Bad Union Reps????

[templek]

What if a Union Rep noticing a staff member do something wrong/against regulations, instead of having a word with the colleague in the wrong to warn/give advice etc, goes straight to the managers informing them of what happened and under such and such regulation they could be sacked or given a serious misconduct hearing? What if the rep says in his defence he is here to maintain the highest RM standards? So is a union rep duty bound to give guidance/help first to members or report them? The member of staff could be a newbie/casual and may not be fully aware of the regulations. This is or course within reason and how serious the matter is.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

A union rep has the exact same obligation and responsibilities as any ordinary member of Royal Mail. In fact their position within the Union is a separate matter entirely - or at least should be.

However, when the accussed member goes through the Disciplinary procedure, and as long as they are a member of the Union, they should give advice and help where and when possible to the best of their ability. However, if they are a material witness, as it appears in this case then they should withdraw from any representation for the accussed member, and the Union will provide another rep in these cases.

Now in most cases I would think the rep would be guided by their conscience and in minor or trivial cases the rep may think its best to have a quiet word with the member, though sometimes the member may not appreciate his intervention. However, in serious cases (eg dismissible) the rep, just like the rest of us, is duty bound to report it to management as failure to do so may result in their dismissal.

In essence its all down to the reps conscience, and what the member is accused of, and perhaps in a small way as well, the members record.

[clashcityrocker]

What if the member carries on doing the same thing after the quiet word?
And then when it comes to the attention of the managers, they go to the rep - so you knew about this?

Depends on the seriousness of the offence.
Stealing doesn't merit a quiet word. After that it is a matter of judgement.

[templek]

well the rep appeared to blatantly stick the knife in, more interested in reminding the managers of how to effectively throw the book at them and how serious it was. To be honest they were people the rep simply did not like, one was a casual another a saturday pemanent who worked the rest of the week on overtime. I believe one breach of regulations was related to D2D, where the staff member admitted he only put the leaflets in doors he had mail for and not where they had a sign saying no junk mail. Surely clutching at straws? Well could that be a form of 'constructive dismissal'? bullying or breach of the 'enough is enough' programme?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I believe one breach of regulations was related to D2D

D2D is now live mail and one of the little known implications means failure to deliver them is a crime. That would therefore fall under the dismissible part of my post.

If the accussed are members of the CWU then they will still be entitled to representation.

The rep in the case you outlined would be in a difficult position, someone is doing something that they can be sacked and prosecuted for, they have done that in the full knowledge that its not what they should do. If the rep has a quiet individual word with the person then he could be accussed of not following procedure himself and end up in the same mess as the postie if it went further.

I am betting that the rep has mentioned in meetings, get togethers and WTLs that everyone should do their D2Ds properly when management mention it. Our rep does regularly, and even if he hasn't it's still the persons own personal responsibility to do the job properly.

Sacked for D2D threads

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... =2&t=23557 was sacked the othe week for not doing my d2ds
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... p590390One postie was sacked for 8 D2D items not being delivered.
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... ff#p606581 At Rothesay Sheriff Court on Monday, a letter from Martin Kane’s solicitors was produced entering a plea of guilty to the theft of 1,656 Door to Doors at the Royal Mail’s Rothesay delivery office
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... or#p551463 amie Paterson said it “was out of stupidity” he kept hold of the 486 addressed letters and 161 door-to-door leaflets during two stints serving as a postman in Brierley Hill and Kidderminster.
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... or#p544670 “Recovered from two wheeled bins were 253 addressed and 290 door-to-door postal packets.
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... or#p229561 when investigators searched her home they found more than 3,000 other unopened door-to-door

[fishtank]

Unfortunately by reporting the member to management the rep has now taken himself out of the disciplanary procedure and deprived the member of local representation, not a very helpful thing to do.

No I wouldn't grass anybody up to management unless I felt there may be a danger or threat to others but if I was outright asked I wouldn't lie to cover his arse. It could be others were under suspicion for not delivering the D2D in which case, you make your bed, you lie in it.

[templek]

Thanks for the contributions.

Main point i was getting at, was that he appears to go running to management urging them to throw book at staff for relatively minor matters. Maybe he is hoping to be a manager some day? So is that the union rep's role? to report bad staff to management, or act like a de facto manager?

[Lounge Lizard]

Thanks for the contributions.

Main point i was getting at, was that he appears to go running to management urging them to throw book at staff for relatively minor matters. Maybe he is hoping to be a manager some day? So is that the union rep's role? to report bad staff to management, or act like a de facto manager?

Surely the members couldn't have any confidence in such a union rep.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

[quote="templek So is that the union rep's role? to report bad staff to management, or act like a de facto manager?[/quote]No - he is a staff member just like the rest of us, his role is to represent his members. Sounds like you need someone to stand against him.

[clashcityrocker]

No - he is a staff member just like the rest of us, his role is to represent his members.

Isn't the rep there to represent the CWU?