Strong offices vs Weak offices

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 06 Aug 2018, 09:38

The CWU is not perfect no organisation which covers 1500 delivery offices , 37 Mail Centre , 9 RDCs and numerous other offices can be.

Remember the union structure is designed to assist offices , we have a local Rep , we have an Area Rep and Than a Divisional Rep. We also have a Branch structure with finances to ensure representation.

The CWU is not simply 150 the Broadway Wimbledon , it is right across the union. The vast majority of offices have reasonable or good representation. However we have to try and improve those who fall short.

Look at the West Park the office who walk out at the weekend a strong office who have always stuck together again not being prepared to tolerate bullying.

We need to really make sure this happens in all units that are suffering from bullying. However we also need to be straight with members that the following is not necessary bullying :

Asking you to work all the hours your paid.

Asking you to do absorption

PJ101 · Post by **PJ101** » 06 Aug 2018, 18:29

I don't think anyone expects perfection but at least some obvious demonstration that the union is willing to get involved where things are wrong. It should be possible to regularly send communication to each CWU rep in each office asking key questions that show that the agreement reached is being implemented.
You would know better than me what those keys are but I would suggest. 1) Is free work still being undertaken and encouraged in your unit? 2) Is there a 13 week plan in place? 3) Are resource meetings taking place and are the outcomes being adhered to? 4) Is your office being resourced to workload?
5) Is lapsing being correctly implemented? 6) Has a single thing changed since the agreement? 7) If we asked your members to vote for strike again will they still say yes?

If the answers are not as they should be then you can send the CWU rep a clear step by step plan of action that they should undertake. When this has been undertaken and if the results are the same the union should be able to target more senior intervention in those offices.

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 06 Aug 2018, 20:25

Asking you to work all the hours you are paid and also asking you to do absorption??

Well, maybe the Union could educate some of the managers about the overrunning procedure

And also from an earlier point, our office does absorption every day, but every day I still see mail/packets being left behind. So although our office may be informing the big cheeses above that everything is going to plan. Its not, and I don't think its being monitored very well.

PJ101 · Post by **PJ101** » 06 Aug 2018, 21:44

If a colleague comes in early and part preps my round for me for free, I then have time to do the lapse which I do. Is this situation how its supposed to be? I am now doing lapsed which otherwise would have been ot for someone or extra hours for a part timer. Why does the union think a manager will change this?
It doesnt matter to me, I work the same time either way. But if the union wont get involved to ensure that this cannot happen then to me its not doing its job and sending round notes saying 'dont do that' isnt enough.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 07 Aug 2018, 15:25

the union constantly tell us not to come in early, yet the MEMBERS still do it. What do you want the union to do, get rid of its own members ?
Whats going on is some (and in some offices a majority of) members are ignoring everything the union has told us, ie use trolleys, take your break, dont come in early, do the job properly observing h&s protocol
You can blame the Union, but they seem to be doing their part by getting this message out there, I mean most of us on this forum understand the message the union has put out, but for the others you can only lead a horse to water....
So what do the rest of us do ? well this is where the problems are arising, you can become a "trouble maker" by being one of the few people in an office to actually do what the union has laid out, yes you`ll get hassle for it, but i think if the s**t ever hit the fan the union would back you 100%. Or you can go along with everyone else, in the end the union can only do so much, if you stand up for yourself then the only way the union would fail you is if they didnt defend you if managers tried to conduct you for it.
How many people actually contact an area rep if there are big problems in an office ? or do most people just complain on this forum and hope something will change ?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 07 Aug 2018, 15:52

Postie45 wrote:the union constantly tell us not to come in early, yet the MEMBERS still do it. What do you want the union to do, get rid of its own members ?

My start time is 9 am.
On my first day I arrived at 8.40 and everyone had gone.
My duty is ready by 8.15.
Why would I want to turn up at 9, tie down my duty and then sit for 30 minutes on my own in a dreary rest room, having just had breakfast at home, before going out on delivery at 10 am?
(From a H&S point of view I would rather be out on delivery earlier to avoid the heat rather than adhere slavishly to a "do the job properly" mantra.)

So why is my start time 9 am? Neither managers or union seem to know or care. (Well the manager only seems to care if he thinks I am finishing early)
So I make up my own start and finish times, Like a lot of people.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 07 Aug 2018, 16:38

clashcityrocker wrote:
Postie45 wrote:the union constantly tell us not to come in early, yet the MEMBERS still do it. What do you want the union to do, get rid of its own members ?
My start time is 9 am.
On my first day I arrived at 8.40 and everyone had gone.
My duty is ready by 8.15.
Why would I want to turn up at 9, tie down my duty and then sit for 30 minutes on my own in a dreary rest room, having just had breakfast at home, before going out on delivery at 10 am?
(From a H&S point of view I would rather be out on delivery earlier to avoid the heat rather than adhere slavishly to a "do the job properly" mantra.)

