Royal Mail chiefs compared to Victorian-age bosses

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.cwu.org/news/royal-mail-chi ... ge-bosses/

‘Pushem & Sloggem’ quip from CWU delegate at yesterday’s Liverpool briefing summed up the anger and frustration of hard-working postmen and women around the country, as the Royal Mail pay dispute heads towards a national strike ballot…

“When does the ballot start?” was the big question as branch, area and local unit reps from the North West, North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland gathered in central Liverpool for the third of three regional briefings on the current situation – and from the loud cheers and prolonged standing ovation that greeted DGSP Terry Pullinger’s closing speech, it was abundantly clear that our activists are ready for the campaign.

And a comment from Mersey Amal Branch area delivery rep Ian Corrin, during a lively Q&A session between the officers’ opening presentations and the closing speeches, articulated for many the sheer arrogance currently being shown by the company’s senior leadership, when he talked of how he had recently read Robert Tressell’s classic Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, written over a century ago about the cruelty of bosses towards workers back in those days.

Citing Tressell’s use of caricature names for employers in his iconic novel, Ian said: “I can imagine the Royal Mail Board and the top shareholders sitting around like Rushton, Sweater, Didlum & Grinder, Pushem & Sloggem and Bluffem & Doemdown boasting about their profits, lining their own pockets and showing a total lack of respect for their workers.”

Ian also invited outdoor secretary Mark Baulch to his gate meeting at Liverpool South Delivery Office this morning – which Mark accepted.

Paul Edwards, a processing rep from Warrington, said: “Our membership are up in arms. We’ve got to mobilise,” while Newcastle Amal Branch’s Mark Hugall was one of many who asked when the ballot will happen, that, so far, there have been 22 workplace meeting out of 25 units within his area and that “Royal Mail bosses are playing with fire.”

From Edinburgh, Gary Clark reported that his own branch had seen a surge in membership since the pay campaign started, saying: “We’re up from 2,800 to 3,000 members in Scotland No.2” and added that, with other parts of the CWU in dispute or going into dispute, and with other unions fighting on pay as well, it was important to support and solidarise with each other, and Glasgow & District Amal’s John Carson talked of the importance of engaging younger members in the dispute campaign and encouraging them to become more involved.

“The fight is on,” he added.

Ian Barnes, a distribution rep from the union’s South Yorkshire & District Branch, told the briefing that there was strong support for the CWU pay fight from right across his area – and that this was solid right down to the smallest of units, and Ian McMullen from Postal Technical Services, said: “The engineers are fully behind this dispute.”

Cheshire No.1 Branch delegate Darrell Brough gave practical examples of how standing together and standing up to the employer can win fair deals, whether smaller or bigger issues.

“We’ve got to take the fight to them,” he urged.

Our DGSP Terry Pullinger and the Postal officers Mark Baulch, Davie Robertson, Carl Maden and Andy Furey had each given detailed updates to the briefing as to the current state of play nationally, thanking those present for their excellent work, and restating the crucial importance of campaigning for the biggest possible YES vote if or when a strike ballot is called.

Terry, once again, outlined where the company currently is on pay and that its present position of a 2 per cent pay rise is completely unacceptable – both in terms of a justified reward for postal workers’ exceptional efforts during the pandemic and in the context of the rising cost-of-living in the UK economy at this time.

“Our people absolutely deserve a pay rise and we will fight to the very end,” he insisted, adding: “The first step will be delivering that ballot on pay.”

Each of the officers ended on a rousing note, with Carl Maden looking ahead to the potential national strike ballot and saying: “Every YES vote will send a message to this company. A big YES vote will show the business that we mean business.”

Mark Baulch signed off his speech with: “Keep on with the good work. We will win. Together, united, we will overcome, once again,” Davie Robertson said: “We need to stand strong. Stand together. Let’s work together” and Andy Furey highlighted the members in the various numerically smaller grades and functions of the company, reminding those present to ensure that they contact everyone.

Andy also gave a special mention to the union’s Post Office members who were out on strike yesterday and on Saturday, thanking the Royal Mail members for the solidarity they have shown so far and reporting that the action taken had been successful and solidly supported.

