DEBDEN essex walkout

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 08 Sep 2018, 12:57

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:In my honest opinion, a work to rule never works in Royal Mail.

Once we are out on delivery we effectively work alone, just meeting for a few minutes every so often to get the next loop.

How do bosses undermine a work to rule. Simple they isolate and target the people they perceive as the weakest and who they have a chance of pressurising them to either break the work to rule or do something that they can be suspended for. The isolation parts have already been done for them so they are half way there.

That is why we are in a union to protect the weak or should the weak not bother to join the union. Work to rule will not work because of us not the management.

Post by **osgoody1970** » 08 Sep 2018, 13:21

if the manager is saying." bring back your own work, if you have to. but do your lapsing first"??? he is effectively saying, you do not have time to do lapsing, why is nobody pulling these managers on this??? this is not the first time I have posted on this, its easy!!! the manager is giving you an open goal to challenge him and his so called figures!!!

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 08 Sep 2018, 13:39

cpsteve wrote:
TrueBlueTerrier wrote:In my honest opinion, a work to rule never works in Royal Mail.

Once we are out on delivery we effectively work alone, just meeting for a few minutes every so often to get the next loop.

How do bosses undermine a work to rule. Simple they isolate and target the people they perceive as the weakest and who they have a chance of pressurising them to either break the work to rule or do something that they can be suspended for. The isolation parts have already been done for them so they are half way there.
That is why we are in a union to protect the weak or should the weak not bother to join the union. Work to rule will not work because of us not the management.

No, the weak should join the Union. But when you are out delivery you are isolated and that's when RM will use pressure tactics on the weaker members. When you hit the gate the weaker members have the support of everyone else.

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 08 Sep 2018, 13:48

A work to rule is a form of industrial action and must be balloted, it is not simply "doing the job properly" and involves carrying out the bare minimum of tasks set out in your contract and 318 to the bare minimum standards. It's a minefield of opportunities for suspension because very few people know what they are contractually obliged to do.

An overtime ban is again something completely different and another minefield if members don't complete their duty and are then accused of deliberately underperforming or a "go slow" which can lead to suspension and dismissal.

Strikes are far safer, everybody sacrifices and Royal Mail take notice.

crimson king · Post by **crimson king** » 08 Sep 2018, 18:07

cpsteve wrote:
fishtank wrote:
Gold Fox wrote:Work to Rule is the answer ..... not walking out on the gate. Go out , do what you can in given hours and bring back the rest of it .....
Not only is that not the answer, it isn't even a work to rule.

All Royal Mail do in that situation is stop all the overtime in the office and starve the part-time staff. You might not care about people trying to live off 20 hours but luckily most of us do.
P/T workers are only P/T because we are not working to rule if we work to rule they will be put 25/30 hour contracts. The bullying of P/T staff is outrageous our reps need to be talking to managers about the non payment of overtime and the non taking of breaks that most of them are forced not to take. The R/M is run on overtime if we all stopped doing it the company would be in deep ####.

Hear bloody hear!

This is one of the most sensible and spot on things I've ever read on here.

It is that bloody simple.

Gold Fox · Post by **Gold Fox** » 08 Sep 2018, 19:45

Ok...work to rule is no good , going out on the gate is no good because you loose all the money then what ??

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 08 Sep 2018, 20:12

Gold Fox wrote:Ok...work to rule is no good , going out on the gate is no good because you loose all the money then what ??

You have to lay down a marker.

Your local management have to know that you're prepared to stand up for each other and if that means hitting the gate and losing money even against the advice of the branch then you won't hesitate. Only then will you keep managers honest, when they know trying to screw you over will bring down trouble from above. No manager wants to see their office walk. It brings a s**t storm of questions to their door.

Post by **rambo1** » 09 Sep 2018, 08:06

fishtank wrote:A work to rule is a form of industrial action and must be balloted, it is not simply "doing the job properly" and involves carrying out the bare minimum of tasks set out in your contract and 318 to the bare minimum standards. It's a minefield of opportunities for suspension because very few people know what they are contractually obliged to do.

An overtime ban is again something completely different and another minefield if members don't complete their duty and are then accused of deliberately underperforming or a "go slow" which can lead to suspension and dismissal.

Strikes are far safer, everybody sacrifices and Royal Mail take notice.

Total rubbish. EVERY BODY is entitled to work their hrs and no more. If you are doing the job correctly and working an acceptable speed there is absolutely nothing they can do about it. They and you have pda actuals now to prove it. If they accuse you of not working hard enough, you say show me. Working your hrs is the biggest disruption to operations as a strike day just all gets delivered the next day when people want to make up the money they lost the day before and the overtime paid to clear up is nowhere near what the office saved by not paying anyone on strike day.

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 09 Sep 2018, 13:31

I know work to rule works ive seen it happen, in under two weeks the manager who caused the problems was moved. It is always a last resort so i hope the walk out highlighted the problems and they will be solved.

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 09 Sep 2018, 18:06

Will someone else explain the difference between a work to rule, an overtime ban and "doing the job properly" because my phone must be translating my posts into hieroglyphics or something.

DGH · Post by **DGH** » 09 Sep 2018, 18:32

A work-to-rule is industrial action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract, and precisely follow all safety or other regulations.

An overtime ban is industrial action where employees limit their working time to the hours specified in their contracts.

"Doing the job properly" would not preclude overtime but would otherwise (in theory at least) be similar to a work-to-rule.

They're patently not the same thing.

LaggyBand · Post by **LaggyBand** » 09 Sep 2018, 20:31

That’s a really clear distinction. Also it’s a case of do-ability.

If everyone starts to “do the job properly”, and allow the consequential chaos to follow, RM may allege it constitutes industrial action but are they really going to start “doing” individual posties. Doubt it. Who cares about allegations if you ain’t getting done.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 09 Sep 2018, 23:12

If we all did the job 'properly' taking all our breaks, coming in on time and not before, and following all of RMs many intricate rules the job would never get done within duty time nowadays. We all know that in our heart of hearts. It's a near impossibility to get other posties to take their breaks and not come in early let alone all the RM rules. We have enabled RM to screw us over to a great extent.

unibod · Post by **unibod** » 12 Sep 2018, 11:47

livingonaprayer wrote:so today was too much for everyone , absorption was called to be done first and roll over any other mail if not staying out. There was already frames with 3/4 days that aint already gone out. short of staff/ not enough full timers , build up of everything had people standing together for once and walked back tomorrow for gate meeting.

looks like few other areas could be about to follow

Unfortunately, it appears to be the only language they understand. When you're talking to a management brick wall, action is the only way to communicate.