Mount Pleasant Bulletin 20 October

anna · Post by **anna** » 23 Oct 2016, 13:39

PENSIONS PUZZLE
Apparently CWU HQ may call further action over Post Office pensions. But what about action over RM pensions? "Bulletin No.1" on "RM's 3-card trick", came out months ago already... so where's Bulletin No. 2? Anyway, it would make sense for a fight over pensions to take place with PO workmates and RM together - especially given the way PO workers' ranks have been decimated. As we've said before, they can't be left to fight this on their own.

WHERE'S THE NEW GENERATION?
So: yet more mates are taking EVR and we wish them the best. There'll be yet more going in December… So our question is: who will replace them? Isn't it high time we ensured there was a new generation of workers to take over? We simply don't buy this oft-repeated excuse that mail is dwindling or that machines can and will take over. Our experience day-to-day proves otherwise.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
When we saw that form for part-timers to apply for full-time jobs we thought "at last"!! But it's only for the 3 weeks over Xmas! Well, we'd be doing that anyway - and we should get overtime rates, what's more! But the problem is that we struggle to make ends meet, not just over Xmas, but all year round! Apparently RM can satisfy the needs of shareholders, but when it comes to the workers who provide this satisfaction for them, i.e., us, we are meant to go hop?

XMAS ALREADY?
And speaking of decent jobs, RM is already recruiting casuals for Xmas - at the minimum wage, RM certainly knows how to do one thing well: act The Grinch…

THEIR PROBLEM, NOT OURS
Really, these managers are crazy to think that we'll take our breaks just when it suits them! Now they want us to take them at the beginning of the shift! All because they want to have all hands on deck when it gets very busy - and for hours on end... Quite obviously, it's precisely when it gets so busy that we get tired, and need our breaks! And by the way, the rushes and lulls in the mail traffic which causes these hyper-busy periods are entirely management-made. We refuse to compensate for them.

A BIT OF SENSE
As for us on nights, why should we spend the first 2 hours of our shift pushing yorkies all around the HMP floor? Yes, since the "rush" gets later and later in the evening, we end up spending up until midnight just clearing the space… And by the time we're ready to do the work, managers ask us to do internal processing and 2nd class both at the same time! Impossible! No wonder work piles up so high!

BOB THE BOT
And bad luck for our mates in the platform, when B the B brings them over to work on processing… as if we all didn't have enough duties! It seems that he keeps calculating the number of minutes he can gain from each one of us, an endless calculator in his head - like a robot. Does it mean that if we refuse to work according to his plans, B will Blow? All machines do…

PACKET SORTING MACHINE GONE MISSING
We'd almost forgotten about the packet sorting machine in Swindon! We've not heard much lately, despite the primary floor being re-organised and the ad videos during sleep time learning… News, anybody?
PS: According to the Union Branch, this machine is suffering from an 8-month delay... so far...

CHICKENS' REST
We wonder why, two weeks ago, the line managers were, for once, not running around like headless chickens on nights? Did it have anything to do with the fact that the Bee was on earlies? Anyway, because they weren't in our hair, all the work went smoothly!

A BIRD IN THE HAND...?
So financial commentators are telling us to hang on to our RM shares for two more years. If we sell now, we will have to pay tax; in Oct 2018 the proceeds would be tax-free. But with or without tax, who can tell for sure how much they'll be worth in 2 years time? In fact, not a single "wise" financial commentator can say what tomorrow will bring!

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING… OUT!
Apparently 250 of our mates in Luton/Leagrave were due to strike Wed 19th, over management suspending workers and heavy workloads. Sound familiar? There aren't enough hands in here either, not to mention managers asking for trouble. So yes, we stand in solidarity with these mates. The sound of boots is the only thing RM understands!

WE EC-HO THAT!
Yes, and in EC managers are driving us to the point where it could be boots outside over here too! Because we've lost drivers and walkers to the point where we can't manage in "normal" hours. Managers overstep the mark on a daily basis. Some resistance-organising on dayshift is urgently needed. We're fed up!

SIMPLE ANSWER
Can anyone understand this Romec health and safety questionnaire? It's got 45 hard-to-read questions with 5 ridiculous tick-boxes to answer for each. There's a simple answer - if that's what Romec really wanted (which we doubt): spend money on more permanent workers, better equipment and cut the clock-watching pressure on us all!

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
What's the Romec manager thinking of? He calls a meeting to present this H&S questionnaire, but then decides to have a "go" about some incident in a locker-room (actually nothing happened of any interest whatsoever). Are we to guess why a non-event was so “interesting” for him? We’d have thought he had more important issues to consider.

PS re previous bulletin - of course Fiat is there to audit the WC Mail for the silver medal... since car this aptly-named WC is the kaizen Toyota borrowed Ford production method - supposedly applying the common sense of workers to continuously improve. Perhaps the comment re them buying HMP was a joke?( A fiat factory in central London?!) As far as we know part of the site is to become a housing development.

anna · Post by **anna** » 23 Oct 2016, 13:42

sorry excuse the typo - a "car" appears in the answer at the bottom re the pervious bulletin's article on Fiat guys visiting for WC. They are "external auditors".

Post by **nataddick** » 23 Oct 2016, 20:03

Anna

Pensions Puzzle - RM have already done everything necessary to comply with the legal requirements to close the PO pensions scheme to future accrual from April 2017.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 27&t=76761" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So, we move forward to the closure of the RMPP from April 2018 and although the Royal Mail plan membership is significantly higher than that of the PO scheme, I believe the outcome will be the same. As regards, Bulletin No 1, it is clear that this was produced by a group of well intentioned members that have been prompted to act, in the absence of any official CWU communication. This was never a CWU HQ endorsed document and lacks some credibility as a consequence, due to it's anonymity.