Terry spoke again after the Q&A session, replying to several of the points raised and then launching into his closing speech, during which he warmly praised the spirit and the dedication and the long and proud history of UK postal workers and of this great union.

As he has in each of these three regional briefings, our DGSP told the audience he was going to end with a challenge, and asking them, in their collective reply, to “take the roof off this hall.”

“Are you with your trade union?” He asked.

“YES” came the deafening roar, followed by a sustained standing ovation – to which Terry and the Postal officers all stood and applauded back.

[roadrunner bill]

Very true, all other businesses are giving their employees bonuses and good pay rises for the very difficult last 2 years and the current fuel, gas, electric crisis...

While royal mail give its employees nothing.. absolutely nothing...

Totally disgraceful and shows pure contempt and hatred towards it's own people..

I really don't know how they sleep at night... but do pyscothpaths have any compassion, understanding or empathy ?

A good friend of mine.. his company he works for are getting 850 pound towards their energy bills... the company felt they needed to help... during this very difficult time...

[Whinealot]

Yes not only do they offer us next to nothing (2% no strings) they also seem to be insisting on linking PTC issues to pay ones, therefore effectively taking away form the next to nothing they offered. Personally I can’t see how annualised hours, could ever work within the business! It would never end up being fairly utilised and we would almost certainly end up doing more hours than we would be being paid for in peak times. No, no way and never in that order. Final note, do all the upper management and big wigs do their contracted hours for their massive salary packages?……..hmmm let’s concentrate on that for a while shall we.

[Trumanity]

Yes not only do they offer us next to nothing (2% no strings) they also seem to be insisting on linking PTC issues to pay ones, therefore effectively taking away form the next to nothing they offered. Personally I can’t see how annualised hours, could ever work within the business! It would never end up being fairly utilised and we would almost certainly end up doing more hours than we would be being paid for in peak times. No, no way and never in that order. Final note, do all the upper management and big wigs do their contracted hours for their massive salary packages?……..hmmm let’s concentrate on that for a while shall we.

The leadership team have never experienced the reality, day in, day out of the delivery role. They simply do not get it! They simply could not do it! Think about freezing temperatures and sideways rain!!! They all get their bonuses and pay increases don't they? Who has assessed if the top layers are fit for purpose? Nobody! The frontline OPG's need a pay rise commensurate with the effort given during the pandemic. We need our sick pay...period! In our office, now the DOMs have been removed, there seems to be external micro-management of DL managers where they shove the s**t down to us in terms of pressure to do even more work and are then using pda's to pressure us at the arse end of the day. The revisions were meant to get rid of lapsing walks but the same old s**t has reared its head. I used to come to work happy to do it well and work hard. I now come to work with a dread of what s**t I'm going to have to put up with each day. A strike is the only way to bust up this complete and utter bollox. On a separate note, don't we all look lovely in our DPD livery? Any ideas why they went for those colours?

[postmanpleb]

My office rep went to one of the CWU briefings and was told one by of the speakers who been in the talks that , quote " Royal Mail had stated in talks that delivery staff were regarded as the problem child of Royal Mail ". He was also told that the turnover of new frontline staff was 200 a week. Those in charge clearly don't care & have no idea of what really goes on. Most of my office which is full of old men are ready to jump ship as soon as they can get their pension.

[fb1969]

Delivery staff are seen as the "problem child" because anything not delivered is blamed on delivery staff. It doesn't matter that the workload is three times what is planned for, the delivery staff have failed to deliver it. It doesn't matter that lack of people through sickness means the workload is too much, it is the fault of delivery staff for going off sick and the ones left for not delivering it.

The dopey twats at the top of the company just expect the delivery staff to deliver everything - no need for them to have lives away from work, no need for them to have appointments to keep, no need for them to need hospital treatment for anything, no need for them to be exhausted. The lazy bastards should just stay out there until the last item has been delivered.

It's been like that for a long time but got worse through Covid and the company now think/expect things are back to how they were. Sadly this has only just dawned on Terry and Co, because since Rico left they have been too busy with how wonderful their new mate Simon was - and they didn't listen to people telling them how things really are (I contacted CWU HQ over a specific issue Terry mentioned in a video and just got a fob off reply).

I am 100% behind any industrial action that is proposed because the fault lies with the company, but the CWU need to up their game when it comes to listening to what their members are telling them and have been for a long time.

