National Industrial Action Ballot

hero22 · Post by **hero22** » 26 Aug 2019, 17:11

Does anyone know if there is one of these hubs in northern Ireland ?

worktotime · Post by **worktotime** » 26 Aug 2019, 20:36

stoneybroke wrote:Why can't the Union just propose a total overtime ban. Everybody work to rule, start and finish at the correct time, but refuse all overtime. This way we wouldn't lose any basic wage, but they would be hit hard with delayed mail and parcels.
Royal Mail is run on the goodwill of the workforce and massive amounts of overtime.

the problem with that is that wouldn't happen in our office anyway as some are that desperate for o/t and would go and pick laggy bands up in the yard for 20 mins o/t. sad bastards really . and as for stopping the free work its the same and managers know this but don't enforce the no free work rule , breaks , or use pda data etc , and to be honest why would they , its down to the staff to grow some balls where not f***ing kids . and I will put money on it if we do any I/a there will be people in at least 1-2 hours before there time the day after to try and catch up and or claim o/t to complete and these are cwu members

, f***ing unreal.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 26 Aug 2019, 22:40

hero22 wrote:Does anyone know if there is one of these hubs in northern Ireland ?

I don't think so.

Post by **Sugar** » 28 Aug 2019, 12:21

The use of software to keep track of our hours and work out how we get paid doesn't fill me with confidence. It all smacks of the post office's use of that horizon software which ended accusing a lot of people of fiddling the books and led to court proceedings and I think suicide in some cases. Managers can't keep track of holidays never mind how many hours we've worked.

Martin Walsh · Post by **Martin Walsh** » 29 Aug 2019, 10:14

I have been in the job for 35 years and have been on strike many times and tried work to rules as well.

They don’t work as Royal Mail will say that they won’t pay an individual for causing a backlog by deciding on mass to work to rule or do the job properly or an overtime ban. As it causes a backlog of mail and they are still paying staff their wages.

They adopt a simple strategy they instruct someone or some people to work normally ie what they were doing yesterday or they take them off pay.

The office than has a decision they either back the person who has been taken off pay by going out on strike which will be unofficial or they betray that individual by working normally.

This is why striking is the most effective way of stopping the employer! Work to rules , overtime bans don’t work in Royal Mail

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 29 Aug 2019, 10:58

Martin Walsh wrote:I have been in the job for 35 years and have been on strike many times and tried work to rules as well.

They don’t work as Royal Mail will say that they won’t pay an individual for causing a backlog by deciding on mass to work to rule or do the job properly or an overtime ban. As it causes a backlog of mail and they are still paying staff their wages.

They adopt a simple strategy they instruct someone or some people to work normally ie what they were doing yesterday or they take them off pay.

The office than has a decision they either back the person who has been taken off pay by going out on strike which will be unofficial or they betray that individual by working normally.

This is why striking is the most effective way of stopping the employer! Work to rules , overtime bans don’t work in Royal Mail

The only reason WTR and O/T bans dont work is us, even after a strike day you get posties in early having no breaks out early doing o/t if offered, with so many 25 hour posties i dont blame them for doing as much o/t as poss. The only time ive seen a WTR O/T ban it worked the problem was solved in a week that was pre p/t so it would be harder to do now understandably. I see no reason to strike over PDAs being used why should we not work our hours, as for the SWW i understood it to be only if we achieve cuts/savings=lost jobs not good so i will not vote yes on those two points thats not to say i wont vote yes to strike i am undecided at the moment.

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 29 Aug 2019, 15:47

Martin Walsh wrote:I have been in the job for 35 years and have been on strike many times and tried work to rules as well.

They don’t work as Royal Mail will say that they won’t pay an individual for causing a backlog by deciding on mass to work to rule or do the job properly or an overtime ban. As it causes a backlog of mail and they are still paying staff their wages.

They adopt a simple strategy they instruct someone or some people to work normally ie what they were doing yesterday or they take them off pay.

The office than has a decision they either back the person who has been taken off pay by going out on strike which will be unofficial or they betray that individual by working normally.

