5th November Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[anna]

Hi there,
Here is the latest Mount Pleasant bulletin from Workers' Fight.
Hope it's ok and any comments, criticism and add-ons welcome, cheers from Anna
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ALWAYS WORTH THE FIGHT
Welcome back to our Romec workmates, who are now reinstated in their jobs. Great to see you back! It was a good and successful fight, helped by the union. We know it's been long and hard for them, but it proves that when we stand together, battles can be won!

WE NEARLY CRACKED OUR RIBS LAUGHING
Oh, wasn't that a lovely meeting, with Romec's Mr. Pee last week - telling us not to use mobile phones and be good while he was away for one week’s leave... As if he was a concerned father to us all! The trouble is, that he's the exact opposite. If he cared a damn, he'd listen to our requests for more hands, decent duties and time off. Unlike him, we’re generous, and would grant him as much leave as he wants, and more!

INSTANT RESPONSE IS BEST!
We've heard about several unofficial walkouts in Portsmouth, Plymouth and Bridgewater DOs, against the sackings of individual workers: in Bridgewater for sickness, in Portsmouth for refusal to work over normal hours (and "threatening" the Dum!!) and in Plymouth, after a worker was threatened with discipline for returning late, with undelivered mail. In the latter case, 30 of her workmates downed pouches straightaway! Yes, this is the only effective way to defend ourselves! And it turns any "no-strike agreement" with RM bosses (as apparently exists now) on its head!

HOLDING HEADS HIGH
"We walked out with pride, supporting our workmate and walked back in holding our heads high." This was the answer of one of the Portsmouth workers (on RMC) in response to an accusation that the walkout was a “waste of time” and the union “a spent force”. Which of course is rubbish. When we show our solidarity in action, it changes the atmosphere at work completely. And tips the balance of forces in our favour. Which means everything!!

TOGETHER AS ONE
And by the way, it was our full backing here at MP (the CWU and the whole office!) that helped get our two sacked Romec workmates reinstated. But the lesson from these other offices is that reinstatements can be speeded up, by us taking immediate direct action. Either way, though, it's us all standing together that makes the difference.

ORGANISING DISORDER
What makes this busy period so much worse here in Processing is that managers remain utterly disorganised. How will they manage hundreds of Xmas casuals? Well, we know the answer to that: badly. They’re already panicking and refusing us leave when there’s no good reason. They could organise cover, for sure. That is, if they knew how to organise anything at all...
LIGHT DUTIES NEEDED THRU-OUT HMP
Why are all of MP's older, senior workers in every section victimized for getting so worn out that we become ill? We get given stages for any kind of absence whatsoever! When in fact what we really need is for jobs to be created which offer lighter duties for all the over 50s who need them - as well as those who have disabilities.

HIS PANTS MUST BE ON FIRE
Why has been the bonus been reduced for all Romec workers? From £120, to £90 and now to £55? The management says we’re overstaffed, there's too much sick leave and the audit was bad… Who made up these big lies to justify cost cuts?

WELCOME LITTLE REST
WTS is back for all - so we can have a good sleep during the RMTV show - provided we bring earplugs. Of course they’ll take it off again, when the Xmas rush starts, and then we’ll have to find another place to sleep.

LATEST FROM THE BUZZ-OMETER
There’s also been another welcome break on nights from the bosses’ busy little Bee. Spreading his goodwill elsewhere, we hear. That is, spreading the log-jam...

WE WISH OURSELVES A MERRY XMAS
Now that we're shareholders of RM, it doesn't seem that it makes any difference. Managers still refuse us our Christmas party for everyone, in here, during work... as it was in the old days. But since it's "our" company, let's have one anyway!

WE'RE NOT PEACEFUL DOVES, DAVE
Dave's written a letter to us on an interesting issue: our holiday pay. Apparently, it should be based on the average of the 12 weeks worked previous to taking A/L, BUT including OT and unsocial hours… and not just RM's petty flat rate! It’s always cheering to hear RM owes us, but worrying when we read Dave's "we have now arranged a meeting with the company's senior management team to discuss the basis of our claim and try to reach a settlement." Let's make sure Dave knows what type of settlement WE want!

CATCHING THE DRAMA QUEEN RED-HANDED
On the one hand, RM cries for "fair" competition, complaining that its "enemies" are cherry-picking delivery areas, while it has the "burden" of the USO, and gets MPs to review the issue… And on the other hand, it doesn't obey fair competition rules itself, in Europe! Its GLS subsidiary is under investigation for breaking anti-trust rules in France. But RM is now "agreeing to settle and provide compliance commitments” in order to "benefit from a reduction in any fine"! Not even trying the classical "it wasn't us!"

[SpacePhoenix]

ORGANISING DISORDER
What makes this busy period so much worse here in Processing is that managers remain utterly disorganised. How will they manage hundreds of Xmas casuals? Well, we know the answer to that: badly. They’re already panicking and refusing us leave when there’s no good reason. They could organise cover, for sure. That is, if they knew how to organise anything at all...

Unless they're not taking about the xmas pressure weeks, there has always been a blanket ban on annual leave during xmas pressure weeks. If the weeks are already fully booked up, why would management give extra leave?

WE'RE NOT PEACEFUL DOVES, DAVE
Dave's written a letter to us on an interesting issue: our holiday pay. Apparently, it should be based on the average of the 12 weeks worked previous to taking A/L, BUT including OT and unsocial hours… and not just RM's petty flat rate! It’s always cheering to hear RM owes us, but worrying when we read Dave's "we have now arranged a meeting with the company's senior management team to discuss the basis of our claim and try to reach a settlement." Let's make sure Dave knows what type of settlement WE want!

It's already been said on the news that it's likely to be appealed which could take years

[ebbzie]

Hi there,
Here is the latest Mount Pleasant bulletin from Workers' Fight.
Hope it's ok and any comments, criticism and add-ons welcome, cheers from Anna
**************************************settlement WE want!

CATCHING THE DRAMA QUEEN RED-HANDED
On the one hand, RM cries for "fair" competition, complaining that its "enemies" are cherry-picking delivery areas, while it has the "burden" of the USO, and gets MPs to review the issue… And on the other hand, it doesn't obey fair competition rules itself, in Europe! Its GLS subsidiary is under investigation for breaking anti-trust rules in France. But RM is now "agreeing to settle and provide compliance commitments” in order to "benefit from a reduction in any fine"! Not even trying the classical "it wasn't us!"

So when TNT or whatever they call themselves now have cherry picked all the big cities work and postman are laid off will this be a "Drama" ?