I am going to lose a days pay this week (as I did last week, and probably will next week) in order to stand up for what I beleive is right, in order to register my vote of protest against the destruction not only of my job, but of my Royal Mail. We lost the rail network, and look how messed up that is now. We lost all the utilities, gas, electric, telecoms, &c, and now they are a mess, constantly being fined for contravening one law or another. They are all now profit driven, they don't give a toss about YOU, the customer. And they certainly don't give a toss about their workforce.

This is a good job, no doubt. But unless you honestly don't care about its future, then you have to make a stand sometime. And trust me, it's very nearly too late.

-DP

[Yahoorsur]

Some great replies here,smokerjim when i read his earlier post i smelt a rat,theres summit not quite right,i cant put my finger on it,but im positive ive seen this writing style somewhere else.
Its a curious mixture of soliticing sympathy and proclaiming defiance,that says to me 'troll'
Im willing to be proved wrong PJ.

[mailman71]

everybody is entitled to their opinion,but however the people who have been in the job for a few years have seen the decline in conditions,the decline of respect for post people and in general a culture of fear trying to be installed into some of our members.
if these things dont want members to be on the picket line nothing will.

[General Mannerheim]

An unemployed one since Friday.

[hooniebagoonie]

as from today im going to be whats considered to be a scab.....have been told my wifes hours have been cut due to the current economic climate so we are going to have some major changes in our household.....i will get lambasted by many on here for this but i now dont give a damn......i will be crossing the picket line on saturday as i have a mortgage,bills to pay....2 young kids who wont understand when at xmas that santa couldnt bring them what they want.....i have great empathy for those who will stick this I.A out but my families needs in the short term are what concerns me now.....i will do as much overtime as R.M will allow because at the end of the day if i dont pay what i owe (mortgage etc) i will be homeless and the CWU are not going to put a roof over my families heads if that happens.
i know it will be said that we have to look at the bigger picture but the bigger picture for me is my family and the security i can bring now by putting food on the table and a roof over there heads.

[darth]

like the general unemployed .pending appeal.

[opgpat]

as from today im going to be whats considered to be a scab.....have been told my wifes hours have been cut due to the current economic climate

That's what we will be told, your hours will be next to be cut as well as your renumeration - unless you stand and fight.