breaking agreements

[hans solo]

rm are and continue to break all agreements in the workplace on a daily basis
especially the attendance procedure locally
why dont cwu take rm to court to enable strike action
our office in the past few weeks now taking on agency workers for the first time ever
all heading one way

[tommyrep]

rm are and continue to break all agreements in the workplace on a daily basis
especially the attendance procedure locally
why dont cwu take rm to court to enable strike action
our office in the past few weeks now taking on agency workers for the first time ever
all heading one way

Yes. Why ?
I do not understand why the Union allows blatant breaches like this.
We all live with daily threats of conduct code, for every day things !
Signing in sheet ! Drivers signing out/in sheets. PDA signing, Specials signing, etc, etc.
RM have a paper trail that could cover the globe, all signed by us, all putting our heads on a block for RM to pull us up on. Wilful delay, not trying neighbours, door stepping, van check, etc, etc, the list goes on and we are all open to dismissal at their whim- managers always threaten conduct for our breaches!! NO ONE every takes THEM to task. They do as they like, when they like, treat us like s**t with NO fear of any action, why ? I think the Union don't really care about front line delivery staff and the daily pressure they get from managers. PARTS and I will repeat PARTS, of our obligations or duties are held like a gun to our heads, but, breaches that save money, time etc, like meal breaks, methods are blindly ignored !
Strange, but true. Keep your nose clean, cos, they are ready and willing to jump on any failings YOU breach.

[Tman]

Maybe because the courts aren't there to tell a business how to operate? An agreement between employer and employees can be amended (ie broken) at any time if the business needs justify it, and that's what RM would argue, if the CWU was ever dumb enough to try legal enforcement.

[hans solo]

so therefore we should have the right to break any agreement we dont like

[POSTMAN]

Your rep should register a disagreement which is now legally binding.
Management cannot ignore the disagreement and every month the Div Reps and IR manager review all disagreements which have been registered to ensure they are being addressed in line with the agreed timescales.
Once you have registered the stage 1 disagreement and you have alerted the Area there must be a meeting to attempt to resolve this within one week and if it cannot resolved then it moves to a stage 2 with the DSM and Area Rep and again there is a one week timescale , if it cannot then be resolved then it goes to the Div Rep and Delivery Director then to National HQ level and then even to external mediation.

[awesomepenguin]

Your rep should register a disagreement which is now legally binding.
Management cannot ignore the disagreement and every month the Div Reps and IR manager review all disagreements which have been registered to ensure they are being addressed in line with the agreed timescales.
Once you have registered the stage 1 disagreement and you have alerted the Area there must be a meeting to attempt to resolve this within one week and if it cannot resolved then it moves to a stage 2 with the DSM and Area Rep and again there is a one week timescale , if it cannot then be resolved then it goes to the Div Rep and Delivery Director then to National HQ level and then even to external mediation.

Ultimately though once all the stages of the IR Framework and external mediation have been exhausted then it comes to a choice of accepting the fact that RM has broken the agreement or requesting industrial action ballot.

Given the amount of agreements etc are broken every single day up and down the country in delivery offices and mail centres we would have non stop industrial action ballots.

You have to pick your battles because you will never win them all.

[rogersh]

I have posted several times that the use of agency workers appears to be contravening the AFG agreement. Their has been a gradual increase in the number used at our RDC in the past few weeks. Yesterday & today the number of agency on the early shift was 25 !!.

[fishtank]

Maybe because the courts aren't there to tell a business how to operate?

Which is why most unions haven't wasted their time with legally binding agreements. There isn't a judge daft enough to put any business in jeopardy or any jobs on the line to enforce a piece of paper. RM knew that when they signed up to this daft nonsense and they must have had a good chuckle to themselves while they did. The question is whether the union has learned its lesson or whether they'll come out with another worthless piece of paper.

[Tman]

so therefore we should have the right to break any agreement we dont like

I don't think you quite understand the employer-employee relationship there.

[rogersh]

Maybe because the courts aren't there to tell a business how to operate?

The question is whether the union has learned its lesson or whether they'll come out with another worthless piece of paper.

That maybe a point for the future but for now we are dealing with a piece of paper that has a high value as a high court judge used it to agree with Royal Mail & prevent strike action temporarily. There seems to be a selective use of the agreement & I concur with several posters who see the clauses in the Agenda for growth agreement & wonder why it appears these are not being adhered to.

Terry Pullinger has stated "It was ironic that Royal Mail were using a legal challenge, Especially in regards to resourcing, Making up part timers that have been working beyond their hours for over six months ,Temporary contracts, The abuse & use of agency workers & a whole host of other issues.... "