How open can your Rep be?

[Gingerbread Fred]

This could go in the Union Room but I was also looking for opinions from fellow red shirts

How open is your rep with his/her members when it comes to changes in the office?

Do you get to hear about extra annual leave slots, changes in work hours, updates on resource meetings, special duties added/removed, lapsing plans etc etc

Or does your rep work these through with the DOM without consulting the members?

In my time at Royal Mail working in a few different offices I’ve only known 1 rep actively approach their members on decisions made to could affect their fellow colleagues.

What I can’t work out is if this rep is a “rogue” or the others I’ve come across have just been in it for themselves?

[Jahpostie]

I'm a part timer that comes in on my time. Rare I know. By the time I come in the rep is normally gone. We're treated like mushrooms by the union rep and DOMs. It's just the RM way!

[Dexydog]

In ours no-one is privvy to any meetings or decisions.
Yet another reason I'm not in the union.

[yellowbelly]

Don't hear a dickie bird - when manager implements something it's usually 'The union's agreed to it' - it's always
a Spanish inquisition as to whether it's the Union 'nationally', 'area' or 'local' and we never find out the answer
as the rep is never around when something like this occurs and then apathy reigns.......

[Gingerbread Fred]

X

[sicknote25]

I was always led to believe that we (the members) should be consulted on anything that needs to be agreed locally (resourcing, leave etc), however as above we here that our Rep has agreed or they are on the same lines as the manager. Its a bit of a farce as we are a communications company, there are ltbs and regular updates but nothing communicated to staff until somethings implemented.

I have been involved with the union as a sub rep but found I was doing more than the rep as nothing was being passed on.

[Coffee lover]

The ones who pay the subs have no say! Our rep has just agreed 45 min more delivery on our frame but has taken large parcels off to be done in afternoon we literally had no say at all he just signed it all off , it really is a piss take

[HA1]

The majority of reps only look after themselves, the CWU is corrupt and the in the back pocket of senior managers. I’ve been in the job 34 years and it’s been the same since day one.

[Celgar]

It is union policy to keep us in the dark as regards most information & changes in RM. They put forward ideas such as us officially taking care of the elderly while out on delivery, delivering drugs for pharmacies, and implement crazy stuff like the SWW which neither the posties or RM wanted to do or understand the reasoning for.

[smok3y666]

Most of the stuff we hear is from people that union rep has spoken to, the chosen few and they have told other people. If that makes sense?

[mags999]

what about looking after there elderly delivery staff 5 hour plus deliveries do me a favour why dont the union negotiate 3 hour deliveries for those that want less hours in there late fifties and near retirement bet theres a few would go for that

[fb1969]

Because the top level of the union do not care and are not interested. They are too detached from what actually goes in in delivery offices and most union statements now seem to say the same things in the same way as the official RM statements.

[Alexei]

Our previous rep was corrupt and looking after himself. Only told us what he wanted us to hear, and used us members as collateral for when he didn't get his way with his shadey dealings with the DOM. Most members bought his stories but a few were suspicious. As the years went on and things didn't add up and started looking out of place, he was eventually ousted and went on long term sick. Our new rep is still learning but more of us are much more clued up than before and have access to LTB's via this website, so the office is much more united in that sense. Our area rep is very good and has resolved many issues for us.

[Strong bull]

As a part timer who comes in on time I've seen our rep twice in the last 12 months .

Both times I just happened to bump into him in tescos. Not seen him at work. He is long gone by the time I start and gone home when I get back.

[postslippete]

In my experience, most reps start off with good intentions to do good but very few of them maintain this. Too many are in it for their own personal gain. Seen it too many times with reps getting their feet under the table, pushing things through with some reps even becoming managers themselves.

Updates on resource meetings? Never