Royal Mail's Moya Greene: Hostilities with CWU Union Thawed

[Red Robbo]

In our MC most of the work gets diverted so we can concentrate on DSA , and the Union agrees with it !!!!!!

[heapsy]

The biggest problem is at local level. If your rep isn't up for it and keeps his/her head down then there's no chance of sorting things out. Too many reps go for the easy life, claiming that they are doing their bit and fighting our corner but they let things go. You have to say no and mean no when the time is right. Failing to do that breeds apathy amongst the staff. Coming in early, not claiming hours worked, not taking breaks etc are symptomatic of that. If the rep don't care then why should they? That's the real problem.

[fishtank]

Fish the CWU have always played a strong hand and the difference now is that when we go on strike we lose the Mail to TNT forever.

I think again you're missing the point, The union at the moment appears to be set on a course of damage limitation, that may be the reality of the situation we are facing but if you intend to take that course it is very important if you want to keep the membership on board that you are a) very clear and honest in your communication strategy and b) not seen to be parroting management statements nor enforcing their strategy.

HQ has failed miserably on both counts so no-one should be surprised that the members feel short changed or in fact start to question their own participation, Damage limitation is after all simply failure by degree and while it might be something we have to accept it's a bit of a kick in the nuts to be paying almost £20 a month for the privilege.

[fishtank]

if clocking in and out was introduced then we would have lots of OPGs either short of their contract hours or simply staying out till their finish times.

I'm not sure the experience in your own area is mirrored across the country but if we were to assume that it was what is the position now?

Obviously members must either be going home early or staying out to their finish time so explain from a union perspective how that is a better position to protect job security?

As far as I can see the only arguments against some kind of monitoring of work hours come from either local and area management who are terrified of the true scale of unpaid work being done in some areas or union dinosaurs who are desperate to protect the status quo in their area where members are allowed to toddle of home hours early.

If members are finishing early they need to be given more work, not have inefficiencies hidden because union officials want to keep their particular members sweet, This practice puts all of our jobs at risk.

[Tman]

if clocking in and out was introduced then we would have lots of OPGs either short of their contract hours or simply staying out till their finish times.

Only a numb-nuts who's never had to suffer the rigid ignominy of punching a clock would ever call for it's introduction. If there's "problems" with work loads then clock cards won't solve them.
I was always rather impressed that RM trusted all of it's employees enough to merely allow them to sign on, even in the days when posties would openly boast of being finished and in the pub before they'd even started the day's docket (which had already been completed..).

[Lincox]

Thats when they had some sort of respect for the employees. Now it,s history and they have not one ounce of respect even if you give them 150%.

[fishtank]

Only a numb-nuts who's never had to suffer the rigid ignominy of punching a clock would ever call for it's introduction.

I really think you should probably stick to your own small sphere of experience when it comes to the recording of work hours, resourcing to demand and the joys of the weekly resource meeting. Having no real way to record actual hours worked leaves a rep with very little ammunition to fight savings. If the resourcing "tools" which most in the union agree are flawed say a job takes 8 hours how do I prove it takes 9 without robust recording of hours worked.

I was always rather impressed that RM trusted all of it's employees enough to merely allow them to sign on

Only a numb-nuts would believe that they did. We(posties) have been fighting efficiency savings built on "apparent" finishing times as opposed to duty finishing times for at least 10 years.

[dvbuk55]

I like Moyas' take on the union being compliant since privatisation that's rich the CWU has been bent over for the last 5 years and more. As for dingos' take on the situation well we all need a laugh occasionally - he's apparently living the dream whilst the real workers are living the nightmare.