Conversational Polish, dangers and policy.

[zaphod]

Bristol Mail Centre has embarked on an active campaign to get the workforce to speak Polish. The Learning centre is offering a 10 week course for £90, and this has been implicitly encouraged at WTL&L sessions that the workforce should get involved. Sorry, I think not, and this is the concensus of my colleagues.

Polish casuals are mostly on 24 hour contracts, but as from this weekend 30 have been taken on to do regular 12 hour shifts of a Saturday. I understand this is for a year. I also understand that training manuals for some machines have been translated into Polish.

We had an accident on Friday ultimo here, concerning a Polish Casual being hit by a concertina of Yorks on the E-Tow, despite someone shouting at them, with plenty of warning to get out of the way. The casual- as admitted to by his fellow Polish colleagues - could not speak a word of English.

Questions.
1. How did he get the job?
2. How did he get through the induction and vetting procedure?
3. Is he not a danger to himself and other colleagues (IE remove the words 'concertina of York's from the above and replace with 'a 600')?
4. How does he sort mail, and read H&S directives, for example?
5. How did he get through induction, training (if they get it ,and I am assured they do on the machines yeah, right)?

A number of these casuals speak good english, and I have nothing against Poles. Indeed my Best Man is a first generation Pole, who I have known for over 20 years now, and I count and think of him as my adoptive brother, as he does me.

The use of casuals on the bases above, indicates to me the way the business, and in particular Bristol Mail Centre is going. Casual part-time non union labour on the very cheap. Bristol Mail Centre is doomed, and will not improve its performance by such means, as if, frankly, we cared. But if it means substantive EVR volumes, I am sure the substantive and t'eed off workforce we be for it. And the casuals themselves cannot see that they are being exploited and used - very badly. Or maybe they do not want to see it.

[norbet colon]

Bristol Mail Centre has embarked on an active campaign to get the workforce to speak Polish. The Learning centre is offering a 10 week course for £90, and this has been implicitly encouraged at WTL&L sessions that the workforce should get involved. Sorry, I think not, and this is the concensus of my colleagues.

Polish casuals are mostly on 24 hour contracts, but as from this weekend 30 have been taken on to do regular 12 hour shifts of a Saturday. I understand this is for a year. I also understand that training manuals for some machines have been translated into Polish.

We had an accident on Friday ultimo here, concerning a Polish Casual being hit by a concertina of Yorks on the E-Tow, despite someone shouting at them, with plenty of warning to get out of the way. The casual- as admitted to by his fellow Polish colleagues - could not speak a word of English.

Questions.
1. How did he get the job?
2. How did he get through the induction and vetting procedure?
3. Is he not a danger to himself and other colleagues (IE remove the words 'concertina of York's from the above and replace with 'a 600')?
4. How does he sort mail, and read H&S directives, for example?
5. How did he get through induction, training (if they get it ,and I am assured they do on the machines yeah, right)?

A number of these casuals speak good english, and I have nothing against Poles. Indeed my Best Man is a first generation Pole, who I have known for over 20 years now, and I count and think of him as my adoptive brother, as he does me.

The use of casuals on the bases above, indicates to me the way the business, and in particular Bristol Mail Centre is going. Casual part-time non union labour on the very cheap. Bristol Mail Centre is doomed, and will not improve its performance by such means, as if, frankly, we cared. But if it means substantive EVR volumes, I am sure the substantive and t'eed off workforce we be for it. And the casuals themselves cannot see that they are being exploited and used - very badly. Or maybe they do not want to see it.

Take it outside the Post Office and report it to the local Environmental Health of the Council who are responsible for H&S , or the HSE itself , reporting industrial injuries to the DHSS s*** RM up . It won't go down well , Management will be looking for "grasses " "telling tales out of class" , however RM cannot victimize people for voicing valid H&S concerns , any detriment for doing so is punishable in a ET under The Fairness at Work Act providing the official channels are exhausted .

Too much idiotic political correctness , as RM is being monitored by the CRE , second problem is Non-Ops Senior Managers encouraging all this casualization Dutch TNT style , secondly RM are looking for a "culture change and using these people to dilute a heavily Unionised culture , where there is a will , there is a way.

