08/03/23 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi, here is the Mount Pleasant bulletin of 8 March. This time, we had a longer article related to last week's joint CWU/RM statement. Comments are welcomed!

NO AGREEMENT ON THESE REVISIONS! SURELY WE MUST STRIKE NOW?
We renewed our strike ballot in order to strike (95.9% on a 77.3% turnout) and now that we see this
accelerated “joint agreement” that Ward is stitching up with the Board – and yes, with Thompson! -
we’re even more sure that we need to walk out. In fact Tyneside MC and Redcar DO and probably
others, have already done so!
Why would we agree any of these revisions; why would we agree to cut our own throats? Of
course they call it being “efficient”, “aligning the workload”, in the new parcels-only conditions! But in
fact we’re already working flat-out!
And Ward has the cheek to say that RM has a sudden financial hiccup and that “the challenge is to
reach a national agreement that aligns the interests of all”. As if we could possibly have the same
interests as Thompson and his big shareholders who want to get even richer at our expense. When we
can only “get rich” at theirs! They didn’t dare open their books. Anyway, how can we trust them to
tell the truth!?
The problem we now face is that Ward and Furey want to help RM force all the revisions and all
their changes, down our throats. Ward even said that he’d accept 9% on pay on our behalf. Yes, while
RPI inflation is 13.4%.
Given all of this, and after 18 days of strike, how can we allow these union leaders to sell us out?
This means we’re going to have to organise our own strikes and make our own demands. We’ll have
to find among ourselves our own leaders, based on the collective decisions of us all. And there’s no
time to lose.

THEY MUST STAY!
The revisions are accelerated and Ward says
everything must be finished and signed up in a
national agreement by the 12 March! We already
know the content, and it stinks! Older workers, even
those with disabilities, have been assigned
impossible duties! Management is trying to force
our workmates out… We’re not going to allow it!

NO DEAL!
Management's revisions would also screw part
timers. Most of the new duties are back to 25 hours,
which is less than what some of us are on now. We
would not mind working fewer hours, but only on
condition that there was no loss of pay! In fact we
should all be on adequate pay, without having to do
“extra” hours.

SUPER-RIDICULOUS
Some of us got individual letters last week telling us
we were "supernumerary". Does that big word
mean that they think that there are too many of us?
No wonder they didn't make it clear – it's bollocks!

STARVATION WAGES
Us cleaners can't believe that after all this time
waiting for a decent pay rise, the bosses are
offering, and the union officials recommend that we
accept, £11.95/hr for this coming year (£10.90
outside London)! Who can make ends meet on that
rate – and that’s the “increase”. But of course 10.1%
of nothing, is nothing. And a non-consolidated
lump sum and bonus bribes won't make up for this!

PUSHING THEIR LUCK
Incredible that DUMs think they can come up with
the new duties by Monday and implement them in
two weeks time! We know they're preparing the
worst possible walks for those of us who’ll be
considered spare because we can't drive...

ALL FOR ONE...
We hear that a delivery mate who was suspended
during the strike has been sacked? How was that
even allowed to happen? He must have his job back
now! As far as we’re concerned he’s done
absolutely nothing wrong. And even if he had, we’d
be against his sacking!

BIG BROTHER
We hear that managers in Processing are looking to
introduce new PDAs in May? So are these even
more accurate in following our every move, in order
to report back our individual "productivity"? But of
course, according to CEO Thompson PDAs shouldn't
be used for that purpose, and if they were, it was
only by "rogue managers"! So, all of them, rogues?

[SpacePhoenix]

BIG BROTHER
We hear that managers in Processing are looking to
introduce new PDAs in May? So are these even
more accurate in following our every move, in order
to report back our individual "productivity"? But of
course, according to CEO Thompson PDAs shouldn't
be used for that purpose, and if they were, it was
only by "rogue managers"! So, all of them, rogues?

More likely just down to all the current PDAs being knackered