Ring fencing and DDA.

postypie · Post by **postypie** » 19 Oct 2017, 14:14

Hiya guys...need a bit of advice.
Our office is on the verge of a repick (again) and will I think begin either next week or sooner?
No problem as such with the repick, but I just want to know where does someone like me who has an ongoing cancer condition (which will only worsen as time goes by) stands as regards ring fencing a duty to suit my condition both now and in the future?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 19 Oct 2017, 14:58

Cancer is covered under the Equality Act from the point of diagnosis. (no 12 month qualifying bit)
As for members' approval - I have never heard such rubbish in all my life.

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 19 Oct 2017, 15:55

Not only is members "approval" inappropriate, it would also be a gross breach of confidence to discuss a member's medical condition and any subsequent reasonable adjustments with the rest of the office. The kind of breach of confidence that could see both the manager and the rep facing dismissal. I'm not often shocked by what goes on in this business but that one kind of does the trick.

postypie · Post by **postypie** » 19 Oct 2017, 16:02

Thanks guys for you advice ...more or less what I expected.
I think the guys in our office are more or less looking after their own interests as opposed to anyone with cancer issues/health problems etc!
Like I have said...other staff members who have duties ring fenced never needed approval from the 'lads' so to speak so why should my case be any different?

awesomepenguin · Post by **awesomepenguin** » 19 Oct 2017, 16:39

fishtank wrote:Not only is members "approval" inappropriate, it would also be a gross breach of confidence to discuss a member's medical condition and any subsequent reasonable adjustments with the rest of the office. The kind of breach of confidence that could see both the manager and the rep facing dismissal. I'm not often shocked by what goes on in this business but that one kind of does the trick.

I will second that. From my own personal experience the way DDA cases are handled when it comes to office re-picks by RM and the CWU is totally crass, insensitive and probably bordering on illegal in most cases.

Even doctors/health care providers generally cannot share personal medical information and records with anyone not involved in the patients care unless all identifying information is removed.

DB1100 · Post by **DB1100** » 19 Oct 2017, 17:52

Aside from all the repick carry on, good luck with your condition

walkthewalk · Post by **walkthewalk** » 21 Oct 2017, 19:55

Good luck postie pie, full credit to you in fact I am very impressed in your wanting to work through this cancer and wish you all the best for the future, unfortunately you work for an insensitive employer regarding such issues so hoping you get what you need regarding duties all the best.

postypie · Post by **postypie** » 22 Nov 2017, 18:35

Hiya guys...new update...a local CWU rep came round to our office the other day (not sure what for) but anyway he saw me and shouted on the shop floor 'oi i need to see you about something'!
Anyway i carried on with my work at my fitting and eventually the CWU rep came over and his first question was ' i have heard you have been contacting head office on a couple of matters'?
And?
Well they have been leaning on us (words to that affect) so we would prefer it if you come to us first in the future!(I personally don't have much faith in local reps hence the reason i contact head office)!
Anyway...we finally get on to 'ring fencing' a duty for me becuase of my cancer issue...where he more or less cut me down straight away saying that we don't want to go down that road or else everyone will be wanting duties ring fenced for every ailment/medical condition going (so to speak)'!
Got the distinct impression it would be treading on too many toes in our office hence the reason(real) they don't want to offer me it!
(Even though several of my work colleagues have duties ring fenced already for far less serious issues/and certainly not life threatening conditions)!
Anyway...his idea was once the repick has begun...(contact him...he changed this later on though)...and whatever duties are left if i was to find them too hard (assuming my condition worsens) then the business would make reasonable adjustments to the duty(which i don't believe) as i come under the equality law etc!
My argument is the duty i am on now is within my capabilities as of now so why can't they ring fence this one and if my cancer spreads/worsens later on then make the appropriate adjustments to the duty accordingly?
This was brought to the attention of the DOM who sympathised with my condition/predicament but seemed reluctant to offer me the chance to stay on the duty i am on (its one of the better ones so to speak now as it has had some taken off in a revision and senior posties want it as they are always teasing me) and seniority always comes first as opposed to someone with a medical condition/ring fencing they also often tell me..(which i am not entirely sure of)!
CWU rep came and went without much being done or said to help me.....repick will take place and i will probably end up with a duty i will struggle with but as long as it doesn't affect my more senior work mates plans then i will just have to get on with it seems as my local CWU reps have made it pretty clear they are more or less washing their hands of it and quite frankly couldn't give two coins about me(rightly or wrongly that is the impression i got from them)!
My own local rep hasn't even once asked to see how i was/am since being diagnosed with cancer so that tells you everything about him and he seems to avoid me/issues i have like the plague.
As for work colleagues all i get is....you look ok...can't see what is wrong with you...you are always playing the victim (this was off a once cwu rep/EX))....when are you going for your next scan(MRI)....when are you going for your next blood test....when are they starting treatment....non stop almost daily, all so that it can give them something to talk about for a few minutes.,,,(gossip) You are not DDA so you can't ring fence a duty..etc..etc ...one of my colleagues who has cancer himself just tells me to ignore them (he has a duty ring fenced due to his condition and rightly so in my opinion).
No sure what the future holds for me but one thing i do know...for the first time in 26+ years i am wondering whether being a member of the CWU is worth it!(My late father would turn in his grave at this remark as he was a Union rep for 50+ years at a local engineering company he worked for)

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 22 Nov 2017, 19:01

Pretty disgusting treatment, keep going above their heads. Hopefully somebody at HQ knows what the words top down accountability mean. Look after yourself.