[Whinealot]

Yes not only do they offer us next to nothing (2% no strings) they also seem to be insisting on linking PTC issues to pay ones, therefore effectively taking away form the next to nothing they offered. Personally I can’t see how annualised hours, could ever work within the business! It would never end up being fairly utilised and we would almost certainly end up doing more hours than we would be being paid for in peak times. No, no way and never in that order. Final note, do all the upper management and big wigs do their contracted hours for their massive salary packages?……..hmmm let’s concentrate on that for a while shall we.

The leadership team have never experienced the reality, day in, day out of the delivery role. They simply do not get it! They simply could not do it! Think about freezing temperatures and sideways rain!!! They all get their bonuses and pay increases don't they? Who has assessed if the top layers are fit for purpose? Nobody! The frontline OPG's need a pay rise commensurate with the effort given during the pandemic. We need our sick pay...period! In our office, now the DOMs have been removed, there seems to be external micro-management of DL managers where they shove the s**t down to us in terms of pressure to do even more work and are then using pda's to pressure us at the arse end of the day. The revisions were meant to get rid of lapsing walks but the same old s**t has reared its head. I used to come to work happy to do it well and work hard. I now come to work with a dread of what s**t I'm going to have to put up with each day. A strike is the only way to bust up this complete and utter bollox. On a separate note, don't we all look lovely in our DPD livery? Any ideas why they went for those colours?

I couldn’t agree more

[Chelseablue]

The Union need to be more pro active in telling the public , media etc what has really been going on . Its not just a pay rise its the greed thats been destroying the once great service for years now. Trust has gone big time now.

[Clappedoutpostie]

The Union need to be more pro active in telling the public , media etc what has really been going on . Its not just a pay rise its the greed thats been destroying the once great service for years now. Trust has gone big time now.

The public don’t care, this sort of thing goes on everyday all over the country. It’s what happens when you have the Tory’s in power for so long.

[richietns]

The public should be given the real facts all the same as it is a public service still the letters side that is,in turn the anger the public have wouldn't be directed at the"lazy postman".

[manchesterpunk]

The Union need to be more pro active in telling the public , media etc what has really been going on . Its not just a pay rise its the greed thats been destroying the once great service for years now. Trust has gone big time now.

The public don’t care, this sort of thing goes on everyday all over the country. It’s what happens when you have the Tory’s in power for so long.

This is true, I’ve been following the news regarding train strikes, tfl, and Arriva in Yorkshire and there’s very little support from the general public who seem to believe that it’s wrong to strike for a pay rise/conditions because everyone has got it tough and that they should find another job if they don’t like it.

[richietns]

The Union need to be more pro active in telling the public , media etc what has really been going on . Its not just a pay rise its the greed thats been destroying the once great service for years now. Trust has gone big time now.

The public don’t care, this sort of thing goes on everyday all over the country. It’s what happens when you have the Tory’s in power for so long.

This is true, I’ve been following the news regarding train strikes, tfl, and Arriva in Yorkshire and there’s very little support from the general public who seem to believe that it’s wrong to strike for a pay rise/conditions because everyone has got it tough and that they should find another job if they don’t like it.

Thats because the media only tell the ussual one sided headline grabbing anti union side that comes from RM,so the public don't really understand the real issue and complexities hence the union should be "more pro active in telling the public".

[Startingover]

The Union need to be more pro active in telling the public , media etc what has really been going on . Its not just a pay rise its the greed thats been destroying the once great service for years now. Trust has gone big time now.

The public don’t care, this sort of thing goes on everyday all over the country. It’s what happens when you have the Tory’s in power for so long.

This is true, I’ve been following the news regarding train strikes, tfl, and Arriva in Yorkshire and there’s very little support from the general public who seem to believe that it’s wrong to strike for a pay rise/conditions because everyone has got it tough and that they should find another job if they don’t like it.

Thats because the media only tell the ussual one sided headline grabbing anti union side that comes from RM,so the public don't really understand the real issue and complexities hence the union should be "more pro active in telling the public".

Totally agree with you. The Union should be telling all to the media, in order to win over the public vote/sympathy. Otherwise, we will just come across as being greedy and selfish.