Time for the CWU to get it's head out of the sand?

[RedRich]

We are officially classed as the most efficient office in our county and are held up as a model office by management. But scratch beneath the surface and its possible a very different picture could be found. With years of under involvement from the CWU the management have systematically eroded the will of the workforce to fight back.
We had a park and loop revision two and a half years ago and despite being told the attendance call rate formula didn't work we have never had a PIR despite continued efforts from ourselves. Managers pinned a sheet to the wall stating certain rounds were too big and needed to be adjusted but it never happened. Now the runners are put on the oversize walks and thats sorted that little problem. Our rural deliveries haven't been looked at for years but occasionally they shift a village from one round to another merely moving the problem about.
We now have sorters brought in on early morning overtime to cut down IPS and allow more lapsing time. I myself am already walking 8-9 miles a day and at nearly 50 i really don't need more walking in the form of manufactured lapsing. Theoretically management could bring in even more sorters and the delivery spans with lapsing could be horrendous.
I believe there are many worked hours going unclaimed due to coming in early,throwing in d2d out of shift time, no break and mainly not asking for OT to avoid "that conversation" . So given the OT sorters and the unpaid hours the efficiency claims are vastly inflated in my opinion but as we are the standard bearers other offices im sure will be expected to perform similarly. Surely this will cost hours and even jobs but our area rep just says "oh this is happening everywhere". The CWU is viewed as a toothless dog in our office ie; it barks but it cant bite. We have now been told we wont get another revision as we are too efficient and dont need one, oh the irony. Is this the norm or are we missing something?

What is needed in my opinion is for the CWU to come and see if we really are as efficient as we are being told because surely if we are then it has implications beyond our office.

[Captain Scarlet]

Just the same in our office, took out nightshift but we have put 2/3 back in on rehab!!!!!
Early ips so sorting is finished early allowing for more lapsing even on heavy day's cos the figures are down from yesterday,oh really, what where yesterday's figures? slightly better than the day before ffs
We have some guy's doing 30/40 hrs o/t a week and area boss is doing his nut, result will be more lapsing cos it looks like he is not making savings in his new role and will have to pull his socks up.
So your right that this is going on in more offices with no breaks and working for nowt

[BarnsleyLackey]

Unfortunately there's nothing much the CWU can do about plonkers going against common sense and proper work methods.

[Chelseablue]

The Runners Are destroying duties in our place . They go on full time jobs that are working , hey presto a few week on them running round them , they are made part time. They are then put on jobs that have been claiming overtime finishing late (doing the job at a good pace and doing it properly) suddenly the jobs work with them on it!! idiots .

[yubin282]

''the figures don't lie'' this is heard in our office regularly, seconds before same manager admitted that they don't bother getting duties fully prepped because idiots come in early and work for nothing

so the figures do lie and management just lied about it

[borgpicard]

Pointless, when as in my office, morons come in 2 ( yes TWO ) hours before time, and then there are the runners, thinking its clever to finish hours before their time, stating they dont have time to finish if they dont run /, and then there are the YES men, we'll do it for you boss, grovel grovel arse liking morons, so what do you expect the CWU to do ???

[tommyrep]

Pointless, when as in my office, morons come in 2 ( yes TWO ) hours before time, and then there are the runners, thinking its clever to finish hours before their time, stating they dont have time to finish if they dont run /, and then there are the YES men, we'll do it for you boss, grovel grovel arse liking morons, so what do you expect the CWU to do ???

I expect the union at area level to take on board the obvious problems that exist in delivery. Ask/demand at a national level for a " re-look " at offices where there is high levels of complaint from staff. Area reps need to support the reps in DO's where problems exist, this problem has gone on for too long post revision, where workloads have been increased in an underhand way, and yes the runners, early starts, non break takers etc, only exacerbate the problem. Its simple, at a national level demand investigation into these problems - even a random sample of DO's post revision would show up many obvious problems. On another point, Bob Gibson could also get his finger out of his a..e and accept this problem needs sorted face on. There would be a massive support out there in resolving this situation, we cannot wait any longer for that much needed support.

