A hundred Bridgwater DO posties walked out in defence of two suspended workmates, highlighting the way Royal Mail really operates, outside the fairytale land of smiles and spin that is your average issue of Courier.
One was accused of intimidation by a staff member and the other hit by a customer complaint. Staff didn’t wait but took direct action, rather than wait for weeks of procedure to deflate their anger.
Phil Greenslade, Bridgwater CWU rep, told : “People are not happy with the way these investigations are being carried out and we feel Royal Mail is taking a very heavy-handed approach. We feel they are trying to get rid of people unnecessarily and however they can. They are not filling vacancies at the moment so it means we all have to work harder for less.”
Why would they be doing this? While Royal Mail keeps CWU tops occupied with “negotiations” the company marches ahead with its plans for local cuts regardless. So besides victimizing two posties, Bridgwater managers also want to cut up to 240 hours out of the office. Two workers out would mean one third of the target achieved.
For the last three years since the postal market opened in 2006, Royal Mail bosses’ main goal has been to replace full-time staff with part-time. They avoid compulsory redundancies by pushing people through the conduct code and refusing to take into account mitigating circumstances in attendance issues. Even time off due to work accidents or injuries is counted! Managers give every “stage” no matter what.
In Southport even a Lib Dem MP has begun campaigning against Royal Mail’s attitude, where 46 posties have been sacked, suspended or disciplined in three years. Included in the tally is a postman of ten years unblemished service who signed for a parcel on behalf of a frail pensioner – a regular customer – so she wouldn’t have to go all the way to the office to pick it up. She rang Royal Mail bosses to say thank you and they sacked him!
This is certainly just the tip of an iceberg. Bridgwater lifts the lid on what goes on locally and shows that in many areas nothing has changed. So much for the IA’s stated goal of “building trust”.
Back at work after a couple of hours, Bridgwater posties are now being balloted for an official strike.
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