let's hold our nerve and be just a bit grown up

[stephen500]

It is not exactly grown up to say that delivery staff should get what they deserve.

it is the blue avatar brigade that start the whole slanging match with their sycophancy and their snide remarks towards delivery...

Most year round, they rarely have much to say on the Union forum and even less on their own forums. The few that come on do not add much to the debate - so there is little apology for what they get.

Are we in in together? Not from my point of view. Do we need them to go on a strike? What are the numbers? Can we influence the closures of Mail Centres? Just look at the Post Office - what are we doing to help them - sod all, and in fact we even promised them a matching strike and march - but that did not happen.

This might probably be the very last collective bargain then it should be every man and unit for themselves. The Union will also struggle to maintain the pretence of unity from now on that is if their influence does not wane considerably from member apathy and legislations.

If delivery staff are not ready to stand up for themselves then they have themselves to blame not other units or sections.

And if I had said that i would be annoyed. It's what happens when people don't read posts.

[aiden01]

just think he dislikes mc staff

[DB1100]

See any of them going home 2 hours early

I see plenty of standing round talking,I see smoking shelters being used,I see a nice Gym,I see a decent canteen,I don't see anyone being harassed,I don't see managers arguing with staff,I don't see frames overflowing with boxes of d2d's.

[freelunch]

I can see Royal Mail widening this division between processing / delivery units further. Presumably they would attack the mail centres further before reducing delivery to 5 days a week?
Last Christmas (and this year too) I was / (will be) working overtime at the local mail centre after my week on delivery. Saturday 6pm thru to 6am Sunday for four weeks.
Except those times when I'm to be tipping overweight drop bags of magazines, etc. I expect a much easier time than on delivery. Some of the old guys there sorting parcels at night are ex-posties who transferred to the lighter duties in the MC through ill-health. They hate the work but it's the best unskilled work they're going to get for the money. And that is why I believe Royal Mail will make cuts in processing before the real no-brainer USO chop.

[chrisj]

What is the point wasting bandwidth quoting me without adding much to what was said. That was just like the original post - a whole load of words and history only for your true feeling to come out...

At least I am not the only that read what was written for what it was. The title of the thread is enough to wind someone up - as if some people have a better handle on the dispute and people's emotions.

Like I said, there is no much discussion on the MC forum - why is that? Please move on!

[stephen500]

Never has I read such a load of rubbish and function bashing. The title of the thread was simple and non inflaming. All it meant was, stop slagging off the union and and each other and wait to see what the union present to us. With a little light hearted history on the way. If it's too boring to read, don't bother and don't look for offense where none was meant. I have spent years standing up for deilvery postman, their workloads and bad pay. Only to have it thrown in my face. As have reps for all functions who try from the botton up to the gen second to improve all our terms and conditions. If you don't like your rep, stand yourself. Being grown up means accepting the union is NOT going to get all it's demands. We win some things and lose others. If some want to strike just to be militant then they are mad. Strikes are the ultimate threat and should be used at the last resort. But yes we need to come to a conclusion now.

[Stella102]

Never has I read such a load of rubbish and function bashing. The title of the thread was simple and non inflaming. All it meant was, stop slagging off the union and and each other and wait to see what the union present to us. With a little light hearted history on the way. If it's too boring to read, don't bother and don't look for offense where none was meant. I have spent years standing up for deilvery postman, their workloads and bad pay. Only to have it thrown in my face. As have reps for all functions who try from the botton up to the gen second to improve all our terms and conditions. If you don't like your rep, stand yourself. Being grown up means accepting the union is NOT going to get all it's demands. We win some things and lose others. If some want to strike just to be militant then they are mad. Strikes are the ultimate threat and should be used at the last resort. But yes we need to come to a conclusion now.

This is because bullying and harassment and finally taken its toll on many reps / members and we have just about had enough. And when people make posts saying be patient and take the deal then tensions are going to rise. Issues are not being dealt with in delivery offices and its getting worse by the day!

