Post staff to hold national strikes (22+23 oct)

mazza111

Yes I've had a knife pulled on me too, because I didn't have someone's giro. Does that make it ok?

Sorry, but if you haven't seen a postie struggle to carry a bag, then you haven't seen the start of his duty. We are told by health and safety regulations not to take bags out in excess of 16kg, we are told by management just to take them, but letter volumes are dropping...so in theory our bags should be lighter. Yes, I am one of those who is injured atm because of manager telling me just to take the excess out with me, climbing up and down stairs with the extra weight has done my knee in, I am now on light duties, which is boring me to tears, but I know there's no way I would be able to carry a 20kg bag up n down 16 blocks of 4 storey high flats. So basically, I will be one of the first ones out the door because of doing what I was told to do.

It's all fine and well you lot saying, if you don't like your job, do something about it. I love my job! Unfortunately, because of this injury, I am now finding it impossible to do, but how can I try to get another job whilst undergoing intensive physiotherapy? Luckily we're one of the offices who sorts the streamline side of the business (ie sorting catalogues on a bulk scale) so there is plenty of indoor work for me at the moment. However this is another part of the job that's being taken away from local offices. So there will be very few indoor jobs available in Delivery Offices for those who are injured because of doing what they are told.

And just for the record, all the changes that were agreed in the last strike have been implemented in our office. I actually voted against the strike, even though I believe we have very good reasons to strike, but purely for selfish reasons, ie. time of year, lack of cash etc etc etc.


Bigheadx no one disputes that, I've done customer service in stores, believe me it's nothing like the abuse u get as a postie. I am not saying that ppl in tesco have it easy, or anyone else in a customer service environment. I was just stating that it was ONE part of it.

I actually believe the drivers in the mail centres or distribution centre have more reasons than us to strike. So it would be nice if we could get a driver's view on this.

deanos

bigheadxx wrote: »

Personally I have never seen a Postman struggling to carry a bag of letters.

I havent either, they all have a trolley, bike or van around here and those boxes en route to collect more mail.

custardy

deanos wrote: »

I havent either, they all have a trolley, bike or van around here and those boxes en route to collect more mail.

trolleys and bikes are fine for certain areas.again theres a limit to what you can put on a bike especially with more and larger packets
theres one guy in my office use an HCT (high capacity trolley)one but his duty is so large it takes him ages even with coming in 2 hours early every day!
pouch boxes are fine if you get enough in the right areas (we aren't allowed anymore after the new duties)
vans are great and i use one.
unfortunately its in an area with 90%+ residential parking so i have to walk further than how the computer plans the duty

blue_monkey_2

Collecting Postie at my local PO does not want to strike. He says he has to because otherwise he will be bullied by other workers who will also mess up his rounds. He finishes his round 3 hours early and is asked to do 'overtime' (I guess this is the unpaid overtime we hear somuch about), he has no problem doing it but if he does the other workers will bully him and mess up his rounds. I've also heard the same story but from another source, another postie,

It seems to me the union & it's members are just bullies that bully other people who do not agree with what they want - it makes me wonder how many people actualy want this strike. Who can he get help from - not the union as the union members are the bullies.

I guess at least at the end of this the posties sack will be lighter so that is one bonus for you posties, people will send their parcels by another method. Amazon came to be via a courier the other day instead of RM. Sure there will always be small packets and letters to be delivered but today a new supplier said they would send me an invoice and I said 'no, can you email it and call me for payment so it is not stuck in the backlog'. Not many but I am sure many other businesses are doing the same thing.

I wish my husband could afford 5 days off work unpaid (or whatever it is I am past giving a toss now) before Xmas. I bet the Union Leaders are not losing any of their salary each day while they lead their sheep into the pens.

They even got that desperate to 'win' that they are going to go to court to try and stop the RM from hiring temporary workers. I say let them all freeze by the fire and bring the temps in to go back to work. The posties would soon go back to work when the cupboards were empty and food needs putting on the table.

amcluesent

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has announced two more strike days for Friday, 6 and Monday, 9 November.

The two new dates will be all-out strikes.

custardy

and today all posties in Scotland were told RM will be 'flexing' hours this week for next week
the 2007 P&M agreement stated all flexing hours must be balanced out in the same week (well words to that eeffect)

cally6008

It's all one big giant mess

blue_monkey_2

I had my mail today and the sorting office was open, car park full. I thought that they were off today.

I actually think that a lot of people do not actually care now, they'll post when they can and businesses will go elsewhere. They will find other ways of communicating or sending invoices/bill by email, paying bills, etc... ways that they could have done before but now it'll make people paying online or at the bank.

It's a slippery slope as less mail will mean less money coming in and so jobs will have to go. Doh!! Thanks god for the CWU as you'll be able to go on strike again then too.

As a business I've already started communicating electronically with people,, paying invoices by card over the phone and receipts being emailed, if someone brings down the cost of their parcel service a little more (and there has been mention of one on a business forum I use - £3-something including VAT if you send 10 items or more per week) and I'll be switching too.

Still, at least you'll be able to temp at xmas when the Xmas cards need delivering.

amcluesent

CWU have realised that the nation is managing OK. Only one way this is going to end..

Welsh_Poppy

Yes we had mail today and sorting office I think was open but I understood in my area it would be like that but nothing tomorrow.

It is difficult one we have sympathy with Posties but makes our life difficult my sons best friend works for them.
here our postie has bag briming with heavy mail/parcels and I know 2 good friends who had to stop doing the business round due to bad back with the heavy bags and opt for a lighter round.