I've seen this happen in another ex-nationalised industry as they purposefully got rid of experienced staff as they were too "negative" and "tainted beyond redemption ", result was a poorer service and a marked increase in accidents .

These Tory Idiots that go on Comment on this and say sack the lot of them , get these hard working Polish/Eastern Europe people in are talking out of their a*** , Old St is behind all this nonsense .


I've seen needless sorting and delayed mail on one s***hole of a section due to "cultural problems at front line level " , you can't voice any valid concerns as the Braindead RM machine will put you on a Racism or Abuse B&H charge -IDIOTS ! , stamped mail being delayed for 3 weeks , "nobody knew who was responsible " , they did but it wasn't politically correct !!, no gumption , common sense or initiative .

Once they had to have a PHG do 65 checks in one night , due to "cultural problems " and over zealous Political Correctness . They had to put a warning of disciplinary action as people were p***ing in the Gym Shower drain holes as the Religious one's were too busy , also warning for spitting this tobacco gum over the floor .

One colourful manager in Lancashire was pulled for pulling "staff" who'd p***ed off in the Afternoon and only came in for evenings . Clapping & Cheering etc over 9/11 footage . No action taken wasn't politically correct WTF??? , comand and ignore , spurious and frivilious use of cards and plenty of professonial complainers and troublemakers only too eager to jump on the bandwagon .

Some people who did celebrate 9/11 in a Midland's Car Factory were marched off the premises by Security for their own safety , took the factory to ET and won £17K , the union supported them as they "didn't know " -B***OCKS !

One lady who couldn't read but Royal Fail in their wisdom only tested the men , took RM to court and won £18K WTF ?

I've done Agency Production/Packing /Warehouse work and some of the absolute muppets RM employ wouldn't have lasted five minutes because they are useless . Royal Fail is a absolute joke .

We've had this one out on Hellfail , f**k zero tolerance Political Correctness , the lunatics are running the ayslum , it also means poor public service due to all the errors etc and makes more work for other people .

[L Tommo]

FECK THIS BOLLOX... RM IS A JOKE... (tell ya sumfink you dont know) But this is just another piss take in the many that goes on.,..

Now all the PC cowboys can shut it and im not going on about billy poland ... Its just that RM has been and should be ONLY a one language job... SECURITY and the mail comes first... Well DSA comes first.... But speaking any other language at work inside a MC or RDC or any indoor work is wrong... Outdoor and in a community of say Bangladesh peoples then a smattering of FECK OFF would be helpfull in said language.. AND english comes to mind as well... I dont discriminate... But why should anyone change the language>???? Ok in Spain.. I try to speak Spanish... Well order beer n grub... But i try.. And so should any person coming to work in Britain... FECK PANDERING TO ANYONE NOT WILLING TO LEARN English....

If in Wales i would speak Welsh and English If a joint agreement was reached... Galic in NI and Scotland...


TWO BOB POLITICS

out

[dvbuk55]

Thank you Dziekuje dzhehnkooyeh

www.zem.co.uk/polish/basicvoc.htm

[DGP1]

FECK THIS BOLLOX... RM IS A JOKE... (tell ya sumfink you dont know) But this is just another piss take in the many that goes on.,..

Now all the PC cowboys can shut it and im not going on about billy poland ... Its just that RM has been and should be ONLY a one language job... SECURITY and the mail comes first... Well DSA comes first.... But speaking any other language at work inside a MC or RDC or any indoor work is wrong... Outdoor and in a community of say Bangladesh peoples then a smattering of FECK OFF would be helpfull in said language.. AND english comes to mind as well... I dont discriminate... But why should anyone change the language>???? Ok in Spain.. I try to speak Spanish... Well order beer n grub... But i try.. And so should any person coming to work in Britain... FECK PANDERING TO ANYONE NOT WILLING TO LEARN English....

If in Wales i would speak Welsh and English If a joint agreement was reached... Galic in NI and Scotland...


TWO BOB POLITICS

out

Tiocfaidh ár lá

[dvbuk55]

Tiocfaidh ár lá


Ah - but when?

