18/12/2019 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi all, find below the Mount Pleasant bulletin of the 18th of December - comments welcome as usual! Happy festive break and see you in January!

STRIKE ON... WHEN?
We know that the CWU machinery (meaning the Wards
and Pullingers, etc.) by their very nature aren't keen on
going on the offensive, even when it's the only thing to do.
But now, they promise the government and employers
they “won't give them a moment's rest.” So does that
mean that our strike is back on...?

WE NEED OUR OWN ROAD
While it's true, as they say, that “in the next 5 years trade
unions will be more important than ever”, we know that
they will only become the “first line of defence” for working
people, if workers take control of organising their own
fightback. Leaving it to the likes of the union bureaucrats
will be a road to nowhere.

BACK TO THE FUTURE
We also know that Johnson has said that he would like to
ban strikes in public services - especially transport - and
that that might be in today's Queen's Speech. Which
means that we're going to have to decide to break the
law. And that would take us back to when unions really
were unions, with workers united against the bosses,
doing whatever it takes to defend their jobs!

WE NEED AN ALL OUT!
As DO strikes continue, this time workmates in Keynsham
(BS31) are refusing to deliver mail on the 23rd and 24th of
December because of the sacking of a workmate. The
CWU is now balloting for strike... As if we're not all facing
the same sort of attacks: managers breathing down our
necks when there are not enough hands anywhere! So
why not ballot all of us?

PASSING THE 2nd CLASS BUCK
We all knew that it would be busy over Xmas, obviously!
All except management - not that we’re very surprised at
their naivety. So now 2nd class is being sent to Greenford,
as we don’t have enough hands here to sort it!

BACK TO 19th CENTURY
We couldn't believe our ears when Xmas casuals told us
Angard offered them a choice between 10-hr and 12-hr
shifts this year... 6 nights a week. Yes, casuals are
meant to cover for the lack of hands in HMP (and
elsewhere in Royal Amazon), at slave hourly rates! But
with only 3 weeks of work and low wages, what kind of
choice do they have?!

GET THE MATHS RIGHT!
And by the way, since many of the casuals are working
6pm to 6am, Angard has managed to have each one of
them on 3 different wage rates... And of course, we know
Angard's poor record when it comes to paying the correct
wage – let alone on time! So if they don't want to end up
with a riot in their pay office, they better get their
calculators out now!

CHEAP MANAGERS
How can managers be so bl**dy petty over us leaving a
few minutes early when the work is done? They're even
more pathetic during Xmas pressure. Some of us have
no choice but to do SA, and we expect the hours we've
worked (or are scheduled to work) to be paid in full!

LET'S CORRECT THEIR BAD HABITS
Oh dear, the rumour mill is grinding again... this time we
hear that HMP managers are preparing to offer 39 EVRs
in January. So at this rate, we wonder who they think will
be doing the work in here? Or are the casuals here to
stay, after all? If so, we'll be happy to walk out with them,
in a fight for permanent contracts.

GOING CHEAPER AND CHEAPER
So RM hired 7.5 tonners without roll stops fitted to the tail
lifts. And to prevent the yorks from rolling off, they had a
bright idea: get bags, half-fill with sand, place at wheel,
and cross your fingers! Honestly, you couldn't make it up.
P.S. And by the way, there's no need to rush. Let's take
our time, even on the standard 7.5s, without sandbags!

WHAT A DUMBO!
What's wrong with the RM-PFS elephant? If he keeps
running around, trying to reallocate duties, he's going to
make a hole in the floor! All that's needed is doubling our
numbers. Surely that's simple enough? So while some of
us have refused to take inappropriate duties, others have
refused to do the job of two – and rightly so!

NO NEWS?
It’s all gone quiet about the future of Romford MC… even
our mates there haven’t heard anything definite! The
CWU have apparently, but they’ve signed a nondisclosure
agreement! We hear that the MC is closing
however, and hasn’t got longer than 18 months at most.
The landlord who owns the lease also owns around 30
other RM sites, so RM don’t want to get on his bad side…
P.S. RM’s leasing problem is theirs of course. Ours is:
what’s going to happen to the 500 mates currently at
Romford? Is there a plan to build a new East London
Mail Centre?

IS IT A PRETEXT?
We have to take this stuff about the lease with a heap of
salt… We know that RM have been closing down MCs
for a long time now, and on a big scale. Since 2008, 31
MCs have closed (which is almost half!)...

[vila465]

Romford mc has been given three year extension until.march 2023.When the extension finishes that will be that.Management saying they will be actively looking for a new location for romford before the final extension is due to end.