Solidarity and Empathy also to our Agency Colleagues

[Postee2]

Whilst many of us are fortunate to have permanent Royal Mail contracts, (despite the extremely challenging circumstances), I would like to offer a token of recognition to my temporary colleagues.
Whether Angard, other agency or casuals I feel they deserve full recognition as not only an integral part of our work force but as colleagues, and people with the same kind of worries and concerns as core staff (and many surely to an even greater degree).
I feel a lot of compassion for the position many of them are in with the seemingly permanent insecurity they face.
Given Royal Mail couldn't operate without them it makes it even more incredulous the position we are in.
Merry Christmas to all.

[redlen]

Angard this year were very lucky in that the directly employed Royal Mail Chrstmas casuals did not last long, even with a vastly improved hourly salary rate. Many left after their first few days. Unlike previous years, Angard were desperately needed to make the figures up.

[mags999]

Any body who does are work when we are legitamey on strike I find hard to understand but maybe I'm just old fashioned hey ho

[manchesterpunk]

We had a lot of Angard/Agency support us on strike, turning down shifts or accepting shifts but not attending. A lot of our regular agency were then dropped in favour of Xmas casuals.

[seesred]

I've known a number of the Angard staff since I was with the agency myself, so some of them are my friends, and some of them I tried to help get RM contracts when it seemed like that might still be a possibility. I don't know what they do when I'm on strike, and haven't asked, because they've not been treated well by Royal Mail either. They were frozen out when the Christmas Casuals started coming in earlier than usual, but when experienced staff were desperately needed over the past couple of weeks, suddenly Angard were in favour again. Royal Mail have no respect for anyone who works for them.

[redlen]

Any body who does are work when we are legitamey on strike I find hard to understand but maybe I'm just old fashioned hey ho

Many Angard workers were CWU members and refused to cross picket lines.
That was until the CWU stabbed them in the back and wanted rid of them officially due to the current dispute.

And can you blame them?

[aiden01]

Any body who does are work when we are legitamey on strike I find hard to understand but maybe I'm just old fashioned hey ho

Many Angard workers were CWU members and refused to cross picket lines.
That was until the CWU stabbed them in the back and wanted rid of them officially due to the current dispute.

And can you blame them?

No

[Barnacle]

When P&O workers were on strike and then sacked, agency workers who turned up and then realised who they were replacing, rejected the work. Can’t say I’ve heard a single agency worker who turns up to replace us while on strike, say ‘I’m not doing this’. They are all completely happy to cross the picket line.

I have zero sympathy or empathy for their lot. They chose it.

[redlen]

When P&O workers were on strike and then sacked, agency workers who turned up and then realised who they were replacing, rejected the work. Can’t say I’ve heard a single agency worker who turns up to replace us while on strike, say ‘I’m not doing this’. They are all completely happy to cross the picket line.

I have zero sympathy or empathy for their lot. They chose it.

The majority are not Angard workers but directly recruited christmas casuals under a Royal Mail contract who are crossing the picket lines.

[seesred]

It's not true to say that the CWU has stabbed Angard in the back because of the recent dispute. The CWU has always wanted Angard out of Royal Mail, and that's fair enough, because Angard was set up as an in-house RM agency to circumvent certain of the legislation regarding the terms and conditions concerning temporary workers. I can't speak for the whole country, but locally the CWU did help to obtain RM contracts for a number of Angard employees, against the wishes of many union members who were much more hostile to Angard workers. But once it became obvious that no more contracts would be forthcoming the issue then was to increase the contracted hours of former Angard people on the shortest part-time contracts, and to allow for more overtime for existing staff, instead of bringing in more agency workers.

[redlen]

Then the issue is for the CWU to protect those current Angard workers and get them substantive contracts. Angard is a Royal Mail Group company. The CWU has no right in insisting they put current workers out of a job.

[mags999]

For christs sake just don't cross a picket line if you you have any decency its morally wrong end of and you know it your just looking for arguments amongst the workforce

[Barnacle]

For christs sake just don't cross a picket line if you you have any decency its morally wrong end of and you know it your just looking for arguments amongst the workforce

This until the end of time.

If someone feels guilty or ‘attacked’ by hearing that workers are upset that they worked in their job while they were on strike GOOD. I hope they feel guilty as hell.

if you don’t want to feel bad, don’t cross the picket line. Simples.

[seesred]

Then the issue is for the CWU to protect those current Angard workers and get them substantive contracts. Angard is a Royal Mail Group company. The CWU has no right in insisting they put current workers out of a job.

It should be, but Royal Mail is not interested in playing ball. That is not the fault of the CWU. No staff replaced and no new employees where I work since 2016. That is how long Royal Mail had been deliberately allowing staff numbers to decline to the point that the MC where I work is barely functional in any meaningful way. The jobs that already exist can't be preserved, let alone trying to create new ones, and that isn't just a local problem.

[redlen]

If staff want VR when avaliable, the CWU should not put conditions on them getting the opportunity