23 October 2009
08:0931265"The unions are not against modernisation and happy to talk" - Keith.
Not how I see it, and I am an old TU supporter, used to be a steward. Modernisation really is the sticking point. This union, however well intentioned, will have to face reality: modernisation is inevitable, and business is business. I heard on postal worker who is striking say on the radio that it was because he objected to people who "just want to make a profit" (talking about management). What does he think he works for? The Postal Fairy? It is a business - ethical business is possible and should be our aspiration, but profits are needed to grow a business. Get real!
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
23 October 2009
08:1331268A steward BERN?
23 October 2009
08:1531270Dyed in the wool, card carrying, flag waving rampant shop steward for COHSE and NUPE in my time, Keith. Ah, the memories................
Of course, times have changed..........!
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
23 October 2009
08:1731272In a steward in UNISON NOW
23 October 2009
08:2131274Funny how things turn out: as a senior manager and employer, I have found my union experiences very useful....................
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
23 October 2009
08:3331275Yes and i have to say there are as a trade unionist much training, opportunies if one cares to take them up
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
23 October 2009
09:1431278Unison is not a union any more that is the union I was put in after the a..e.w.then Unison went in with Unite and again I was moved into it and that is who I am with today.I was years ago a shop steward in the boiler makers which was then the welders union. They have all gone now.
I can see by your post,s not one of you have said about what I put on working to rule which is the best way forward.
23 October 2009
09:4831280It;'s called a conversation, Vic, and they tend to go in many directions.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
23 October 2009
14:1331306VIC
Not for the first time you have got muddled up
UNITE and UNISON
are 2 very seperate unions and didnt amalgamate
wouldnt want to see it either.
Unite has a very diffrent outlook to the workers than unison
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
23 October 2009
19:0131319which of those was full of bravado at the time of the port jobs dispute?
they were full of it then, french unions joining in etc etc, then it all died out, jobs lost.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
23 October 2009
20:1831321Keith IT is not me that is muddled I am looking at the two cards now.Again I was in Unison and my new card has on the heading Unite,I also get anews letter from them.I am also looking at a letter from them this week,about I am now retired from work and will only have to pay £12.96 to retain my membership which I will do.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
23 October 2009
21:4331328VIC
I'm realy baffled by this, they are 2 very seperate unions,
I would(if you dont mind)like to view your two cards as it is strange
they certainly are not 1 and the same union
maybe can meet up sometime
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
24 October 2009
01:4631345Very interesting and illuminating article by a serving postman on the link below. It paints a very different picture of what is meant by the usual incendiary outdated eighties claptrap buzzwords "modernisation" and "outdated working practices" to that which some would like us to believe.
Some of the more lucrative aspects of the Royal Mail have already been creamed off to private companies and this is the start of the rot. Both Labour and Conservative parties would doubtless like to see full privatisation if they could find anybody who wanted to buy it with the pension shortfall hanging over it.
The Royal Mail is a priceless asset to the nation whose contribution will only be fully realised when it has gone forever. The disaster that befell the railway system when British Rail was split into a myriad pieces is just one of a series of own goals where we have torn apart our national infrastructure and lived to regret it. Some things are just natural monopolies and need to operate as integrated national networks, owned by the people whom they serve.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n18/maya01_.htmlGuest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
24 October 2009
07:5131350Very interesting link there Ed. thanks for that. It actually epitomises what's wrong with the Royal Mail Senior Management - all driven of course by cost-cutting, which presumably comes down from Government.
Long Live Granny Smith (for those who've read the article).
Roger
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
24 October 2009
10:0631363I find myself torn on this one, on the one hand I am a union member on the other I am a consumer.
As a union member (been a branch secretary, branch chairman, regional committee rep, regional political secretary etc.) I support the rights of the workers to withdraw their labour, though I like Keith do not know the full details. From what I can gather the union's perception is that management have gone back on an agreement and are refusing to talk;the union state they are prepared to discuss modernisation.
As a consumer, I want to receive my post on time, I want the post I send to cost me a fair price and get there promptly. From what I can see the management are obsessed with cost reduction and are dressing this up as modernisation and from their own website seem to be missing the plot on what they need to do to compete in the modern postal market place.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
24 October 2009
20:3531427Ross
yes see where your coming from, thankfully for me i have no friends(all say arrr lol)
so all my letters are bills so they can take as long as they like to reach me.
on the dispute, the union has said its happy to go to acas
they wouldnt do that if they didnt want to resolve this dispute
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
24 October 2009
21:1131437I ordered something on line last Sunday, it was posted on Tuesday 1st class.
I'm still waiting for it.
Good job I'm patient and it was'nt urgent.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
25 October 2009
07:4031450That's the problem Ian and it'll get worse the longer it goes on an so more business will be lost.
If you have read Ed's link (a piece written by an obviously intelligent and quite articulate man, written under the pseudanym of Roy Mayall) there certainly are short-comings from the management of Royal Mail, which have (more than likely) been brought on by Government insistence and funding cuts.
What happened to the 1.3 billion pounds promised by the Government, in return for the cuts in the number of sub-post-offices ?
Roger
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,303
25 October 2009
09:1731453Strike, what strike? I ordered something on line Friday morning, got an acknowledgment at 2pm and had it delivered (ordinary 1st class post) by Bill the postman 8am on Saturday.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
25 October 2009
10:1131462And yet we waited for over 3 weeks for something even before the strike.........the service is patchy and unreliable in some areas. There is definitely room for improvement!!