Royal Mail Strike - Quick Question?

[stainboy]

Not sure about the head of the union but the branch secretaries etc all officially have jobs but never do them...

I know nobodies being forced to strike but people are doing it to show they're supporting their union. It would be a good gesture if at least the union members making the decisions to strike ESPECIALLY the head would go into their local office on days after strikes and help the workers sort and deliver the backlog of mail that piles up.

I'm sure this idea is laughable to some people but honestly, why? There's no reason they couldn't do this and they would win a lot of respect since it shows they're willing to muck in instead of remotely making decisions that involve people losing pay to "fight" for them.

[Jebus]

There is a reason they couldn't do it, they wouldn't be allowed by the management.

[MattyD]

Do you get the impression from the rest of the workforce that they are now against strike action and if so has the union reps been made aware.

Yes I do get that impression. A lot of people in my office are just in turmoil about this. They can't afford not to work four days but some of them are proper old school, been in the job for decades and remember the good ole days when they used to go on strike for a whole fortnight at a time. They just can't face the thought of crossing a picket line.

Dont know how your contract works but is an overtime ban(finish when you are meant too whether you have finished deliveries or not and no rest day working) not an alternative to striking.This means more if not all posties will be in the same position unlike now where it seems to depend on what days you are due to work.

A lot of people in my office have said similar things. My office runs on good will alone - if the staff stopped working overtime it would collapse within a week. The thing is, there are too many "I'm alright Jack" types in my office. Some of these lunatics are on the same hours as me (30 hrs/wk, 0630 to 1230) yet they come in at 0500 or even earlier and get their packet men to deliver their intra to them on the street as an unofficial favour. They're basically giving Royal Mail 1.5 hours a day for free as they never claim for overtime. There's no way to get the message across to people like that.

Working to rule is another alternative that seems popular but that would be even harder to get people to comply with. All you'd get is people moaning because they can't be bothered to weight their pouches everyday, make extra trips to the pouch drops because their bags are all under 16 Kgs, fill out dockets and carry round every single packet that won't fit through a letter box etc etc.

[neverevertrevor]

think you forgot not using private cars on delivery there matty, that would cost royal mail plenty of time if posties started doing this

[stainboy]

There is a reason they couldn't do it, they wouldn't be allowed by the management.

Because it's officially not allowed or the managers wouldn't let them? If the latter then why? You'd think the managers would appreciate them helping out the workers after causing them the trouble in the first place.

The thing is, there are too many "I'm alright Jack" types in my office. Some of these lunatics are on the same hours as me (30 hrs/wk, 0630 to 1230) yet they come in at 0500 or even earlier and get their packet men to deliver their intra to them on the street as an unofficial favour. They're basically giving Royal Mail 1.5 hours a day for free as they never claim for overtime. There's no way to get the message across to people like that.

Why do they do that, how does working 1.5 hours extra for free benefit them? And are you saying that them doing that makes it worse for the rest of you because then it's expected?

Working to rule is another alternative that seems popular but that would be even harder to get people to comply with. All you'd get is people moaning because they can't be bothered to weight their pouches everyday, make extra trips to the pouch drops because their bags are all under 16 Kgs, fill out dockets and carry round every single packet that won't fit through a letter box etc etc.

Isn't that how it's meant to be anyway? Are you saying that people take shortcuts to make it go faster but they shouldn't?

Sorry I think I'm tired, I'm having trouble undstanding things

[MattyD]

Why do they do that, how does working 1.5 hours extra for free benefit them? And are you saying that them doing that makes it worse for the rest of you because then it's expected?

Yes that's right. They want us to go out on delivery later from next month, leaving at around 0900 instead of 0800. This is seen by many serving posties as a way of getting free labour out of the workforce, as a lot of people won't like the change to their routine and will simply come in the same time they always have done, just so they can finish at the same times they finish now. Obviously they can't claim overtime for that so RM will in effect be getting certain amounts of free labour, and we believe they anticipated this when devising the plan.

Isn't that how it's meant to be anyway? Are you saying that people take shortcuts to make it go faster but they shouldn't?

Most every job is like this to a degree but yes, if we did everything absolutely by the book the system would grind to a halt. There's an understanding amongst the workforce that certain procedures or regulations, even down to critical health and safety issues, exist only as boilerplate to cover Royal Mail from legal problems. Things like making sure your pouches are all under 16 Kgs would not only be time consuming in itself from weighing them all, but it would have a knock-on effect on the time it takes for us to complete a delivery and thus cost Royal Mail more money.

[stainboy]

Yes that's right. They want us to go out on delivery later from next month, leaving at around 0900 instead of 0800. This is seen by many serving posties as a way of getting free labour out of the workforce, as a lot of people won't like the change to their routine and will simply come in the same time they always have done, just so they can finish at the same times they finish now. Obviously they can't claim overtime for that so RM will in effect be getting certain amounts of free labour, and we believe they anticipated this when devising the plan.

Can they stop you from going out at 0800 still? Is that when you have to wait around for a little bit of extra stuff to arrive? I remember that happening and people moaning that they didn't want to come all the way back for it. It never affected me as a casual as I was always later than everyone else anyway, I didn't like that either, I'd have rather started earlier.

