Anybody else.........

[shimmyrule]

think that the union is finished, and incapable of getting the best for us lot.

This shambles has been going on too long, i would rather we went out, and stayed out, until a deal, a final deal, was penned and dry.

I would reckon any more strikes now, would be poorly supported, with more folk going in to work, not because its near winterval, but purely because we are fed up being let down.

In my office, management are pressing ahead wi shared vans after the winter light season,and not a word of anger is being spoken against it, in fact ,people are filling in help sheets that the chargehands are giving out at work time listening and no learning sessions.

Unbelievable.

Just hope im lucky enough to get evr.Like many senior men in the office.
What a change in power in just a few years from a well respected, no nonsense office, to one that rolls over every time.People have just lost the will to fight anymore, and i blame a lack of leadership, from area reps right to the top.

[spilie]

dont know how badly damaged the union are but i know one thing they have resolved since the interim agreement, that is that union reps were going to be given duties again, but that has gone away for now so they can act when it is serious .......

[HootyMacBoob]

Was gonna post a big long winded reply but cant be arsed, all I can say is shimmy if the majority think like you then we are all finished. R.I.P. CWU, full time jobs,job security,MTSF,pensions totaly gone,national agreements,national pay rates and well im sure there are a lot of other things that we will lose, im sure some other comrades can add to what "life without a strong union" would look like. Maybe some of our brothers in arms from the CMA can enlighten us to what a weak union looks like.

[fishtank]

I don't know about finished but the CWU certainly sits at a crossroads right now.
You are right,Many offices are now ploughing ahead with the next phase of changes virtually unopposed.
The level of apathy towards the union was and continues to be there own creation.
The fact that it would be worse without them does not absolve them from blame.
Many reps above local level need to have a long,hard look at themselves.
Tommorow the PEC finds itself between a rock and a hard place.
To re-instate the strikes and perhaps find member support "luke-warm" at best.
Or ignore London's call and risk near mutiny within it's own ranks.
I would imagine there will be a few sleepless nights tonight.

[mailman71]

the biggest problem seems to be that so many offices have had battles with management since april revisions that members are pissed of with the union calling of the strikes and every body knows that after xmas they are going to try and crush every office.

[shimmyrule]

Was gonna post a big long winded reply but cant be arsed, all I can say is shimmy if the majority think like you then we are all finished. R.I.P. CWU, full time jobs,job security,MTSF,pensions totaly gone,national agreements,national pay rates and well im sure there are a lot of other things that we will lose, im sure some other comrades can add to what "life without a strong union" would look like. Maybe some of our brothers in arms from the CMA can enlighten us to what a weak union looks like.

Hooty, i dont know what your office is like, but what i see in mines is unimagineably different to even a couple of years back.
Heads are down,no-one has the craic, its like a morgue.

My office has seen around 15 people sacked in the last year, many for less than trivial things, 3 folk are long term suspende, and im talking 5 months for one, before we would be out at the drop of a hat if someone was hard done by, now, people are scared to down tools and have an unofficial meeting in the canteen.

I would appreciate a long winded reply, this is what this forums all about.
Reading the posts on here, there are more and more people fed up with this lame duck union.

As for full time jobs, weve not had a part timer made up to full time for 15 years!
National agreements are broken daily, weve lost night duties, shift allowances, driving money,overtime rates have gone down instead of up,- christ the list goes on.............

[HootyMacBoob]

Was gonna post a big long winded reply but cant be arsed, all I can say is shimmy if the majority think like you then we are all finished. R.I.P. CWU, full time jobs,job security,MTSF,pensions totaly gone,national agreements,national pay rates and well im sure there are a lot of other things that we will lose, im sure some other comrades can add to what "life without a strong union" would look like. Maybe some of our brothers in arms from the CMA can enlighten us to what a weak union looks like.

Hooty, i dont know what your office is like, but what i see in mines is unimagineably different to even a couple of years back.
Heads are down,no-one has the craic, its like a morgue.

My office has seen around 15 people sacked in the last year, many for less than trivial things, 3 folk are long term suspende, and im talking 5 months for one, before we would be out at the drop of a hat if someone was hard done by, now, people are scared to down tools and have an unofficial meeting in the canteen.