Post by **General Mannerheim** » 22 Nov 2017, 19:28

I wished that I could say that I am shocked about the way your local rep has handled the situation you describe but I am not.

Have you got an Equality Officer in your branch?

wookie · Post by **wookie** » 22 Nov 2017, 19:32

This is the problem with DDA. When someone, like yourself, needs & should get help, you are going to be tarred with the same brush with people abusing the system. By that I mean 'jumping the queue' to get a better walk. I am going to be flamed by people on this site for saying that but I DO NOT care. My office alone pre-revision zero DDAS, we are now approaching more that 15% of the office.

postypie · Post by **postypie** » 22 Nov 2017, 19:50

wookie wrote:This is the problem with DDA. When someone, like yourself, needs & should get help, you are going to be tarred with the same brush with people abusing the system. By that I mean 'jumping the queue' to get a better walk. I am going to be flamed by people on this site for saying that but I DO NOT care. My office alone pre-revision zero DDAS, we are now approaching more that 15% of the office.

I can honestly say i didn't want this cancer and to be honest i would love to be healthy and strong and full of the joys of life but i am afraid my cancer has got worse (stage higher now) and like i said to this CWU rep the other day ....fatigue is kicking in now and i think i am doing well just to complete the job i am on (which isn't that easy despite what my colleagues think).
His answer was...'well we all feel fatigued somedays' so we more or less just have to get on with it and we can't really ring fence a duty on the basis of fatigue can we!!!!!(Ignoring the fact fatigue is very much a symptom of my cancer condition)

Do you know what....some nights when i go to bed i actually hope/pray i don't wake up because its that bad.
I detest going into work now facing the same questions and innuendos and sarcastic remarks from so called work mates!(Not all though).
I loathe coming into contact with local CWU reps who seem more concerned with looking after their mates and themselves than folk with genuine health concerns!
I absolutely have little or no faith in my line manager and Dom who only a few months ago agreed in principal(Along with my local CWU safety rep) to ring fence a particular duty to suit my needs...IT all fell through as this duty as part of the revision has been extended to such an extent the postie on it now finds it too much and can't wait to pick off it(and this is the one they had in mind for me)!!!
And then they talk about making reasonable adjustments!!!!!(What by making the duty heavier and longer for me)!!!
The managers and CWU reps just don't care.(In our office/locally) based on my experience so far but lets see what the future holds!

Post by **General Mannerheim** » 22 Nov 2017, 20:04

Have a Read of this. If you need any help PM me.
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 79#p544840" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

postypie · Post by **postypie** » 22 Nov 2017, 20:32

General Mannerheim wrote:Have a Read of this. If you need any help PM me.
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 79#p544840" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that....don't think i have got to that stage yet mate though and i would be very reluctant to ask local CWU reps for help based on the experience i have had so far mate.

wookie · Post by **wookie** » 23 Nov 2017, 16:28

postypie wrote:
wookie wrote:This is the problem with DDA. When someone, like yourself, needs & should get help, you are going to be tarred with the same brush with people abusing the system. By that I mean 'jumping the queue' to get a better walk. I am going to be flamed by people on this site for saying that but I DO NOT care. My office alone pre-revision zero DDAS, we are now approaching more that 15% of the office.

I can honestly say i didn't want this cancer and to be honest i would love to be healthy and strong and full of the joys of life but i am afraid my cancer has got worse (stage higher now) and like i said to this CWU rep the other day ....fatigue is kicking in now and i think i am doing well just to complete the job i am on (which isn't that easy despite what my colleagues think).
His answer was...'well we all feel fatigued somedays' so we more or less just have to get on with it and we can't really ring fence a duty on the basis of fatigue can we!!!!!(Ignoring the fact fatigue is very much a symptom of my cancer condition)

Do you know what....some nights when i go to bed i actually hope/pray i don't wake up because its that bad.
I detest going into work now facing the same questions and innuendos and sarcastic remarks from so called work mates!(Not all though).
I loathe coming into contact with local CWU reps who seem more concerned with looking after their mates and themselves than folk with genuine health concerns!
I absolutely have little or no faith in my line manager and Dom who only a few months ago agreed in principal(Along with my local CWU safety rep) to ring fence a particular duty to suit my needs...IT all fell through as this duty as part of the revision has been extended to such an extent the postie on it now finds it too much and can't wait to pick off it(and this is the one they had in mind for me)!!!
And then they talk about making reasonable adjustments!!!!!(What by making the duty heavier and longer for me)!!!
The managers and CWU reps just don't care.(In our office/locally) based on my experience so far but lets see what the future holds!

Like I said, when someone like yourself needs help, it should be given with no questions/judgements asked. I can understand why you feel like you have no faith in managers/reps, I have seen it in my office. And as for your so called 'workmates', if they do know about your cancer and they are acting like that, well - what a bunch of classless w@nkers.