It may well be that the CWU are restricted from any formal communications due to confidentiality issues but the PO and RM are now under separate ownership and this has inevitably weakened the CWU's negotiating position.

I would love to see the CWU and it's actuarial advisers spring into action over the proposed RMPP closure before it is too late. However, past history leads me to believe that this will not change the eventual outcome.

anna · Post by **anna** » 23 Oct 2016, 22:42

I know you (I think?) said this before that the "members pension bulletin number 1" (which was long but well-written and informative! - from the "defending your pensions campaign committee" ) is unofficial - but it looks just like the usual bulletins given out - maybe from the London Division? Anyway even if you are right, and it is some well-intentioned guys, I guess it still has to mean there are a good number of members who feel strongly about this - so wherever there are a few such people, there is surely a possibility of building a fightback. Or at least starting to do so?

Post by **nataddick** » 24 Oct 2016, 16:56

Yes,I totally agree that there should be a fight back - but my point was that CWU HQ do not currently seem to be leading it !

anna · Post by **anna** » 25 Oct 2016, 18:16

Agreed. They (HQ) are what they are. They won't change and personally I don't think it's the place to look for leadership when it comes to a fight. Haven't most fights started "unofficially"?

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 25 Oct 2016, 18:32

anna wrote:Agreed. They (HQ) are what they are. They won't change and personally I don't think it's the place to look for leadership when it comes to a fight. Haven't most fights started "unofficially"?

But your information is invaluable to us all thanks for all you have done we know more from you than any rep or CWU HQ we thank you for your time and input while you may be based far away from me we still value your contribution. As to unofficial action and I have walked out in support in the past for fellow members we should be mindful that the business is looking for resistance.

anna · Post by **anna** » 26 Oct 2016, 19:20

cheers K but the bulletin relies on the HMP workers... so thanks to them!

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 27 Oct 2016, 14:34

Two things stand out here ! The second bulletin is due soon , but it is written by activists and not HQ. We believe as activists that we cannot be caught like 2008 when at a national briefing in Northampton following 8 days of strike action and some unofficial action when they removed early starts that pensions was de coupled from the Pay and Mod Agreement. There was not support from the majority of branch"s to carry out further strike action just on pensions.

In terms of CWU HQs the fact remains they have stated that they will oppose any further change to the DB scheme. However as the pension debate shows on here some members are not up for a fight. The facts are that for every 2 members in the DB scheme there is 1 members in the DC scheme. We have to support an improved DC scheme which is an unagreed pension scheme. In addition we cannot allow Royal Mail to close the DB scheme and change their contributions to 10% as opposed to 17.1% when in fact they are also drawing down on assets. Remember this will be a pay cut for members in the DB scheme. However the pension is secured until March 2018 so the battle is what happens after this periods.

The decision to announce the closure of the DB scheme is imminent !

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 27 Oct 2016, 17:22

dingo wrote:Two things stand out here ! The second bulletin is due soon , but it is written by activists and not HQ. We believe as activists that we cannot be caught like 2008 when at a national briefing in Northampton following 8 days of strike action and some unofficial action when they removed early starts that pensions was de coupled from the Pay and Mod Agreement. There was not support from the majority of branch"s to carry out further strike action just on pensions.

In terms of CWU HQs the fact remains they have stated that they will oppose any further change to the DB scheme. However as the pension debate shows on here some members are not up for a fight. The facts are that for every 2 members in the DB scheme there is 1 members in the DC scheme. We have to support an improved DC scheme which is an unagreed pension scheme. In addition we cannot allow Royal Mail to close the DB scheme and change their contributions to 10% as opposed to 17.1% when in fact they are also drawing down on assets. Remember this will be a pay cut for members in the DB scheme. However the pension is secured until March 2018 so the battle is what happens after this periods.

The decision to announce the closure of the DB scheme is imminent !

And I have been a vociferousness campaigner on here about the closure of the final salary scheme but with the fact the government took £16 billion in assets out of our last scheme and Royalmail will look to do the very same out of the DB scheme and opt us all into the DC scheme. For while little will care as most are in the DC scheme as the average service in delivery is just 16 years!

anna · Post by **anna** » 28 Oct 2016, 23:39

Dingo says :

"There was not support from the majority of branch"s to carry out further strike action just on pensions."

with ref to what happened in 2008 (....) And then about today's situation

"However as the pension debate shows on here some members are not up for a fight."

First, the branches don't and didn't reflect the feeling of ordinary members on the ground in 2008. What happened that year was the officials doing stuff they thought was best for everyone based on the fact that they "were not up for a fight" themselves. Today Dingo is basing his assessment on discussions on RMC??? Most workmates don't look at it..
The trouble is that there is no forum for the "normal" workers to express anything (which is why our bulletin serves an albeit tiny purpose) so you officials don't know what they are up for (if you care). What's wrong with organising "mass" meetings? You never know what might happen.

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 29 Oct 2016, 20:49

Anna a few corrections the members voted in 2008 for both pay and mod agreement and the end of the final salary and the setting up of the CARE scheme. I grant you that apart from London most Branch': recommended it.

In term of this pension debate some of us already are leading the fight too protect the DB scheme as well as campaigning to improve the DC scheme. When the announcement is made we will as usual have members meetings and yes mass meetings.

However let's be clear it would be better if the pencil. Issue was linked to the wider issues of Royal Mail': future strategy as it would unite all the members !

So to be clear you will receive the second issue of the pensions document very soon ? Why because some of us want the members to hear the facts !

anna · Post by **anna** » 04 Nov 2016, 21:28

OK cheers for that - people are very worried so let us hope news and meetings happen soon. Disappointed PO pension sold out?