[L Tommo]

POGUE MAHONE

[L Tommo]

Tiocfaidh ár lá


Make you right and i will tell my screw the very same... With a Cockney.. GERTCHA added....

OUT

[dvbuk55]

POGUE MAHONE

You rude old swine

Did you know that phrase was used by Lionel Jeffreys in one of the Carry on films - he was leaping over something and asked someone for something to shout - I'm not sure how long it was before they cottoned on.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

POGUE MAHONE

You rude old swine

Did you know that phrase was used by Lionel Jeffreys in one of the Carry on films - he was leaping over something and asked someone for something to shout - I'm not sure how long it was before they cottoned on.

pogue mahone being the Anglicisation of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse"

Tiocfaidh ár lá - only as soon as AL and AC go - and perhaps King Billy.

[warlord]

When I spent a lot of my ime in Germany I sought to learn German through various sources in the uk.
When I took many long and short vacations and visits to France, again I learnt French.
My wife has an Icelandic friend, a lovely lady, who has a full command of the English language... yes, my icelandic is coming on fine.
An old pal of mine is a Welshman.... ho hum. Yes, my command of the welsh language is improving.

...... and what of the polish migrants... OK! Some are trying others are capable to varing degrees of our language.
When in Rome......... SORRY.... I cant speak Italian, well, not yet anyway!

[dvbuk55]

When I spent a lot of my ime in Germany I sought to learn German through various sources in the uk.
When I took many long and short vacations and visits to France, again I learnt French.
My wife has an Icelandic friend, a lovely lady, who has a full command of the English language... yes, my icelandic is coming on fine.
An old pal of mine is a Welshman.... ho hum. Yes, my command of the welsh language is improving.

...... and what of the polish migrants... OK! Some are trying others are capable to varing degrees of our language.
When in Rome......... SORRY.... I cant speak Italian, well, not yet anyway!

If you had a Polish friend you would also be speaking Polish - damned isolationist.

Ich bin ein Englander

[DGP1]

When I spent a lot of my ime in Germany I sought to learn German through various sources in the uk.
When I took many long and short vacations and visits to France, again I learnt French.
My wife has an Icelandic friend, a lovely lady, who has a full command of the English language... yes, my icelandic is coming on fine.
An old pal of mine is a Welshman.... ho hum. Yes, my command of the welsh language is improving.

...... and what of the polish migrants... OK! Some are trying others are capable to varing degrees of our language.
When in Rome......... SORRY.... I cant speak Italian, well, not yet anyway!

If you had a Polish friend you would also be speaking Polish - damned isolationist.

Ich bin ein Englander

"Ich bin ein Springfielder."

[billyb8]

I've spent time in a number of countries over my 50+ years and have always learned enough of the local lingo to get by, and it's always appreciated. After a while doors get opened that remain closed to tourists.

Best bit it really pi**e* off Americans.

[zaphod]

I have no qualms about contacting H&S at the local council here. I have a contact, and am in regular correspondence with her, and she has made announced and unannounced visits to the mail centre, already, with more planned. The Mail Centre is already in deep H&S trouble with them. It is not as if the council ever really wanted RM to build the Mail Centre on the site, in the first place, and there have difficulties, and various obstacles since. So RM and the council got off on the wrong foot, and the relationship has been antagonistic and strained throughout.

We, as the H&S rep team, were reluctant to go outside of RM, as some felt (not me) that this might be admitting failure. But, when I was forutnate to gain the confidence of my colleagues to be elected as a Rep, by a substantial majority, I made it plain that from my point of view, what with the history of H&S issues, and the way that they were dealt with at the office, that a different top down approach was needed, rather than going through the usual channels, through which glass ceilings are reached, or managers sit on the problem, or pay lip service, and nothing ever changes. The Centre has now had a very rude awakening call. As I understand it, if nothing changes, the council may close it, until it does, but I have not had anything formally to confirm this, I must add.

We are getting results, and the team, and the Area H&S Rep., are delighted, as, it seems, are my colleagues, but it is early days. However, WE, mean business, and my Area Rep. has nicknamed myself and my colleague on our particular shift his rotweillers .