07/02/24 Mount Pleasant Bulletin

[jimallen]

Hi, here's the Mount Pleasant bulletin of the 7 February... Comments welcome!

IN THE SAME BOAT
You wouldn't believe what we've seen in some of
the Delivery Offices where "supernumeraries" have
been sent. In East London, managers are so short
of vans, they've ended up renting and sticking A4
paper notices (!) on them saying "This vehicle is
hired by Royal Mail". In another DO, only one
functional toilet was available for 100 postal
workers. Yup, we're all facing the same c**p!

ROYAL MESS
And no wonder conditions in Delivery Offices are
going down the drain. Management is "redeploying"
many of us from Processing onto Deliveries, but
these offices weren't made to accommodate so
many workers. Meanwhile, by sending us over to
DOs, they create a shortage of workers in
Processing. Like musical chairs in reverse: too
many duties and not enough workers!

ADMITTING THE OBVIOUS!
Some of us "supernumeraries" have now moved
onto Nights, while others have moved to full-time
jobs on Days. Yes, this is an admission from
managers that they can't do without us. And that
them calling us "supernumerary" (surplus to
requirements!) was complete BS. Now what we
want is for part-timers to get their hours back and for
redeployments to be stopped and reversed!

THEY DON'T LEARN
Why are managers going around, asking more of us
if we're interested in taking VR? First of all, most of
us aren't interested in their 9-month VR package,
which amounts to peanuts. And second, they're
already workmates leaving this month! Plus, if they
want people to leave, they need to be replaced!

BRING BACK OUR MATES
On the Late shift in PSA, the amount of work and
number of us to do it, does not match up. When we
start, piles of items are already waiting - and it's
especially bad Mondays and Tuesdays. And how
are we meant to finish when they've cut the number
of workers per "road" from two to one?! By staying
past our finishing time at 10pm? No way!

OUT WITH THE NEW
We now hear managers talking about yearly
"realignments". But we know they used fit-ups
(even "mini" ones) or re-signs to cut, cut, cut. So if
they think we'll be fooled by calling them by another
name, they can think again.

WE SAY NO!
In Distribution, we had a union meeting with reps
and we were told that management's planning to
introduce last despatches at 7:15-25am from June
onwards... And what time we'll finish, we have no
idea... but why should we accept later finishing
times anyway? Next thing we'll hear is starting
times at 2 or 3am?!

INCONVENIENT FOR THEM!
In that same meeting, we heard that management is
doing away with drivers on Earlies... We knew this
had been on the cards for a long time. But we'll
keep saying what we've said before: we need
alternative duties that are convenient for us!

WHAT'S THAT DUTY CALLED?
Finally we cleaners have a re-sign, so that we can
change our duties or shifts. But then the Elephant
has the cheek to tell us that there are "protected"
duties for cleaners with "experience", which are
reserved... but for whom? His favourites? This is
absolutely out of the question - we want all duties
available and allocated according to seniority!

PS: And yes, not having our own union rep in
meetings with the Elephant and Elephantess is an
issue... but that can't stop us from saying what we
think, especially when we're all thinking the same!

NO TO THESE VIRTUAL PAYSLIPS!
We're really annoyed with this online Human
Resources bloody app that we're all asked to use.
We need to log in, answer security questions,
remember the digits x, y and z of our password,
etc., before we can do something as simple as
checking our payslip or our pension plan! And what
if we're not tech savvy and don't want to use their
app? Bring back real payslips!

WHO'S THE POST FOR?
Ofcom's report on the USO claimed that RM could
save £650m by going to a three-day delivery... How
considerate towards shareholders' profits! But of
course, not a word was said about the labour cost
"savings" that RM bosses intend to make, by cutting
our jobs and Ts&Cs!

MEANINGLESS
Ofcom also claimed its "suggestions" reflected what
the public wanted, citing a survey which "showed"
the public didn't care so much about 6 day letter
deliveries. Except that it asked just over 7,000
people... while a petition against cuts in the USO
has already gathered 60,000 signatures. And there
are 110,000 of us who can petition with our feet!

[CarryingMGMT]

Poor London.... Welcome to real world of 'Royal Mail'
Every single thing being whined about in this newsletter has been happening across the entire rest of the country for at least a decade.

[ted_e_bear]

What's that about sending supernumeraries to delivery offices but they can't accommodate so many workers ?

[TopperGas]

Poor London.... Welcome to real world of 'Royal Mail'
Every single thing being whined about in this newsletter has been happening across the entire rest of the country for at least a decade.

And they still don't take 9 months VR on offer!!

[GRS]

Poor London.... Welcome to real world of 'Royal Mail'
Every single thing being whined about in this newsletter has been happening across the entire rest of the country for at least a decade.

And they still don't take 9 months VR on offer!!

Bloody hell…….why can’t they offer VR out in delivery!!!! I’d snap their hands off for 9 months money first thing in the morning if offered.

[belle smith]

Poor London.... Welcome to real world of 'Royal Mail'
Every single thing being whined about in this newsletter has been happening across the entire rest of the country for at least a decade.

And they still don't take 9 months VR on offer!!

Bloody hell…….why can’t they offer VR out in delivery!!!! I’d snap their hands off for 9 months money first thing in the morning if offered.

I’m struggling to think of anyone who wouldn’t take a VR

[GRS]

Poor London.... Welcome to real world of 'Royal Mail'
Every single thing being whined about in this newsletter has been happening across the entire rest of the country for at least a decade.

And they still don't take 9 months VR on offer!!

Bloody hell…….why can’t they offer VR out in delivery!!!! I’d snap their hands off for 9 months money first thing in the morning if offered.

I’m struggling to think of anyone who wouldn’t take a VR

The ones in that article obviously don’t want it!

[SpacePhoenix]

Bloody hell…….why can’t they offer VR out in delivery!!!! I’d snap their hands off for 9 months money first thing in the morning if offered.

Why would they if so many DOs are short on staff? Offering VR would make the staffing shortages even worse.

[theotherone]

Bloody hell…….why can’t they offer VR out in delivery!!!! I’d snap their hands off for 9 months money first thing in the morning if offered.

Why would they if so many DOs are short on staff? Offering VR would make the staffing shortages even worse.

Because eggs in the basket RM are obsessed with losing the USO.
And when/if they do they won't have to get rid of staff.
Actually pretty much everything they have been doing will fall into place when the USO is gone.
Until then makes no sense in employing people IMO.

[Tman]

The ones in that article obviously don’t want it!

You mean you think these people actually exist? I assumed they were fictional and invented to prove some point, like all the rest of these MP bulletins.

[SpacePhoenix]

Bloody hell…….why can’t they offer VR out in delivery!!!! I’d snap their hands off for 9 months money first thing in the morning if offered.

Why would they if so many DOs are short on staff? Offering VR would make the staffing shortages even worse.

Because eggs in the basket RM are obsessed with losing the USO.
And when/if they do they won't have to get rid of staff.
Actually pretty much everything they have been doing will fall into place when the USO is gone.
Until then makes no sense in employing people IMO.

There's no guarantee that the USO will be reduced. It certainly won't be before the next General Election.