01/11/23 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi. Here's the Mount Pleasant bulletin of 1 November... Comments welcome!

SUPERNUMERARY MANAGERS
Us so-called "supernumeraries" had a series of
meetings in the "Fishbowl" a couple of weeks ago,
with two visiting managers from Whitechapel DO.
After they told us how "fortunate" we were to be in the
redeployment scheme, we had a question for them.
We asked how many people had actually been
redeployed via their "marvellous" scheme? Answer:
they hadn't a clue...

ALL COLLAR AND TIE, SIGNIFYING NOTHING
Despite knowing nothing, these managers continued
to lecture us on the "benefits" of the scheme. And all
those individual grievances we put in to the
company? Apparently disregarded, as the process is
"changed". Alright, so if individual grievances are in
the bin, we need to get our collective grievance
going!

SIGN AND SUBMIT TOGETHER!
So what about that petition circulating on WhatsApp?
Seems that could be a good start! It's against the
hours cut, their redeployment "scheme" and all the
"supernumerary" nonsense. Let's submit it?

UTTERLY LAUGHABLE
The meetings in the "Fishbowl" got even better on
Friday. Someone from Manpower agency was
invited to give us a secondary school pep talk on how
to make ourselves "employable"! Yes, it was surreal -
telling us to consider becoming self-employed and
setting up our own businesses!

LEGAL JARGON
One of the Whitechapel managers even let slip that
the whole "supernumerary" nonsense has been
deliberately designed to get round the MTSF
(managing surplus) agreement with the union. Yes,
apparently RM would be confident that a legal
challenge would fail because we're termed
"supernumerary" and not "surplus". Really? You
couldn't make this up!

ALL OUT!
Of course, a legal challenge is not what's wanted
here. To fight this supernumerary nonsense
effectively, there is only one way and that is to walk
out. And if union officials are angry that they were
bypassed, they should follow us out the door...

WHERE ARE WE?
And by the way, we "supernumeraries" are now
supposed to submit annual leave or any work-related
matters to... Whitechapel DO management! Yes,
their stupid "redeployment" nonsense has come to
this: we're working at the Mount, but we're not
employed at the Mount anymore? And now, they
have the cheek to say that the "redeployment" is
"paused" until January (after Xmas pressure, of
course)...

OUR THREAT
The only reason why some of us had to take 25-hour
(or 20-hour!) duties was because management
threatened us with redeployment if we didn't. And
now they're saying that we "chose" these duties??
As far as we're concerned, there are only two options
left: 1) we get our hours back, or 2) for those who are
happy with the shorter duties, management buys the
hours down. Simple!
PS: And by the way, if they're going to buy down our
hours, it should be on the 2-year terms, not 9 months!

OUR MONEY AND OUR HOURS!
RM has decided that the lump sum (agreed with the
CWU), which is part of our pay-rise, will be paid pro
rata. So those of us who have just been forced to
reduce our hours will be getting less? Since when is
a lump sum not a lump sum?

COVERING HIS TRUNK?
In one of the Elephant's meetings with us cleaners,
the subject of disappearing cleaning material came
up... And clearly the Elephant didn't like it, because
he asked us to complain against whoever raised the
issue. But in fact, he actually wrote a letter on our
behalf, which he then wanted to submit with our
signatures. Fat chance! But we wonder, what has he
got to hide..?

LET'S FIGHT THIS TOGETHER!
The rumour mill is grinding again over Romford MC
lease renewal... Apparently management's asking
Romford workmates (how many?) to choose from a
list of DOs where they'd prefer to be redeployed.
Sound familiar? Yep, we're all in the same boat!

MERRY X-MESS
Oh dear, DUMs have no idea what to do with all the
big parcels we're getting, including from
ParcelForce... The vans are full and some of these
parcels have to be left behind. We can't wait to see
these DUM-chickens dancing around without their
heads come Black Friday and Cyber Monday - let
alone Xmas!

IS THAT ALL?
Poor old Simon Thompson, he's leaving after having
such a tough time as CEO, and with "only"
£700,000... And for all his sins, he's going to be
rewarded with a heavenly job elsewhere, he can be
sure of that!

[Postee2]

Thanks for posting these updates.

[Nickvilla20]

I suppose using the super numeracy tactic is a crafty way to get people onto delivery. Doubt many will take up the offer though.