I would appreciate a long winded reply, this is what this forums all about.
Reading the posts on here, there are more and more people fed up with this lame duck union.

As for full time jobs, weve not had a part timer made up to full time for 15 years!
National agreements are broken daily, weve lost night duties, shift allowances, driving money,overtime rates have gone down instead of up,- christ the list goes on.............

shimmy my office is still up for the fight they have been taking part in I/A since June our members have been 100% supportive of the local strike action and the national strike action. Only you know the reasons for the sackings and bullying culture in your office I hope it’s not down to poor/no CWU reps and I understand the difficulties we are all facing with an out of control RM management team in the workplace. As for a lame duck union I disagree IMHO strength starts from the grassroots up. A strong union needs people to stand up and be counted, not always looking around themselves for some1else to stand up to the mark, always moaning and complaining but never willing to stand up to the B/H behaviour in RM at the moment. We have had people made up to full time in the last 2 years, the point I was trying to make was there will be compulsory redundancies if we lose this fight.Dont know you haven’t met you shimmy but why don’t you direct your anger at RM instead of the CWU we are in a fight to just stand still at the moment, never mind move forward. I decided to become a CWU official because I wasn’t prepared to stand back and let my friends and colleagues be bullied and intimidated all I would like to have in the workplace is some dignity and respect so why don’t you take up the fight to get your office back up of the floor and fight the good fight as it might be our last.

[shimmyrule]

Hoots man, im afraid my political beliefs disbars me from being in any form of union role, which is sad, as im one of the few who will stand up to management, and defend anyone in my office, if they require someone to do so.

Im telling you, out of the 30 or so most senior people in my office, i reckon 3/4 would bite your hand off if offered the dough to go.
Yes the jobs changed and some of us work to our time every day, but its more than that,its the b and h, the spot checks, the frame checks, the managers watching and prep testing the same people all the time, the managers patrolling the same people every day, it grinds a lot of them down, thats why the heads are down and morale is low and the feeling that its all a waste of time.
And heres my office dim, forging ahead wi the shared van malarky, imposing it in come january.
My anger at management goes back over 20 years, and ive seen them all out the door,each on latterly worse than the previous, and the last two, from edinburgh, well, bull s...ters they were, full of self importance and company men, but both have moved on after promising much and failing to deliver, there only victory was sacking some very good, decent long service men, and suspending- long term, others.

Whos next.

[HootyMacBoob]

Hoots man, im afraid my political beliefs disbars me from being in any form of union role, which is sad, as im one of the few who will stand up to management, and defend anyone in my office, if they require someone to do so.

shimmy Maybe its time you should revaluate your political beliefs, if only for a short term to help you, your office, your friends and workmates and maybe even your relatives to stand up to this very agressive employer, who will plough on regardless to grind you and yours into the ground ready and ripe to be fully privatised by a future tory governement with the Prince of Darkness Lord Mandleson at their helm.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

The CWU has two major problems, as I see it:
1) An untrustworthy employer (RM), who refuses to honour agreements.
2) A minority of members, who have an "I'm all right Jack" attitude.

The first problem is already being dealt with, in the form of the srikes we've already had. And the possibility of further srikes.

The second problem, is far more serious IMHO. Because the minority, have (and probably will continue to) undermine us, by strike breaking, and agreeing to go against the Union's advice. By co-operating with unagreed processes, cutting corners, and ignoring H&S, where it suits them. How we stop that. I don't know. But if we don't. Things can only get worse.

The light at the end of the tunnel. Is that the majority (in my experience) DO stand together.

[looking in]

shimmy i heard it's 6 months next week for 1 of the guy's suspended in your office x 1000

[postietaz]

we are brothers in arms :lfo :lfo :cfo :cfo

[La Poste]

Without a Union we really would be fukked. Ask not what my union can do for me ask what I can do for my union.
Decent reps put their asses on the line a lot and should be supported, if you don't have a decent rep then think about how to improve that situation.
Be supportive that's my opinion.