Rejoined after 12 years, what happend!

[TopperGas]

Thank the CWU.

The CWU have protested about RM concentrating on Tracked parcels but neither OFCOM nor the Government took any notice, what do you seriously expect them to do, call a strike in protest?

[tramssirhc]

Thank the CWU.

Yeah I've been reading a lot of bad stuff bout them, this time round I'm not joining up, esp with how us new starters got a naff contract

Tell your rep you'll join when the CWU get you the £50 less you get a week than the 'legacy' employees. Quite simply the CWU has nothing to offer and no answers.

[tramssirhc]

Thank the CWU.

The CWU have protested about RM concentrating on Tracked parcels but neither OFCOM nor the Government took any notice, what do you seriously expect them to do, call a strike in protest?

And what exactly has the CWU done about OFCOM agreeing to new lower performance targets? What has the CWU said to it's members about it? I'll tell you - nothing. The CWU is a joke. Everyone knows it.

[postslippete]

The CWU might not immediately do anything about newer entrants inferior pay, terms and cons, but a lot of these newer posties are ruthlessly exploited by management. Put on different rounds everyday in different sections and expected to clear two or more days worth of work and D2Ds. What would any decent rep say? Just do your job properly, don't rush round and work your contracted hours.

The Union know that most duties have more calls and parcels to deliver, especially on paired duties, but reps seldom help posties out if they are having on the spot difficulties with managers who are trying whatever bullish*t they can to get them to complete. No disrespect to any decent reps out there but if new posties are having difficulties - why aren't they there to help them out on the shop floor? This is a situation which presents itself time and again and for a Union rep to simply suggest that you are the union is the worse get out clause I have ever heard for not doing anything about one of the main issues that many posties have on a daily basis.

[jimmynailsalive]

When I left I was owed over £500 holiday pay and after 4 months without receiving this, approached the union who said they weren't interested as I was no longer a member after I left. Ended up having to threaten taking the company to court before I was paid but will never join the CWU every again.

[postslippete]

When I left I was owed over £500 holiday pay and after 4 months without receiving this, approached the union who said they weren't interested as I was no longer a member after I left. Ended up having to threaten taking the company to court before I was paid but will never join the CWU every again.

Thats disgusting considering the number of years that you may have paid Union subs and obviously you can't pay any subs if you have left! You should have said that you would make a small donation to them like the thousands that they have needlessly given to the Labour Party.

[yellowbelly]

When I left I was owed over £500 holiday pay and after 4 months without receiving this, approached the union who said they weren't interested as I was no longer a member after I left. Ended up having to threaten taking the company to court before I was paid but will never join the CWU every again.

Thats disgusting considering the number of years that you may have paid Union subs and obviously you can't pay any subs if you have left! You should have said that you would make a small donation to them like the thousands that they have needlessly given to the Labour Party.

You can pay 'Retired members' rates/subs but I wonder if anybody pays retirement subs would they help with post retirement issues such as this?

[Cofipostie1]

Things must be bad out there if you want to come back to this sinking ship with too many captains

[Mr Rush]

Things must be bad out there if you want to come back to this sinking ship with too many captains

To mix metaphors, we're playing with a deckfull of Schettini and not one Smith.

[eggraidonmojo]

What creative methods have you have heard to persuade new starters to join the Union?

Things like local reps engineering petty complaints from other posties or friendly customers whereby they then “leap to the rescue”, even without being told of the situation or being asked to help, making clear they can categorically put a stop to such complaints. It has been used — and worked — with at least one in our cohort. Also, one of our younger cohort who joined the union immediately on joining the company has recently been pumped for info about why the other new starters aren’t union members, asking about specific people by name, basically trying to find out about people without speaking to them directly, even asking if the “gang” had a ringleader. Seems quite desperate imho.

Yeah the union rep came to me this morn, told him I prob won't join this time round, and my reasons, he just said if we don't all stick together it will be harder for the union to reverse some of the new contract stuff, we're stronger together etc etc..

It is cwu policy to harmonise terms and conditions between new starts and legacy contracts. The new contracts also weren't something agreed by the union, rather imposed by the company. And would members have been willing to continue the dispute (ie lose pay by taking action) based on the conditions of people who didn't even work for us yet? Perhaps not after already taking 17 days or whatever it was of action.

At the same time local and area reps need to be there for new recruits, representing them in individual grievances, but also fighting for local agreements on new starters attendances, rest days, Saturdays and Sundays off etc.

But fundamentally the rep is nothing without their members. Do they back their rep? Do they back their colleagues?

I don't see how it helps for people to leave or not join the union. How about becoming reps, or even just organising ourselves in our workplaces a bit better?

If the union goes from the workplace, it will take a great effort to get it back. And things won't be better for the workforce.

[Mickeybrowneyes]

Thank the CWU.

Yeah I've been reading a lot of bad stuff bout them, this time round I'm not joining up, esp with how us new starters got a naff contract

The more of the new starters that sign up the more likely it is you will get your terms improved through negotiations.
If none one on the new starters signed up you will have zero chance of that happening

[Mickeybrowneyes]

What creative methods have you have heard to persuade new starters to join the Union?

Things like local reps engineering petty complaints from other posties or friendly customers whereby they then “leap to the rescue”, even without being told of the situation or being asked to help, making clear they can categorically put a stop to such complaints. It has been used — and worked — with at least one in our cohort. Also, one of our younger cohort who joined the union immediately on joining the company has recently been pumped for info about why the other new starters aren’t union members, asking about specific people by name, basically trying to find out about people without speaking to them directly, even asking if the “gang” had a ringleader. Seems quite desperate imho.

Yeah the union rep came to me this morn, told him I prob won't join this time round, and my reasons, he just said if we don't all stick together it will be harder for the union to reverse some of the new contract stuff, we're stronger together etc etc..

He is right in what he says in my opinion.
However much people bash the union disenpowering them by watering down it's member percentage in offices only plays into the hands of the company.
It's every individual's choice though of course.
One thing is certain though your more likely to get better terms and conditions through being in the union.
It's arguably more important for the new starters to join for this reason.

[postslippete]

On Trustpilot, the Communications Workers Union have 30 reviews with 93% giving it the lowest rating of 1 star. Some of the reasons being....the reps work for the employer, they are a company union, the leadership are totally overpaid, people who have had to find their own solicitor for a tribunal, the union is more concerned about their own reputation than those who they are supposed to be defending, total waste of money, ACAS give better advice for free.

While we need a union in our workplace I would also agree with all of the above. Unless we have a change of leadership and a complete reform in the organisation of how the Union is run the Union is in grave danger of becoming extinct. Many reps are becoming and acting more like managers these days and that is not a good thing for this Union. Even I'm strongly considering pulling my subs.

[LouBarlow]

Imagine blaming the CWU instead of privatisation for the state of the company? The reason you are noticing such a difference is because RM is now obsessed with squeezing every penny they can out of us. That is what has changed after 12 years. It isn’t some massive conspiracy.

[malnuman]

End of my 2nd week, been a pretty bad week parcels wise, worked over my time by 30mins twice this week, thing is with looping/van share you can't just say right I'm cutting off, as the other postie is happy to work over, I'm not though.. oddly during my previous 8 years as a postie when it was one walk to each person i never once had to work over my time.. My loop partner said tomorrow we will be leaving both walks and just concentrate on the parcels, my how it's changed!