Is it just me...

[billyhayes]

...or has anyone else noticed over the last 18 months or so, that the so called 'agreements' have been nothing more than a sell-off of our terms and conditions.

Can any one tell me if it is possible to put forward a motion or vote of no confidence in our current leadership?

Specifically, I am talking about our CWU National Officer.

More and more I am seeing that this person is just a plaything of POL management and that there has been no true negotiations going on concerning recent agreements.

Terms and conditions have eroded at an alarming rate under this Officer.

Seems he has just bent over the arm of a chair and given them two good coughs, if you catch my drift.

Let us know what you think...

[POSTMAN]

Mind if i jump in,aren't YOU lot supposed to vote for any agreements?
Have to say,i cannot rem the last time i saw a PO LTB!

[billyhayes]

Exactly. All LTBs etc are all sent out after the the agreement is signed off! There is no vote.

The last ballot we had was when they tried to make us work later on xmas eve. Years back.

Since then, with all of the network changes, changes to sales, ad infinitum... no vote.

[Judgee]

The union bosses are negotiating hard they always do... what they don't tell you is what they are negotiating ie how much crozier will bung them to sell us down the river. "There ya go pet union leader here's a nice new car and a time share in the Algarve. Now go play with your action man and leave the work force to us.... we'll take reaaaaal good care of them trust us!"

[POSTMAN]

Exactly. All LTBs etc are all sent out after the the agreement is signed off! There is no vote.

The last ballot we had was when they tried to make us work later on xmas eve. Years back.

Since then, with all of the network changes, changes to sales, ad infinitum... no vote.

Seems you lot need to get together and sort some stuff out!

[The BFO]

It has seemed to me for at least the past four years or so that the Counters CWU leadership has been surprisingly acquiescent in many of the changes we have seen. I thought that perhaps this was a strategic position to enable them, in a phrase, to ‘take the moral high ground’. But this is the only explanation I can think of.
However, that said, is it not the case that any Union official can only go as far as those they represent allow? Certainly in this part of the country staff are generally happy to complain, but less forthcoming when asked to become involved. I do not think this is because they are weak, but due to the fact that we work in small groups of 8 – 20 people, and are geographically dispersed. ‘Divide and Rule’ is another phrase that comes to mind. Many of the people in the office I work in have worked there for over ten years and don’t know anyone in any other office. This is why I would like to see this Forum more widely advertised so that more people would become involved.

[simjan]

So true, about people complaning and then not sticking to it. The reasons for that I think is that if it only a small office eveyone works together, and knows it will fall on someone elses shoulders the day after. Its got to the situation that we feel guilty if we don't finish the work. finishing late to get rid of the queue. here is no fallback on time / staff at all, so everyone just struggles onToday for instance 4 members of staff plus a manager. one on postshop, one on travel, one in back one on counter, our manager has no chance of doing her own work, been on counter or dealing with sales all day. Luckily we have a good ass. manager and manager, but this cannot go on at this rate the few staff will be off ill.

[Running Man]

Personally I think the CWU has done an adequate job over the last five years, particularly with regards to the approach to sales in Crown Offices.
As a manager I am very grateful to the stance the the CWU has taken to keep the way in which we manage sales in offices on the right side of our harassment policy, although I am sure there are examples of BMs, CAMs and particularly SEMs overstepping the mark up and down the country.
I think the sooner our leaders realise that we ALL need to work together as a team, rather than us little people constantly being dictated to, then the better.
So I would certainly give the CWU eight out of ten for their efforts in recent years however I would give the CMA zero out of ten for their uninspiring work.
I will keep it polite by referring them to as less use than a chocolate fireguard.

[MinisterofCucumber]

As a manager I am very grateful to the stance the the CWU has taken...

Of course you f***ing are.

Management and CWU officials have got a lot in common. This must be the only country in the world in which the ignorant are rewarded with power and wealth.

You have destroyed the Royal Mail.

Post Offices used to be good places. Now, the ones that are left are an ordeal for customers and staff alike. The public has to queue for ages and, if that doesn't piss them off enough, they have to endure a sales pitch from a bullied and demoralised workforce.

Anyone can make a profit by cutting staff numbers and forcing the survivors to work harder for less money. The question is would you like to be treated in this way, and if not, how can you justify treating others as such?

It's funny how a bonus can make you ignore morality. Is it really worth it? You might have a bit more money, but have you improved yourself? You probably have a bigger TV but you still watch the same crap because you are still ignorant, only you're a bit nastier now.

[billyhayes]

As a manager I am very grateful to the stance the the CWU has taken...

Of course you f***ing are.

Management and CWU officials have got a lot in common. This must be the only country in the world in which the ignorant are rewarded with power and wealth.

You have destroyed the Royal Mail.

Post Offices used to be good places. Now, the ones that are left are an ordeal for customers and staff alike. The public has to queue for ages and, if that doesn't piss them off enough, they have to endure a sales pitch from a bullied and demoralised workforce.

Anyone can make a profit by cutting staff numbers and forcing the survivors to work harder for less money. The question is would you like to be treated in this way, and if not, how can you justify treating others as such?

It's funny how a bonus can make you ignore morality. Is it really worth it? You might have a bit more money, but have you improved yourself? You probably have a bigger TV but you still watch the same crap because you are still ignorant, only you're a bit nastier now.

HELL YEAH!!!

HAVE YOU JUST HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD OR WHAT!!!?????

[The BFO]

As a manager I am very grateful to the stance the the CWU has taken...

Of course you f***ing are.

I am not supporting Running Man's original post because I think his logic is flawed, and actually find myself in almost total agreement with your viewpoint.
However, you have selectively edited what he said to make it look worse. Is this because he is a Manager? They are not all bad - just misguided, and not very intelligent in a great many cases.

[The BFO]

This must be the only country in the world in which the ignorant are rewarded with power and wealth.

The United States of America?

[vanman]

The union bosses are negotiating hard they always do... what they don't tell you is what they are negotiating ie how much crozier will bung them to sell us down the river. "There ya go pet union leader here's a nice new car and a time share in the Algarve. Now go play with your action man and leave the work force to us.... we'll take reaaaaal good care of them trust us!"

What complete and utter b*@$^cks

If anyone believes that negotiations are carried out like this then I'd suggest they're living in cloud cuckoo land!

If you have a beef about the way the Union deals with your issues - make a proper argument, not just ridiculous and slanderous comments.

Then again - it's always easiest to hurl abuse than to get involved and do something about it.

[Running Man]

Oh dear, I seem to have inadvertently stirred up a fuss!
To clarify my point a little further, I was simply trying to say that at least the CWU have tried to keep the sales culture on a sensible footing that, in theory, does not push our people too hard, too unfairly or pressurise our customers too much.
In contrast, the CMA (Unite) have been totally invisible where the sales culture is concerned and it is often CMA members who are 'beating our people into submission' with regards to sales, especially the CAMs and the SEMs.
Further to this,I have no interest in our bonus scheme as I feel that in far too many cases it drives the wrong behaviours from some of our Crown Office colleagues and other colleagues it simply does not interest in the first place, either because its too complicated or too unachievable.

[MinisterofCucumber]

Running Man,

I realise that a lot of managers cannot afford to give up their jobs even if, morally, they do not agree with the direction Royal Mail has taken. However, they can make a stand by giving up on promotion and ignoring bonus bribes. Managers who are sympathetic to the 'resistance' should use all of their guile to keep senior management and union 'gestapo' away from their branches.

Good Luck.