This is why striking is the most effective way of stopping the employer! Work to rules , overtime bans don’t work in Royal Mail

How could they legally take you off pay by doing the job correctly to their own rules?
Isnt that the whole point of the 'to rule' part of work to rule that your not doing anything wrong?

Woody Guthrie · Post by **Woody Guthrie** » 29 Aug 2019, 16:10

Isnt that the whole point of the 'to rule' part of work to rule that your not doing anything wrong?

A work to rule is not the same as 'doing the job properly'.
I prefer its other name, malicious compliance, it's where you take an instruction and follow it to the letter and nothing more. It's a slow down process because management have to explain exactly what they want you to do in minute detail.

Think of it like this, the wife tells you to take the bin out so that's exactly what you do, take the bin out and leave it there so she tells you to take the bin out and empty it so you take the bin out and tip it over the front step... you get the picture.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 29 Aug 2019, 16:43

RM specifically do not like the phrase ' work to rule ' so you should avoid making any reference to that terminology or make a connection with that phrase and how you are working. There is nothing wrong with using RM equipment such as LWTs and mail pouches as directed , arriving at work on time and leaving at the end of your duty time , and declining overtime for personal reasons. If doing the job as RM directs us to do it results in not all mail being delivered it obviously means we have plenty or too much work to do within duty time so we are being productive and there is no room for cuts in office budgets.

Walking boots · Post by **Walking boots** » 29 Aug 2019, 19:24

I have no clue why we might be going on strike, the only information I have is what I've read on here, our rep doesn't have a clue either, someone asked him today and he said he doesn't know what it's about but we should all vote yes, its laughable that we are all expected to lose money but nobody wants to take the time to explain why and what strikes could achieve

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 29 Aug 2019, 19:36

Walking boots wrote:I have no clue why we might be going on strike, the only information I have is what I've read on here, our rep doesn't have a clue either, someone asked him today and he said he doesn't know what it's about but we should all vote yes, its laughable that we are all expected to lose money but nobody wants to take the time to explain why and what strikes could achieve

Once the two months of talks end without any agreement the only option we have left is industrial action. Alternatively we can stand by and watch the business go to the dogs with thousands of job losses and degraded working conditions.

itinerant · Post by **itinerant** » 29 Aug 2019, 19:38

Walking boots wrote:I have no clue why we might be going on strike, the only information I have is what I've read on here, our rep doesn't have a clue either, someone asked him today and he said he doesn't know what it's about but we should all vote yes, its laughable that we are all expected to lose money but nobody wants to take the time to explain why and what strikes could achieve

Have you not received any of the emails from the CWU about this? Latest one came through yesterday.

Walking boots · Post by **Walking boots** » 29 Aug 2019, 19:45

itinerant wrote:
Walking boots wrote:I have no clue why we might be going on strike, the only information I have is what I've read on here, our rep doesn't have a clue either, someone asked him today and he said he doesn't know what it's about but we should all vote yes, its laughable that we are all expected to lose money but nobody wants to take the time to explain why and what strikes could achieve
Have you not received any of the emails from the CWU about this? Latest one came through yesterday.

I have never received an email from the CWU other than the one they sent when I signed up

itinerant · Post by **itinerant** » 29 Aug 2019, 19:49

Walking boots wrote:
itinerant wrote:
Walking boots wrote:I have no clue why we might be going on strike, the only information I have is what I've read on here, our rep doesn't have a clue either, someone asked him today and he said he doesn't know what it's about but we should all vote yes, its laughable that we are all expected to lose money but nobody wants to take the time to explain why and what strikes could achieve
Have you not received any of the emails from the CWU about this? Latest one came through yesterday.
I have never received an email from the CWU other than the one they sent when I signed up

Just realised mine has come from Regional branch of CWU so maybe it's not a consistent approach for everyone.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 31 Aug 2019, 02:59

Communication is not the CWU strong point in fact they are piss poor not everyone is on facebook thank god for that they need to energise and communicate more surely to god these days they can send text messages with links to the website or is that too much these days in the 21 century or even email not everyone is a facebook slave!