[stephen500]

But I have never said take the deal.
In the main members have to be patient and what I mean by that is as I have said...that is for members to stop slagging off the leaders and let them negotiate.
But with one proviso that we get an agreement before the end of Christmas pressure as our pressure may then expire.
But not, and I have never said this, at the expense of delivery postman.
So we do need to hold our nerve, not come to a hasty agreement, but be grown up and recognise that our leaders have our best interests at heart.
If in the end you or any one else disagrees with a proposed agreement, well they can vote against it.
But don't expect the union to win every thing they are trying to get and that goes for mc and dly offices.

[dvbuk55]

But I have never said take the deal.
In the main members have to be patient and what I mean by that is as I have said...that is for members to stop slagging off the leaders and let them negotiate.
But with one proviso that we get an agreement before the end of Christmas pressure as our pressure may then expire.
But not, and I have never said this, at the expense of delivery postman.
So we do need to hold our nerve, not come to a hasty agreement, but be grown up and recognise that our leaders have our best interests at heart.
If in the end you or any one else disagrees with a proposed agreement, well they can vote against it.
But don't expect the union to win every thing they are trying to get and that goes for mc and dly offices.

For patient read complacent because that is what it amounts to.

[wacko74]

Here's just a few examples I'm aware of, of the disparity between working in an M.C. and on deliveries...

-Just looking in the section ''Mail centres, Distribution and Processing'' there's currently a thread about the lack of overtime available at Mount Pleasant MC.. the reason being there are apparently over 130 full time staff that are currently surplus to requirements, but as they've refused VR they are simply being kept on until 'natural wastage' eventually balances the numbers.

-One guy in our D.O. transferred from an M.C. a few years back (just to reduce commuting time) and he says it's the worst move he ever made... amongst some of the things he's told us about working in an M.C. he said one popular game involved seeing who could win the prize for just pushing an empty York around without actually doing any work (apparently one guy managed to go an entire shift doing it)

-We were going through our P&L revision 3 years ago over the xmas period and as a result we had 2 spare bodies in our D.O. They were sent to work at the local M.C. for the xmas pressure period... after a couple of shifts there they realised that there was no where enough work for them to both do so they ended up taking it in turns, just one going in and covering for the other one, they got away with it for the whole 4 weeks.

[stephen500]

"complacent" no I never said or meant that. I think I have made my meaning clear. And it is clear to me the comtempt some have for Mail centre workers. Up till now I have always supported delivery men, who I know do a hard job for little pay. However Mail centre work is no longer as you describe at Mount Plsnt. Things have changed with mc amalgamating. So don't generalise.I have also heard from some union leaders that some delivery postmen have no intention of striking. I also know of a lot of mc workers, who if that happens have no intention of supporting delivery postman. I would have always have supported the dly postman, but I am begining to think why? If they hate us so much, let them get on with it. My last word on the subject

[dvbuk55]

"complacent" no I never said or meant that. I think I have made my meaning clear. And it is clear to me the comtempt some have for Mail centre workers. Up till now I have always supported delivery men, who I know do a hard job for little pay. However Mail centre work is no longer as you describe at Mount Plsnt. Things have changed with mc amalgamating. So don't generalise.I have also heard from some union leaders that some delivery postmen have no intention of striking. I also know of a lot of mc workers, who if that happens have no intention of supporting delivery postman. I would have always have supported the dly postman, but I am begining to think why? If they hate us so much, let them get on with it. My last word on the subject

Personally I don't think a few home truths is slagging anyone off. Do you know why some delivery postmen wouldn't go on strike - it's because they have suffered years yes years of being ignored by the leadership and so it's a bit of tit for tat.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

This is a sad and disappointing thread - It certainly is making the Anti Union cabal job within RM (if there is one) a lot easier.

There are advantages and disadvantages to working in both functions but in one important respect we are all the same. Workers. Neither function can operate successfully without the other so why are we fighting between ourselves.

If we really can't see any further than, he is luckier than me because..... when would it be appropriate to play the Afghanistan card. FFS we all have it worse than some, and way better than most. I think we should focus on what draws us together than who is forcing us apart.

[fishtank]

I think we should focus on what draws us together than who is forcing us apart.

Parcelforce...don't you just hate them.

[dvbuk55]

I think we should focus on what draws us together than who is forcing us apart.

Parcelforce...don't you just hate them.

Yes - with a vengeance. A friend of my son has just started at a new Parcelforce hub and is snivelling at the amount of work he has to do. Lets hope he doesn't transfer to deliveries.