DELIVERY UNDER PRESSURE

[fishtank]

From the Voice....

Back in January, Voice took an in-depth look at how delivery revisions were being implemented and uncovered widely varying experiences from delivery members in different parts of the country. For this edition, we asked Bob Gibson,
CWU national officer for delivery workers, to give us an update from the front line and the news is not good..


We all knew that there was a massive change coming in delivery and that this
would impact on our members in terms of attendances and the way they did their
job," Bob begins.He adds that the union agreed to the "Delivery Transformation" agreement in order to maintain predominantly fulltime employment and at the same time prepare to capture growth markets and fight off competition.

However, the way that this is transpiring gives Bob cause for concern. "I’ve grown increasingly concerned by reports received of managers attempting to force increasing workloads onto our members, and then accusing them of poor performance," he points out.

This is, Bob explains, a consequence of unrealistic targets and severe financial rationing on the part of the business that brings downward pressure on managers and ultimately the members. "On the face of it, our members are being forced to work beyond their time and in the worst-case scenarios for no additional pay, which in essence amounts to compulsory unpaid overtime," he continues.
"Cutting off appears to be a thing of the past and outdoor absorption is a daily requirement even when traffic is above the model week and it is obvious to the people who do the job that they don’t have time to complete their delivery never mind absorb as well. "This is a situation we cannot allow to continue."

Local difficulties are by no means new to this industry. There have always been offices where working relationships have been strained, but the quantity and spread of complaints that the union at national level has received has rung alarm bells at national headquarters.
"What we are witnessing now is quite sinister in its application and can only be described as bullying, harassment and downright intimidation," Bob says.

When Voice asked him if he had experienced comparably widespread bad feeling among delivery members before, he recalled the months leading up to the national dispute in 2009.
That dispute led, eventually, to the Business Transformation: 2010 and Beyond agreement, which the CWU hoped would put the days of conflict behind them.
But the reality on the ground seems to have dashed those high hopes of a couple of years ago - "we thought we were in a new relationship and I suppose we are, the only problem being that this new one appears to be worse,"

Bob notes ruefully.What about the grievances themselves? We asked, to which we were given a small number of quite shocking examples - which, for various reasons, we haven’t featured here - along with a large number of complaints on similar themes of ever increasing pressure being placed on delivery workers, who are starting to find their workloads unmanageable and their workplace unbearable.

"Some managers are driving people into despair over savings they simply can’t achieve," he added, going on to refer to instances of people feeling almost obliged to start early, miss
breaks, use their own vehicles, carrying loads that are too heavy, cut corners, work unsafely, or work beyond their time - "all because they don’t want to upset or attract the attention of the manager.

"There may be thousands of unpaid hours being worked every day out of fear and intimidation," he states.
This article marks the launch of a campaign by the national union to investigate these problems, establish the full facts and root out bad behaviour where it occurs.
In a message direct to delivery members, Bob says: "This edition contains a letter from me asking you for your experiences.
"Please take the time to read it and fill in the attached questionnaire – we’re going to establish exactly how widespread this problem is and then we’ll insist it’s got to change." V Royal Mail - this just isn’t fair

Royal Mail - this just isn’t fair
DELIVERY UNDER PRESSURE
The below are all complaints Bob’s received from postwomen and postmen in every part of the UK.
Names are removed at request of complainants...

My new manager increased my workload and when I couldn’t complete in
the same time, he said: ‘You’re far too slow. I’m going to test your prep’. I've worked for Royal Mail for 25 years, never once cut off and they make me feel like a piece of rubbish. I dread going to work now.
(Isle of Wight)


I am constantly being forced to do overtime by my manager. He has been threatening to conduct me for a ‘deliberately inefficient performance’. I feel that I am being singled out, threatened and intimidated. I worry constantly, I can't sleep properly and feel sick.
(N. Ireland)


You watch Gordon Ramsey screaming at people on TV and don't think that happens for real, but it does in our office. Every day is a battle and it's starting to get me down. And if you do overtime, very often it's not paid.
(Glasgow


I’m a CWU rep and some of our members with more than 30 years of loyal service have been
accused of ‘underperforming’ since the new delivery methods came in and told they are not up to the job anymore by their manager.
(Lancashire)

[mailman71]

the members have been well and truly shafted on most of these revisions the union are now really looking into the problems but the saying closing the stable door after the horses have bolted comes to mind.

[POSTMAN]

Embarrassing.

[fishtank]

Embarrassing.

It is but what are our options?
Sit back all smug and say we told you so or..try and push and prod them into at least moving in the right direction?

[bennny7]

to little to late

[protect us]

Sadly with regret after over 12yrs I could take no more and nor could my knees - forced out of a job , did everything right followed procedures , Atos advised continuation on a manageable round I was coping with but it got put into resign !
Stress and anxiety along with knee pain - I could take no
More.
I can relate to all the other comments of the intimidation and effect on health etc but I'm
VERY interested to know if anyone else quit etc ? I think it's a good way for the business to shed jobs rather than pay offs - they simply make the job unbearable and unmanaged your pushed into quitting !
NOTE - up until the change of way we work i had full attendance record and never was one to
be stressed or suffer knee pain much !

[Lincox]

If there is to be any trust left in the CWU these matters must be given the most highest priority by the executive and a comprehensive list made and supplied to Moya Greene of all managers that have engaged in activities outside of the national agreements and Royal Mails Conduct Code and an independant enquiry made to expose these people for what they are.

[Lounge Lizard]

"we thought we were in a new relationship and I suppose we are, the only problem being that this new one appears to be worse," - surely naive having "high hopes a couple of years ago"

[minimumstandard]

I have just sent an email to Bob Gibson time to get this sorted otherwise we might aswell pack up and go home!

[Lincox]

Exactly, this is not just a Bristol or Preston problem. We are all in it together (not David Camerons in it together) and the union should be looking for a National Day of Action to support these colleagues who have stuck their necks on the line.

[protect us]

Well if anyone knows of anyone who couldn't cope and quit I would like to know or even meet them and find out why we wernt supported or helped with the problems !

[POSTMAN]

Embarrassing.

It is but what are our options?
Sit back all smug and say we told you so or..try and push and prod them into at least moving in the right direction?

I'm very smug,along with the other 'militant loonies' on this site.

Sorry.

[DirtyHarry]

The last couple of deals the union agreed to with RM, will always be a stain they will find very hard to shift.
I'm bloody livid that it's only now, so late in the day, that those idiots are showing some concern for the poor bloody mugs that keep them in their cushy positions. Right bloody disgrace.

[fishtank]

I'm very smug,along with the other 'militant loonies' on this site.

Sorry.

You?...Militant?
My dinner was more militant than you Susan...
We can all play i told you so...because obviously we did but that won't help the guys whose lives are being made a misery by these...."managers" for want of a few better words.
We need to help them and unfortunately we need HQ to do that because although i might be stalking* Moya she isn't returning my calls.

*For legal reasons that's a joke.

[shepherdess]

So if the traffic is above the model week do you not lapse