Why we might have to work to rule in the longer term

[Schiff]

Wait for yet another ballot from the incompetent CWU hierarchy to allow us to officially take action short of strike action.

In the meantime, as a purely personal decision, I won't be working a single minute of extra time to help minimise the effect of our strike action. The longer backlogs last the better as far as I'm concerned. Let the managers do overtime if they want work clearing so badly.

[jessicarabbit]

It's totally subjective. Unless managers are secretly in the WhatsApp groups there is no way to prove its organised. It's a desperate act of a company that won't negotiate with its staff. I for one will not work a minute over after the strikes and if anyone asks me for advise I will say exactly the same. Try and prove in a court of law that I organized unofficial industrial action.

[sindba]

union you have your members going on strike! at least have some sort of strategy , and tell your members what we are supposed to do after we come back from a strike! whats allowed? overtime? no overtime? work to time? whats the strategy? be nice to be all united! and have some sort of clue what is going on? how long can we stay united if every man is left to his own device, strange strategy before we even have started, could do with clarification what our aims are.

You do your job, same as you always do.

Do the job properly, start on time, finish on time unless you want O/T.

What are you confused about?

[Woody Guthrie]

Unless managers are secretly in the WhatsApp groups there is no way to prove its organised.

As you're probably aware employment law is civil law and does not carry the same burden of proof that criminal law does.

It's based on a reasonable assumption and it's not really reasonable to try to convince a judge that everyone just randomly and individually decided to do exactly the same thing on the same day.

[HTPostman]

I’m just glad for this year I’ve done overtime on just 2 occasions and lately I’ve regretted even doing that. I don’t think I’ve done any for the last 2 months. It will be as you were after the strike for me.

[jessicarabbit]

Unless managers are secretly in the WhatsApp groups there is no way to prove its organised.

As you're probably aware employment law is civil law and does not carry the same burden of proof that criminal law does.

It's based on a reasonable assumption and it's not really reasonable to try to convince a judge that everyone just randomly and individually decided to do exactly the same thing on the same day.

So what's the plan?

[postieblueshirt]

So what's the plan?
[/quote]

Can't tell you that as it would be deemed as orchestrating industrial action

[priority102]

Unfortunately the work to rule plan is a good plan but very sadly a non starter, the reason being that there are too many individuals in RM now rather than the old school workforce that stuck together through thick and thin.

The older, long serving peeps may well stand their ground and "play the game", but far too many will only think of themselves when it comes to coming in before their time, not taking meal reliefs, doing whatever overtime is going, working days off etc etc, and Simon & Co will be aware of the two tier workforce now in place.

Long serving, loyal employees who know the job inside out are a liability to the company now, too much cost, as most are full time/six weeks annual leave/sick pay/seniority/historic allowances etc., not what the board want going forward.

[Woody Guthrie]

The older, long serving peeps may well stand their ground and "play the game", but far too many will only think of themselves

There's a reason the older, long serving peeps might stand their ground, they're mostly full-time and are financially more secure.

An overtime ban would hurt part-time staff and mostly leave full-time staff untouched.

It would also affect average holiday pay again punishing mostly part-time staff.

It would also be easy to move this overtime over to agency staff.

It would also play into Royal Mail's hands because ultimately they want to reduce the amount of overtime the business pays, funnily enough we don't.

It would be the very definition of the older, long serving peeps thinking of themselves.

We strike because everyone wins and loses together.

And I'm an older, long serving full-time peep.

[Schiff]

The older, long serving peeps may well stand their ground and "play the game", but far too many will only think of themselves

It would also play into Royal Mail's hands because ultimately they want to reduce the amount of overtime the business pays, funnily enough we don't.

I have to disagree with this bit. RM only take people on part-time knowing that it gives them more flexibility to use overtime to respond to absences and peaks and troughs of workload.

As a union we should be the ones wanting to reduce this reliance on overtime by RM, forcing them to create more full-time jobs if they want work to be covered.

[Woody Guthrie]

I have to disagree with this bit. RM only take people on part-time knowing that it gives them more flexibility to use overtime to respond to absences and peaks and troughs of workload.

It's obvious from the proposals that the business wants to move away from using overtime to resource peaks and troughs and instead use annualised hours, flexi-time and a second tier workforce on poorer terms.

As a union we should be the ones wanting to reduce this reliance on overtime by RM, forcing them to create more full-time jobs if they want work to be covered.

I'm afraid that is a fantasy now if it was ever anything else.
We are now in a different fight where they want to remove those hours from the business entirely, we're now fighting to retain those hours first and foremost.

[priority102]

The older, long serving peeps may well stand their ground and "play the game", but far too many will only think of themselves

There's a reason the older, long serving peeps might stand their ground, they're mostly full-time and are financially more secure.

An overtime ban would hurt part-time staff and mostly leave full-time staff untouched.

It would also affect average holiday pay again punishing mostly part-time staff.

It would also be easy to move this overtime over to agency staff.

It would also play into Royal Mail's hands because ultimately they want to reduce the amount of overtime the business pays, funnily enough we don't.

It would be the very definition of the older, long serving peeps thinking of themselves.

We strike because everyone wins and loses together.

And I'm an older, long serving full-time peep.

Woody Guthrie so was I a full time long serving peep! What I meant was that the long serving peeps will be the ones who would stand up to what is being proposed - from working to rule to striking if need be, hence what I meant by "playing the game".

Where the problem lies now is with so many being on part time contracts and so many newbies who only know the job as it is today, probably many not in the union either, will put their own personal and financial situations first over solidarity etc.

[norris9]

You come in early - you are an idiot.

You don't take your break and work for free - you are an idiot.

By doing that you are probably actually earning minimum wage.

What mug would work for free when this company already treats you like a mug with a 2% pay rise while the people at the top took half the profits for themselves.

[Woody Guthrie]

Trying to take the moral high ground over people starting early/not taking breaks and calling them idiots is kind of pointless and in many cases hypocritical.

Does anybody really do the job completely by the book?

I'm not defending them because ultimately it's not a good idea but to be honest most of them are finishing early so they're not in their eyes losing out.

Those that are doing it and not finishing early probably feel under pressure and feel they don't have the support of their colleagues which given they're being called idiots isn't surprising.

I know it makes people feel better to have someone to blame in these situations but we're just playing into the hands of the business.

It's in Royal Mail's interest to have us blaming each other for the destruction of our terms and conditions when really the blame for this should be laid where it deserves to go.. the board, the shareholders and the government.

[Hyrrokkin]

Feel a bit dissapointed that we have no instructions as to what we are supposed to do when we come back from a strike?

some guys will work overtime and clear the back log and some will say no work to time, maybe if we had some direction from our union we will be more united.

Thats a rather excellent point. We could all walk back in after strike number 1 or 2 and/or face extra work and many of us will be wanting to:

- start and finish on time
- take our breaks
- work to our time


And if many of us get our heads together and all work this way then we might get suspended or unpaid as managers will tell us that we have been working to rule. That same "work to rule" that managers themselves were proposing to do??

I am thick but how can this 'work to rule' be legal and why aren't the unions challenging this.
If workers decide to do their job as per their contract - start and finish on time,take your breaks,work to your time then that is their choice under their legal contract.
If i did this own my own i am simply confirming to that contract but if many decide to do this at the same time it is illegal.
No doubt i have got this wrong or do not understand correctly - either way...
The law in this country is an ass