Are Our Local CWU Union Reps Up To The Job?

[General Mannerheim]

Ours arn't upto tying their own laces nevermind representing anybody.

[beanmuncha]

Wouldn't it be better if our local reps were allocated the time to speak to new staff, explain his/her role, even give them a contact phone number. My question is why is this not done?

We are supposed to be informed of any new starts and under ACAS code of practice we are allowed time off with new starts to inform them about the Union
This is law and a manager cannot refuse as your covered under ACAS and also it's in the IR Framework i've done my home work.

2.3 For Joint and Other Representative Activities
Royal Mail recognises also that there will be a need to support with paid release representatives and officials engaged in joint activity with managers such as industrial relations workshops or training and, from time to time, in certain other, specified representative duties.

Examples of such tasks would be:
- addressing new entrants during initial training on the role of the Union in Royal Mail and
recruiting new union members.

[fishtank]

This is law and a manager cannot refuse as your covered under ACAS and also it's in the IR Framework i've done my home work.

I don't think it's a case of managers refusing permission.

[woofwoof]

maybe if all local reps got to mingle and go here

http://www.cwu.org/virtual-tour-of-the- ... entre.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

we would not have this problem

[Stormproof]

maybe if all local reps got to mingle and go here

http://www.cwu.org/virtual-tour-of-the- ... entre.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

we would not have this problem

I went there last year on my first course, learnt a lot. Also there are regional courses, people should talk to their Education Rep or the Branch. Can recommend the Postal Procedures & Agreements Course.

[BELIAL]

The Problem in 2 words Champange Soclialidts !!- Fact +corruption,deals for deals !

Or in another three words ,pissed Tory manager

[TrueBlueTerrier]

iv never known them announce or plan a meeting,, when we come in around 8- 830, we get the fulltimers telling us there version of what was said,,, these meetings usually take place about 6 30,,,

Still sounds like a WTL (a Royal Mail requirement) rather than a Union meeting especially if its a regular occurrence.

[Martin Walsh]

The CWU have now got every offices exact number of staff against its recorded members and are breaking down how many non members are in each office and are going to launch a campaign to recruit members in each unit. The last time this was done was when the Tories bought in the check off law and members had to resign into the union.

The figures are shocking , on average 1 non member for every 9 staff but in some areas it drops to 1 non member for every 7 members. it is worse in quadrant and ROMEC.

There are a number of reasons for this , years ago all new recruits came into the industry via a training school in London this was based at Kings Cross and the union recurited you straight from there and allocated you to your Branch. Then when that closed Starting Post started and again this used to take place in mail centres and Indivduals could be recurited by the Branch as they had an allocated session. Now there is hardly any training centrally and most go straight to the local office and in many units there are no local reps and therefore members don't get asked and in a lot of cases new entrants come in of Fixed Term Contracts and don't think they should join the CWU.

There are about 30 to 40 thousand members not in the CWU and clearly we should target these to be recurited.

In terms of local reps , there are training courses and they should also have support from their area reps and Brsnch. The union is also rolled out a trial which has been successful in the pilot offices in Kingston in ensuring every unit has a committee of members who will help the local rep in place. In my old office we have had this for many years and does take some of the stress off of the rep and helps ensure that the office is more accountable.

This system is being rolled out to other areas.

Now remember the reps job is a voluntary one and yes some may make bad descions but if you think you can do a better job then all you have to do is put your name up and you may find its not as easy a job as you think it's is. The sad thing is too many members are like back seat drivers talk a good game without ever having the courage to try and put it in praticise.

[dvbuk55]

The CWU have now got every offices exact number of staff against its recorded members and are breaking down how many non members are in each office and are going to launch a campaign to recruit members in each unit. The last time this was done was when the Tories bought in the check off law and members had to resign into the union.

The figures are shocking , on average 1 non member for every 9 staff but in some areas it drops to 1 non member for every 7 members. it is worse in quadrant and ROMEC.

There are a number of reasons for this , years ago all new recruits came into the industry via a training school in London this was based at Kings Cross and the union recurited you straight from there and allocated you to your Branch. Then when that closed Starting Post started and again this used to take place in mail centres and Indivduals could be recurited by the Branch as they had an allocated session. Now there is hardly any training centrally and most go straight to the local office and in many units there are no local reps and therefore members don't get asked and in a lot of cases new entrants come in of Fixed Term Contracts and don't think they should join the CWU.

There are about 30 to 40 thousand members not in the CWU and clearly we should target these to be recurited.

In terms of local reps , there are training courses and they should also have support from their area reps and Brsnch. The union is also rolled out a trial which has been successful in the pilot offices in Kingston in ensuring every unit has a committee of members who will help the local rep in place. In my old office we have had this for many years and does take some of the stress off of the rep and helps ensure that the office is more accountable.

This system is being rolled out to other areas.

Now remember the reps job is a voluntary one and yes some may make bad descions but if you think you can do a better job then all you have to do is put your name up and you may find its not as easy a job as you think it's is. The sad thing is too many members are like back seat drivers talk a good game without ever having the courage to try and put it in praticise.

Well it's a bit late really but nevertheless a welcome approach to falling membership numbers it should also enable the union to check if the agreed 75/25 full time/part time split has been maintained as agreed under BT 2010 - which I always thought was pie in the sky and there has never been any statistical data to support it. Why has this not been done before?

[Martin Walsh]

The CWU had the figures for full timers and part timers in delivery offices before the 2010 agreements and they showed what we all knew that in urban areas the percentage of full timers were higher than elsewhere. For instance in London it was 95 % whereas in the North East it was around 65%.

What we need to know is since the revisons what is the current ratio and I think that the new joint framework which every office has to fill out should reveal that.

[dvbuk55]

The CWU had the figures for full timers and part timers in delivery offices before the 2010 agreements and they showed what we all knew that in urban areas the percentage of full timers were higher than elsewhere. For instance in London it was 95 % whereas in the North East it was around 65%.

What we need to know is since the revisons what is the current ratio and I think that the new joint framework which every office has to fill out should reveal that.

I accept what you say dingo that the ratio prior to 2010 was known BUT the hype was that job security and the ratio of 75/25 would be maintained AFTER the agreement without any way of knowing and more to the point without any independent way of checking. If the new information reveals, which I suspect, the ratio has fallen below the agreed level, what sanctions, if any, can be taken to rectify it?