Dear All (well some, anyway!) , sorry late again, forgot to post it up here.
GIVING IT THE FINGER
We couldn't believe it when managers told us we'd be asked to use finger scans while sorting packets! But indeed we are; the trial was done in Swindon and there is even a joint statement from the CWU leaders and RM saying it's all good!!
Sure, these attachments to our hands can count the packets we individually sort. But we're told "don't worry", if you get called up to the manager's office to account for being too fast, too slow, or too inaccurate, because a union rep can be called in... to "jointly" facilitate your removal to another "more suitable" job!!
WHY NOT ADD A MOTOR?
Actually managers here say this finger-scanner connected to new PDAs is just to check the overall processing of packets, coz their scanning of trolleys is inaccurate… but we know it will come down to pushing up the sorting speed. With them it's always quantity not quality which counts. So we know this is leading up to them getting rid of yet more jobs. Indeed: WE are the new "packet-sorting machines"!
MRSA OUTBREAK PENDING IN THE MOUNT
Well at least we have medi-wipes to clean the damn scanners - which have to be signed in and out if we are having a break of more than 30 mins. In other words we're going to be swopping them amongst each other all day long - so it means that they most definitely might need to be re-sanitised, each time... Is a little wipe going to be enough, though?
RM (TRYING TO) SPY ON US
By the way, the telemetry devices in drivers' cabs are yet another way of spying on us. One problem, tho': installed and supposedly activated in July, they somehow just didn't work. RM apparently couldn't get any info out of them on how fast we were driving, how many times we brake, park up, etc... We suppose we shouldn't be surprised: if RM bosses are good at anything, it's at introducing things which don't work.
THEIR PROBLEM, NOT OURS!
We know there aren't enough hands on the HMP processing night shift - not after all the VRs and EVRs. The entire pipeline is total chaos – especially when we have big loads coming in at the same time. Yet Bee the B still goes round harassing those of us he doesn't favour. One obvious remedy is to bring the night shift numbers back up and send the Bee to another hive.
WE PREFER PLANET EARTH!
We think MP is a danger zone for cleaners, thanks to Romec: there are 3 (at least), workers off just because of hurting themselves on the job. As for that "Jetpack" vacuum which makes us look like astronauts, it's a killer for back pain. There's no way that this should have passed any risk assessment. Did it even have one? We reckon it weighs more than 7kg and since it's used on the stairs, going up and down, especially since the lift isn't working anymore, it's too much… plus it doesn't even vacuum effectively. So we won't use it and management is just going to have to suck that up!
HE'S THE SICK ONE
We may have joked about an Elephant dressed up as a nurse - but it's a serious problem when a manager has no boundaries - and thus treats staff with no respect - not for our dignity, age, experience, nor in personal matters.
But visiting sick workers alone at home and demanding their confidential medical details is not only a boundary offence and an intrusion, it constitutes harassment and trespass. We can intimidate him back collectively, sure, but this needs absolutely to stop, now.
THE RESTFUL SEVENTH DAY
Oh dear, the SA question is always sticky, especially since Processing overtime should be in the dustbin of history - and would be, if basic pay was enough. But now Sundays are being allocated without taking seniority into account - supposedly to be more "fair". Who decided this? Surely we could have a meeting for all those who want to do the Sundays and decide amongst ourselves how to allocate OT? At least it could eliminate any "favouritism"!
WHO'S TAKING OVER?
Since our mate retired, our local social shop hasn't been re-opened… Which leaves us with no way to have a proper snack and cup of tea at night… If there are more than enough workers here in HMP, as RM claims, we're sure we can find some of us to take over running the shop? We could even plan to extend it and have an entire team dedicated to it?
COLD AND WET!
With this rain, rain, rain every day, we need Romec's promise to give us raincoats to be fulfilled straightaway! We're tired of getting soaked! But these raincoats need to be of good quality, with hoods, to make up for so many years without...
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