So why is my start time 9 am? Neither managers or union seem to know or care. (Well the manager only seems to care if he thinks I am finishing early)
So I make up my own start and finish times, Like a lot of people.

What is their start time the one's who prep your walk do they take meal relief do you if you finish early why not point out those who break the rules before you even step in the building or are they beyond criticism so that would be victimisation of yourself as others who work with you are allowed to be treated different!

PJ101 · Post by **PJ101** » 07 Aug 2018, 17:40

Its not that hard to change things. The union just needs to agree with RM that its members all have the right to finish at the same time. Then when the first person is finished everyone can finish.
One of those nice LTB should do the trick.

NewPostieUK · Post by **NewPostieUK** » 07 Aug 2018, 17:52

clashcityrocker wrote: My start time is 9 am.

So is mine.

clashcityrocker wrote: On my first day I arrived at 8.40 and everyone had gone.

I arrive at 8:40 every day and everyone has gone (almost)

clashcityrocker wrote: My duty is ready by 8.15.

I have no idea what time my duty is ready as I'm not there.

clashcityrocker wrote: Why would I want to turn up at 9, tie down my duty and then sit for 30 minutes on my own in a dreary rest room, having just had breakfast at home, before going out on delivery at 10 am?

Why would I not want to do this? My working hours are 9 - 3 .
It's a bonus when the manager sees me with a load of missorts including tracked packets and wants to know what there are. The correct duty holders have long gone

Another bonus is when I'm asked to do something like an extra street or a special. Sorry, no can do, you need to ask the people who leave the office FIRST not those that leave LAST. Those that leave first obviously have the time. No way I'll be back by 3 at this rate.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 08 Aug 2018, 05:39

clashcityrocker wrote:
Postie45 wrote:the union constantly tell us not to come in early, yet the MEMBERS still do it. What do you want the union to do, get rid of its own members ?
My start time is 9 am.
On my first day I arrived at 8.40 and everyone had gone.
My duty is ready by 8.15.
Why would I want to turn up at 9, tie down my duty and then sit for 30 minutes on my own in a dreary rest room, having just had breakfast at home, before going out on delivery at 10 am?
(From a H&S point of view I would rather be out on delivery earlier to avoid the heat rather than adhere slavishly to a "do the job properly" mantra.)

So why is my start time 9 am? Neither managers or union seem to know or care. (Well the manager only seems to care if he thinks I am finishing early)
So I make up my own start and finish times, Like a lot of people.

I'm sure they leave you alone or you wouldn't do it. A lot of people come in early and all they're doing is creating extra work for themselves for free which they then moan about.

Post by **CPTNemoUK** » 08 Aug 2018, 15:47

I would love to work In one of those offices where everybody is out by 8.40. I'm not normally posting my first letter till 10am.

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 08 Aug 2018, 16:54

NewPostieUK wrote:
clashcityrocker wrote: Why would I want to turn up at 9, tie down my duty and then sit for 30 minutes on my own in a dreary rest room, having just had breakfast at home, before going out on delivery at 10 am?
Why would I not want to do this? My working hours are 9 - 3

1. If I am on delivery at 9 am it is about 21 degrees. When I finish at 1 pm it is about 26/7 degrees. Why would I work an extra hour in such heat when I don't have to?
2. I actually like to know the people who work in the office. Perhaps you are happy to exist with no social intercourse. Perhaps you are happy to sit on your own for 30 minutes in a dreary rest room. I am not.
3. The extra hour between 1 and 2 is more useful to me than an extra hour between 8 and 9.
4. I take my work ethic from Wuthering Heights: "A person who has not done one half of his day's work by ten o'clock runs a chance of leaving the other half undone"

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 08 Aug 2018, 17:21

You had a temper like my jealousy
Too hot, too greedy

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 08 Aug 2018, 19:48

Managers play on the fact most posties prefer to finish earlier, rather than finish later. Its not just the old school that prefer finishing earlier but also the many staff that have childcare issues or those that just prefer to finish before the dreaded rush hour traffic. To that extent I can understand why staff perhaps prefer to adjust their working times to suit themselves, say work from 8 till 2pm, instead of 9 till 3pm.

The problem is most DOMs don't care what time staff start, all they care is what time posties are finishing. So if most posties are finishing before their times then that just gives them a licence to increase lapsing and absorption. Its sad, but ultimately thats the way they work. Offices are being driven by targets.