[RedRich]

I expect the CWU to show a keen interest in what's happening at delivery level rather than the constant flannel and no action. Do they feel that walking 40 miles a week is sustainable over a number of years especially for over 50's? Surely the way forward is for indoor lapsing and throwing out extra walks. Something needs to happen as i cant see me being able to work this way for another 15 years.
There must be many others struggling with the physical demands of the job and its just getting worse with all the outdoor lapsing. Lets have an inquiry into these figures and find out whats really going on and what can be done about it. Also how about a CWU have your say survey with questions like , do you get paid for the hours you work ?, do you feel able to approach your manager for overtime if needed ? , do you feel intimidated by your manager ?,are you struggling with the physical demands of the job ?, etc etc.

[Jpro747]

It's a vicious circle,

They start early and run = RM add more to the round;
They start earlier and run faster = RM add even more to the round;
" "
" "

[tommyrep]

Problem is they put extra onto EVERY duty thinking it is only fair. We need full backing from the cwu leadership on working contracted hours only, most other employers do not seem to have a problem with that, why do the royal mail management think they are any different?

[Glenno]

Problem is they put extra onto EVERY duty thinking it is only fair. We need full backing from the cwu leadership on working contracted hours only, most other employers do not seem to have a problem with that, why do the royal mail management think they are any different?

the simple answer Tommy is that everything in your unit is taken as an AVERAGE, so what you do reflects on others and what they do reflects on you, as for the CWU working full contractual hrs, there is another simple answer "DO THE JOB PROPERLY" debate
MY own personal opinion for what it's worth is if you have the capacity then there is no argument, if not then don't, getting the whole unit to agree to this is a different ball game
Glenno

[tommyrep]

Glenno, It is not a question of doing any additional work within the contracted hours that you are paid to work ! My point is the early starters, no-meal break people will take on additional lapsing because they'll still get an early finish. All duties are not of the same duration - a simple fact that post revision has never been addressed. There are lots of staff put under unfair pressure - having started on time and had a meal break, to do likewise and take additional workload that cannot be achieved within contracted hours. OK I hear the voices from the forum saying "work your time, cut off " that is exactly what I wish for, but in reality it does not happen with management intimidation pressurising people and making them feel inadequate or are poor performer's. Do you not agree that there is additional pressure put onto staff because some people work for nothing and others have a work ethic that falls in he line of having basic principals of being an employee rather treated as some sort of slave.
Have we not now gone beyond breaking point ? or do we just continue accepting whatever management throw at us ? regardless of it being achievable. I state again the CWU must get these problems sorted, management are being left to their own devices now and it cannot continue - in my humble opinion.

[Chelseablue]

Totally agree this intimidation from the (managers) , cannot continue . Some of our staff do not put in any overtime now as there too scared too etc . You're overtime taken off you're wage slip. This desperate 90 percent tracked delivery is boring everyone to tears , as we all know it's no doable ,( all to do with bosses bonuses I know) . Watched, timed, told were not good enough day in day out , ,,great profit for not being good enough eh! I despise what they've did to a once great company . Anyone else "?

[tommyrep]

Totally agree this intimidation from the (managers) , cannot continue . Some of our staff do not put in any overtime now as there too scared too etc . You're overtime taken off you're wage slip. This desperate 90 percent tracked delivery is boring everyone to tears , as we all know it's no doable ,( all to do with bosses bonuses I know) . Watched, timed, told were not good enough day in day out , ,,great profit for not being good enough eh! I despise what they've did to a once great company . Anyone else "?

Its rife Chelseablue, It must surely be the MAIN problem experienced every day in delivery, so the Union at national level cannot say they are unaware of it. IF they are and continue to sit on their arse and do nothing it is a scandal. Come on Bob Gibson, do something !!! you cannot drag your heels any longer on the issue of intimidation, to say use the IR framework is an opt out, too many people now realise that route does not work. They have added tracked parcels, delivery to a neighbour even more amazon tracked and still try to convince us that there is no impact on delivery spans, total bull...t I say. We are gradually becoming a beaten force with no assistance form our union, its a disgrace now - shame on you in Wimbledon, shame on you, you are letting the workforce down badly !!!

[Chelseablue]

The desperation dosent end ,,,, nominate a neighbour cards to put through doors !,,,,, what's next