Most every job is like this to a degree but yes, if we did everything absolutely by the book the system would grind to a halt. There's an understanding amongst the workforce that certain procedures or regulations, even down to critical health and safety issues, exist only as boilerplate to cover Royal Mail from legal problems. Things like making sure your pouches are all under 16 Kgs would not only be time consuming in itself from weighing them all, but it would have a knock-on effect on the time it takes for us to complete a delivery and thus cost Royal Mail more money.

I found it funny that in the assessment they taught us all the rules and showed us how to pick up a sack properly then on my first day that time nobody weighed the 2 heavy pouches before giving them to me to take miles away on a bike. That was a horrible day, I took a trolley out the next day.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Is the plans 4 days strike then 4 days work then 4 days strike and so on until someone back down.

I can't really afford to do that. I have done all the strike so far. I don't know what should I do. So what is the best suggestion for me.

[Jebus]

Can they stop you from going out at 0800 still? Is that when you have to wait around for a little bit of extra stuff to arrive? I remember that happening and people moaning that they didn't want to come all the way back for it. It never affected me as a casual as I was always later than everyone else anyway, I didn't like that either, I'd have rather started earlier.

Yes they can. Officially you do not leave the office for delivery until the 0830 lorry has arrived, been unloaded and sorted for delivery.

The point is that even if people do come in early to still finish early, Royal Mail will not allow it. Let's say the hours change from 0515 - 1315 to 0615 - 1415...many people will still come in at 0515 so they can still finish at their old time. RM won't allow this, they will make staff stay til their finish time.

They harp on and on about flexibility amongst workers and how it works both ways but I myself have been told "the job is changing, maybe it isn't for you anymore" (Which I replied with "Don't dress it up, you're telling me to accept it or **** off") and a guy with the same problems, a guy with 26 years of service has been told (When he spoke to the manager about his child care problems) "Guess you'll have to leave then".

Despicable. You might call it progress but the RM are so full off lies (Flexibility both ways but if our changes **** your lives up, tough ****, we're not listening) it's hard to swallow.

Couple it with the £1000's they've spent training people like myself and many others (in all the different jobs within the company, including skilled "A-Level" tasks) and it's not the forward thinking they say it is...if anything, it's backward thinking.

The people defending it, I just wonder how they'd feel if they worked 9 to 5 and one day their boss turned around and said "To achieve better productivity you are all going to have to work nights from now on, 12 to 8". Although ours is only an hour currently, it has as much of an impact. I don't currently need child care, because I finish work as my wife starts, but now I do. 4 days a week. Why? Because RM have decided this will create a better efficiency level, which it won't because the lorry arrivals AREN'T changing, we'll still need people to open the office at 4am and 5am!!

Moreover they are bringing all of this in under the pretence of the fabled Lorry driving speeds, which have indeed been reduced by TWO ****ING MILES PER HOUR...The only difference is, is that on the date that changes the law is stricter, rather than admit that their workforce ALL speed (one guy I've known to do 90 in a lorry on a country lane) to get the job done to within their standards. It's obscene the amount of breaking the speed limit that goes on, yet they won't even acknowledge it.

[MattyD]

Is the plans 4 days strike then 4 days work then 4 days strike and so on until someone back down.

I can't really afford to do that. I have done all the strike so far. I don't know what should I do. So what is the best suggestion for me.

Don't worry is my first suggestion! A lot of people are in the same boat and I don't think any could reasonably hold it against you if you went it. I'm more active than most where unionism is concerned and even I don't think I can stay out for the full four days.

If you really can't face crossing the picket line at your usual place of work I'd say think about ringing the confidential hotline number they're posting around the offices (or speak to a manager you trust, if you can trust one lol) and ask about working at a different unit for the strike days. I'm sure they'll be able to help you out somehow.

[Jebus]

Royal mail will allow you to work at another office during strike days, they just want staff to come to work...

[stainboy]

Seems like a terrible time for them to be taking on new staff, I've now got 2 interviews/assessments for casual positions coming up. If I get taken on and strikes are going on well I know the fight isn't for me but at the same time I'll be working in offices I'll hope to have a permanent position in so it'll still feel bad to "cross the line". Unless they don't ask casuals to come in on strike days? But I can't see why they wouldn't, it seems a good use of them from their side.

[Jebus]

They want everyone in on strike days, regardless of contract.

Oh and I can't speak for every office but nobody would hold it against a new starter at ours, you wouldn't be informed enough for them to expect you to make a decision.

[ChrisF]

One of you posties have a word with your colleague who delivered some post to us today - the ONLY thing the address on it has in common with our address is the house number

[stainboy]

One of you posties have a word with your colleague who delivered some post to us today - the ONLY thing the address on it has in common with our address is the house number

The bad thing about that is that it's more than one person's mistake, there were quite a few stages where someone should have noticed it was in the wrong place

I never liked delivering already sorted bags because of the missorted stuff you'd find in there and then have to go back and deliver afterwards. Not saying I never made a mistake but it's extra annoying when it's someone else.

They want everyone in on strike days, regardless of contract.

Well of course, but on strike days after they've seen who's turned up to work and who hasn't do they treat the situation the same as people being off sick and phone up casuals to cover?