07/10/2020 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi, find below the Mount Pleasant bulletin of 7 Oct. You can also find the complete bulletin attached (with front page editorial). Comments are always welcome!

THIS ISN'T THE WHITE HOUSE!
Can managers kindly tell us if anyone working here is
self-isolating? And what about tests? Have any of our
fellow workers tested +ve in the last few days? We need
the facts – so we can judge for ourselves if the Mount is
safe or not! Of course we know why management
deliberately keeps us in the dark: if they followed the rules
they might end up with none of us at work... But so be it.
Health first!
PS: Cleaners also need to know all the facts. We're
asked to clean areas, coming into contact with surfaces,
without knowing if there was confirmed Covid, or not?! It
makes a difference: do we kit out in full PPE, or just take
usual (careful) precautions?

HONESTY NOT THEIR STRENGTH
Same with us drivers... We noticed that one of the vans
was quietly taken out of service – yet managers don't say
why. Once again, they seem to be hushing up things
which should be out in the open. When we ask
questions, we expect straight (truthful) answers! If they
don't have anything to hide, then no problem!

NO MORE "CASUAL" PLANS!
We’re surprised that we're hearing talk about Xmas
casuals already. One, because we’ve already had to deal
with about three Xmases since lock-down, and two,
because managers haven't seen fit to bring in more
hands, despite this. Of course we need extra workers –
but permanently, not on any kind of "casual" basis! But
then there also needs to be a clear plan for spacing out
the work stations when there are even more of us here,
because in some areas, we’re already far too close
together.

WE SHALL GO SLOW!
And by the way, guess what happens when managers
want the parcels workload to be cleared? Social
distancing goes out the window! And yes, we know
what's going to happen over Xmas: Royal Mayhem plus,
plus! But that's not our problem, we'll keep our own safe
pace and safe distance, even if it means Santa will be
(even more) late this year!

THEIR DANGEROUS ADVICE
RM's provided yet another version of a "Coronavirus
Guidance Q&A" (#59!!). But it's as contradictory as all
previous versions - and as dangerous to our health! One
example: "Face Masks? Only where “observing the 2m
physical distancing is at times difficult". "Only"? So, while
masks are absolutely mandatory on public transport at all
times, here in the CLOSED space of MP, where we're
MOSTLY closer together than 2m, for hours on end,
breathing the same air, they're not? How can RM get this
so badly wrong? Sure, "reasons" of cost... but... They'd
better revise this or they could find themselves in the
dock.

THAT'S AN IDEA!
Where is our pay increase, we ask once more? It's 6
months late, and yet management and union negotiators
have the cheek to ask us to be "patient"? So in the
meantime, should we ask our landlords, utility bill
providers, food shops and TfL to be "patient" as well? Or
should we send them to the union/RM talkers sort this out
with them directly?

DOORKEEPERS VITAL
When Doorkeepers were offered EVR, our insistence that
they should be replaced, fell on deaf ears. The jobs just
disappeared. Well, now that the doors are being used for
the one way system, these jobs need to be filled again.
As for using the rest of us to cover in the meantime, no,
it's not our job. We had dedicated doorkeepers before
and we need them now.

DIRTY GOINGS-ON IN PFS
Something is happening here in PFS and we don't know
what it is...! Yes, casual cleaners, working only for a few
hours, but on cash-in-hand "terms"? This is unbelievable!
We were already opposed to the use and abuse of
"agency contracts" but we never expected to see this
here! We demand an explanation!

NO RE-SIGN WITHOUT RECRUITMENT!
Yes, of course we're very short of hands on the cleaning
side! This has been the case forever. And now, "in the
time of Covid" it's an impossible situation. Replacing
workmates who retire is fine, but the permanent workforce
needs to increase substantially - how many times do we
have to say this?

BLOODY MINDED
We cleaners heard that if we need to quarantine, we
won't be paid? So what does RM-PFS management
suggest? That we come to work? This is too stupid to be
true (and "illegal")! We can only assume that we didn't
hear correctly!

CANTEEN WORKERS
We were shocked to see just TWO Quadrant workers in
the canteen on Lates! It’s impossible for them to do
everything by themselves – let alone all the extra cleaning
that’s needed at this time. There simply must be more
workers. RM and Quadrant need to sort this out
immediately. It’s unacceptable.

W.T.FLUFF
Do managers think we're back at school? We've now
received a little booklet that gets a monthly stamp each
time we attend Work Time Sleeping. So do we get a gold
star after completing the 6 stamps – or should we shout
Bingo!? We hope we aren't missing out, since most of us
have already shown the booklet the inside of a dustbin...

OOPS
Sorry, but we've got our machines mixed-up in the last
bulletin. The flats mis-sorts are from the Jumbo Dumbo
(the T2K and the manager) and not the CFC... But
nevertheless, some of these machines do need a good
cancelling and culling!

[woody38]

Seems to be the same with Covid though out the country, when we ask where people are who are of sick they suddenly don’t know what’s wrong with them, as for the van being taken out of service our vans are so old and knackered that if one was taken out of service nobody would notice we have at least a couple of breakdowns everyday, some break down before leaving the depot or the doors fall of. Because we are so short of vans multiple people are driving the vans one gets out, one gets in no cleaning or nothing.