24/08/22 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi! This is the Mount Pleasant special strike bulletin of 24 August:

2nd BALLOT AND STILL DETERMINED!
The second ballot over changes in our working conditions
couldn't be clearer: 98.7% of us voted for strike action on
a 72.2% turnout - an even stronger vote than the first
ballot over pay! And no wonder! We are determined to
fight: the bosses are going after all the Ts&Cs we've
fought for and won over the years. We cannot allow it.

HE'LL MAKE US CRY!
If you believe boss Simon Thompson’s sob-story, we’ll
bankrupt the business if our wage demands are met! He's
been telling the press that increasing our wages in line
with inflation (which in fact it isn't even a real increase!)
would cost £1bn!
Well no problem: RM made £1.4bn profits in just two
years - from our blood, sweat and tears! That can easily
cover - and some - for our immediate needs. Because our
energy bills, rent, transport, etc., can't wait. If prices go
up, our wages must follow, period!

DANGLING THE CARROT MAY NOT WORK
Apparently the Board has announced some hefty bonus
"incentives" for all those managers who keep working
during our strike days. One has to wonder why they are
offering this, given that managers have usually shown
their willingness to cover when we've walked out.
Is it that the top bosses are worried that lower level
managers (quite a few in Unite’s CMA union) will be less
compliant this time, after all the managerial job cuts?

WE PROMISE NOT TO BITE
In fact managers have good reason to join us on the picket
line. And they need not be scared, we might even make
them feel welcome!

THEY NEED TO KNOW!
Management's certainly going to bring in agency workers
during and after the strike, to try to deal with the
workload pile-up. And we’ll be able to use this
opportunity to discuss with them, so that they know what
we are fighting for – among other things… If it isn't us
telling them, who else will?

THE RULE OF SIX – OR SIX HUNDRED
Why shouldn't us strikers come in big numbers to the
outside of the Mount on Friday – and on the rest of strike
days? We're reminded that the actual pickets can’t be
more than 6, but gatherings of strikers on the pavements
are not pickets, after all! And a very big support gathering
will make our strike all the better!
Anyway there is the rally which is taking place at
midday on Friday with speakers from the RMT, etc.,
presumably in front of the closed fire station. The more of
us there, the merrier!

ALL TOGETHER!
More good news: for once, Crown Post Office workers will
be on strike together with us this Friday. And we should
be on strike with BT and Openreach workers on 31
August.
This obviously begs the question, is Dave Ward also
planning to synchronise our strikes with the strikes on the
railways, with nurses (being balloted right now), refuse
workers, doctors, teachers, etc... until our demands are
met?

CLEANERS OUT, ONE MONTH LATER...?
What's going on with us cleaners and our own ballot?
Nobody was told about it here at MP..! But we now hear
that our own strike ballot opens at the end of August and
closes 27 September...? Of course we know what we're
voting for! And we can't wait to join our postal
workmates!

CAPITALISM AT ITS BEST
The PSM is finally up and running and we have to say it
might struggle with small print labels and mini parcels, but
it's definitely better than sorting by hand! Of course, in
the hands of ever-greedy bosses, it's used as an excuse to
get rid of jobs and cut allowances... when it could be used
to make our lives easier and everyone’s shifts shorter,
instead, with no loss of pay nor loss of jobs of course!
The bosses say “no, that would be socialism…”! Not
really. But it’s what we can fight for.

KEEP TRYING
We were pretty busy on Letters Monday/Tuesday, it
seems that people have decided to send all their letters
ahead of the strike days! And of course, the line manager
and his puppy King Etcetera. wanted as much done before
Friday... Only there aren't enough hands around, so sorry,
not possible!

MORE TO FIGHT FOR
In fact, we are short of hands everywhere! In distribution
we've finally welcomed one new permanent driver, which
is good news, but we need at least 5 or 6 more!
On the cleaners’ side, when just one of us on Nights
goes off sick or on holidays, there aren't enough of us to
cover. And on PSA Lates, we're so short of hands that
management (with the agreement of the union officials?!)
told us part timers that we wouldn't be allowed to apply
for the temporary full-time duties due to "operational
requirements"!
Bringing new hands in and giving us the option of full
time jobs should be included in our strike demands!