latest Mount Pleasant bulletin from 5/11/15

[anna]

BASIC GEOGRAPHY…
We've been pretty amazed at the mess in flats that RM is causing… we keep getting whole batches of mail which should have gone to another office... It seems that some people in HQ need lessons in geography, before we find ourselves processing mail for Timbuktu!

…AND BASIC BIOLOGY
Why’s it now common practice for managers to trigger a stage 1 on us when we become sick more than once, from different causes? We’ve tried to hammer some sense into their thick heads, by explaining to them that we can't really ask our illnesses to follow management timetables - to no avail!

RETURN TO SENDER
Yes, they send us a Special Delivery letter as soon as we go sick. And since you have to sign for the bloody thing, the chances are that it will not get to you, because you're in the hospital or GP's waiting room that day. But never mind, our managers don't have the imagination to consider such a possibility.

SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
But of course, this stage 1 nonsense doesn't apply to everybody… When managers are on sick leave, their sacrosanct procedure seems to be less sacrosanct and a bit more flexible that we thought! Apparently they've invented a stage 0 for managers!

SOME OF HIS OWN MEDICINE
And speaking of this Stage 0, who's going to visit Mr Manager-elephant from Romec when he's sick? Bang on his door, barge in, and ask 20 questions..? Who's going to intimidate and harass him? Should we all go round together, or should we send one of our in-house mice?

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE
We warmly welcome our new mates in Romec… we need hands, as we've been saying for ages, and way more than Romec has deemed fit to "recruit". But come on! Yet again on zero-hour contracts?! This is intolerable, specially when we're crying out for the help of permanent full time workers!

1 FOR 1 IN 185
In fact Romec cleaners have a lot of bones to pick with management... especially with regard to 185. Because it seems we need to have one cleaner per office up there, given the amount of mess we have to cope with. And since RM is taking on more 185 staff for Xmas, Romec will definitely need to take on just as many cleaners!

ALL BABIES EQUAL!
There’s something CWU reps can start helping with right away: clarify the situation for us as to who can use the MP nursery: we were told last year that Romec workers could use it (and it even would take outsiders but not unsubsidised). So what’s the score? The kids of all workers in this building should surely be eligible!

WHO ARE THE DANGEROUS ONES?
It was good to attend the last gathering of retirees at the Phoenix centre. But what wasn't good was that none of our former colleagues was allowed to come in to their former workplace to say hello, or look around to see what's changed. This mean and petty prohibition can hardly be justified on security grounds: everybody knows these workmates who’d been going in and out for 20, 30, 40+ years!

MUGSHOTS UP PLEASE
We’d really like to see the Rogue's Gallery of union reps, so that we can recognise who's who... There always used to be one. And why not add the photos of all the first aiders?

WE WANT REPS DANCING TO OUR TUNE
It seems that many of us take little interest in union affairs these days and union rep elections often aren’t even contested. But change won’t come from on high... if we want the union be accountable, do more and really represent us, it’s going to be up to all of us on the ground to make that happen. Yes, as they say, we get the leaders we deserve. No such thing as a "good rep" by his or herself... Just good members, keeping the reps on their toes.

TIME OFF FOR UNION DUTIES
Whatever happened to the courses that used to be run by the TUC/CWU for new reps? Lately when we voted in reps who had little experience, they were not offered the day release training which they needed. Can somebody from CWU HQ please come down and explain this to us?

IN-WORK POVERTY-DRIVERS
Apparently Yodel has recruited 7,000 delivery drivers to deliver parcels for Xmas. But only 800 will be directly employed - the rest will be "owner-drivers and self-employed couriers". Yodel claims "many" of the jobs will become permanent after Christmas "amid an increase in parcel deliveries". We remember CityLink - and don't believe it... PS: DPD has just opened another depot in East London on land opposite the closed-down Ford press shop in Dagenham: jobs on dirt-low pay and lousy part-time conditions!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

[BASIC GEOGRAPHY…
We've been pretty amazed at the mess in flats that RM is causing… we keep getting whole batches of mail which should have gone to another office... It seems that some people in HQ need lessons in geography, before we find ourselves processing mail for Timbuktu!

That happens in DOs as well, constantly getting boxes for Halifax, Bradford and Leeds, even the Isle of Lewis occasionally.

[baldrick]

WHO ARE THE DANGEROUS ONES?
It was good to attend the last gathering of retirees at the Phoenix centre. But what wasn't good was that none of our former colleagues was allowed to come in to their former workplace to say hello, or look around to see what's changed. This mean and petty prohibition can hardly be justified on security grounds: everybody knows these workmates who’d been going in and out for 20, 30, 40+ years!

How do you get invited to these retiree gatherings? I've never been invited. Are they trying to tell me something?!

[toomuchcoke]

That happens in DOs as well, constantly getting boxes for Halifax, Bradford and Leeds, even the Isle of Lewis occasionally.

We seem to get a tray every few weeks for Shetland (and it's always Shetland!). For some reason, despite numerous people offering to deliver it if management will sign off on the ferry fare and the overtime they don't seem too keen. What is it with management? Here's Posties offering to go "the extra mile"[1] to help with quality of service and they just turn us down every time!

[1] More like an extra 400 miles, but let's not quibble over the details

[aiden01]

That happens in DOs as well, constantly getting boxes for Halifax, Bradford and Leeds, even the Isle of Lewis occasionally.

We seem to get a tray every few weeks for Shetland (and it's always Shetland!). For some reason, despite numerous people offering to deliver it if management will sign off on the ferry fare and the overtime they don't seem too keen. What is it with management? Here's Posties offering to go "the extra mile"[1] to help with quality of service and they just turn us down every time!

[1] More like an extra 400 miles, but let's not quibble over the details

says a lot for supposed super flat sorting machines think they create more missorts than any other machines used in rm.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

That happens in DOs as well, constantly getting boxes for Halifax, Bradford and Leeds, even the Isle of Lewis occasionally.

We seem to get a tray every few weeks for Shetland (and it's always Shetland!). For some reason, despite numerous people offering to deliver it if management will sign off on the ferry fare and the overtime they don't seem too keen. What is it with management? Here's Posties offering to go "the extra mile"[1] to help with quality of service and they just turn us down every time!

[1] More like an extra 400 miles, but let's not quibble over the details

[anna]

This is for info of Baldrick - apparently retiree gatherings like this one are organised by sports and social club so if you are part of that you will get the invite - at least that is what I have been told!

[baldrick]

This is for info of Baldrick - apparently retiree gatherings like this one are organised by sports and social club so if you are part of that you will get the invite - at least that is what I have been told!

Thanks anna. I was a member of the sports and social club for 32 years. I didn't know you could be a member after you retired.