Thatcham posties talk of work hell

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Arti ... leID=18678" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Workers claim changes at depot mean they have to work unpaid overtime but customers still lose out

POSTAL workers in Thatcham have hit out at the Royal Mail, claiming that company changes have forced staff to work longer hours and carry heavier loads or face the sack.

Several workers, who asked not to be named, claim that employees at the Station Road depot are fed up with the extra unpaid work they are forced to do and others are finding that their health is suffering because their bicycles have been taken away, meaning they have to push
huge trolleys on their rounds.

The areas that postal delivery workers cover have increased, as part of a national review by Royal Mail to improve efficiency.

The company has also increased the number of reduced-hour staff it employs, said the workers, and these employees start work later and so do not help to prepare the deliveries.

This means, they say, that the delivery rounds, which are prepared by the remaining full-time members of staff, are being started later and customers are getting their mail delivered later, they claim.

One said: “About 95 per cent of the office are working for nothing.

“It’s not their choice but they feel under pressure.

“I’m appalled. I used to have a great relationship with customers.

“I used to take pride in going the extra for them.

“Now I have to give such bad service every day."

Another worker said that those who pushed the trolley carts filled with mail were now suffering from back and foot pains, while another said that if they complained about having to work compulsory overtime – which is unpaid – they felt threatened with redundancy.
“It’s compulsory overtime. We just cannot get all the work done in time.”

Thatcham resident, Julie Hill, of Anvil Court, said that her usual postman had to be signed off work for a week by his doctor as he had severe groin and back strain as he had been pushing his full trolley for six to eight miles a day, six days a week.

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail, Sally Hopkins, said that 90 people worked at the Thatcham depot and 15 of these were reduced-hour staff.

She said: “This new way of working was introduced for the RG18 and RG19 postcode areas in Thatcham in October.

“These changes have required a period of adjustment for staff and we anticipated that the changes would take a few weeks to implement.”

[POSTMAN]

CUT OFF!

[TeeferTiger]

CUT OFF!

Like it says, they feel under pressure We used to have a lino that no matter what you said he had a reason as to why you couldn't refuse and in the end it just ground you down. Even though you knew you were right. Within a week of him being back at our DO after being pushed out of another, all the grievance forms that were on the side were gone

[DirtyHarry]

CUT OFF, YOU DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, HAVE TO DO UNPAID OVERTIME, GROW A PAIR AND TELL MANAGEMENT TO GO FARK THEMSELVES.

[Phantom]

[quote="TeeferTigerPO" Like it says, they feel under pressure We used to have a lino that no matter what you said he had a reason as to why you couldn't refuse and in the end it just ground you down. Even though you knew you were right. Within a week of him being back at our DO after being pushed out of another, all the grievance forms that were on the side were gone [/quote]

No stupid DOM can make you work past your finishing time, no matter what they say. Simple!

CUT OFF!!!

[Budfrog]

Thatcham = Thames Valley Region >>> Enough Said !!

[billyboy123]

if u wanna work for nowt go the oxfan shop . wheres ur union reps while this is going on ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Text Speak

Please avoid it, it against the rules

[NWpostie]

I think the staff at Thatcham don't know or haven't been briefed on this, they needed to be educated, otherwise it will be a management wet dream knowing they have a bunch of willing slaves who are prepared to work for free !

Somebody who is a member here in that area or near to it would need to inform them of this site and find out if there is a rep at that Office.

[TeeferTiger]

PO" Like it says, they feel under pressure We used to have a lino that no matter what you said he had a reason as to why you couldn't refuse and in the end it just ground you down. Even though you knew you were right. Within a week of him being back at our DO after being pushed out of another, all the grievance forms that were on the side were gone

No stupid DOM can make you work past your finishing time, no matter what they say. Simple!

CUT OFF!!!

It's not a case of "cut off, simple". Some people, and we've had this discussion many times before on this forum, don't feel they can say no, or if they do, are put under pressure by management. Not everyone deals with confrontation as well as other people and so they get walked over by management. If you're one of those people who can say no and stick up for yourself, then good for you. Unfortunately, not everyone feels that they can say no. Like I said before, we had one lino that used to twist everything around until you didn't know what you had/hadn't said and in the end you ended up grudgingly doing the work because it was easier than standing there arguing. It was demoralising and you knew that if you stood up for yourself, life would become "difficult" later on. They can't MAKE you work past your time, but they can certainly make you FEEL like you have to.

[NWpostie]

[
It's not a case of "cut off, simple". Some people, and we've had this discussion many times before on this forum, don't feel they can say no, or if they do, are put under pressure by management. Not everyone deals with confrontation as well as other people and so they get walked over by management. If you're one of those people who can say no and stick up for yourself, then good for you. Unfortunately, not everyone feels that they can say no. Like I said before, we had one lino that used to twist everything around until you didn't know what you had/hadn't said and in the end you ended up grudgingly doing the work because it was easier than standing there arguing. It was demoralising and you knew that if you stood up for yourself, life would become "difficult" later on. They can't MAKE you work past your time, but they can certainly make you FEEL like you have to.

Re my bold the way to deal with that. Is to maintain your focus on finishing time i.e. 14.00 no later, stick do9ggedly to it, refuse to be deflected or led off, I did it and they soon got fed up, it helps to treating it as a game :) I think the Office staff needed to be trained to be more assertive, an local AGM with an assertiveness workshop, it will help to know the entire Office is doing it, united we stand divided we fall.

[TeeferTiger]

Then you're lucky to have an office bright enough to realise that and good enough to stick together. Not all offices are that lucky.

It doesn't affect me as I'm no longer employed, but I can understand what these people are going through having been in that situation. It's all well and good telling people to grow a pair etc, but some people just aren't that was inclined and will bottle it all up until it gets to the point where they can't cope and that's when we end up with "mail stashed in the garage" stories or people going off sick with stress/depression or worse.

All I'm saying is show a little understanding that not everyone feels they can say no. Obviously, I'd suggest they speak to their rep/WPC coach etc to try and get it sorted rather than let it go any further.

[NWpostie]

I am not disparaging of anyone who couldn't stand up to them, in fact I do fear for them as they will be the first ones to crack under the pressure, stress does funny things to people, anything could happen, mails stashed in garages, going long term sick, mental breakdown, up to and including going postal in the Managers Office even to the point of stabbing them, it has already happened in the USA.

The Managers and Linos need to understand the effect their actions has on others, i fthey don't care then they sdeserve what they get coming to them, I was offered a chance to become a Lino, I declined as I would end up like them, I would rather have my conscience and moral compass intact.

[fishtank]

I agree with tiger.
People should not have to fight for a basic right like finishing when they are supposed to.
It should be automatic.
It should be the default position.
Overtime is supposed to be opt in not opt out.
To place any of the blame on these people for not "growing a pair" is to lose track of what employment should be and partially absolve those whose fault it really is.
If both senior management and senior union officials cannot protect this most basic of fundamental employment rights what hope is their that they can implement anything as complex as the modernisation programme.
Senior management should be dragging these idiotic managers in for an explanation of their behaviour and senior union officials should be making sure they do just that...or suffer the consequences.

[DGP1]

Maybe dingo could get someone to go down there are let the members know what they are obliged to do............and to tell the management what the rules are.