Posted: 6.39pm Tuesday 3 November 2009
Post dispute
This article should be read after: » Solidarity can win the post fight
We’re standing up to Royal Mail’s bullies
by Yuri Prasad
Bullying by Royal Mail managers has reached epidemic proportions – and is a major factor behind the strikes that have swept Britain.
Postal workers have told Socialist Worker that their workplaces have become places where threats, malicious allegations and deliberate attempts to intimidate workers are commonplace.
“It’s not uncommon for two or three managers to gang up on one worker, take them into an office and shout at them as though they were army sergeant majors,” says Greg Charles, a CWU union branch secretary in south west London.
Work
“It’s all part of their attempt to get more work out of less people.
“Once in the office, managers threaten people who have been unable to complete new delivery rounds with having their pay stopped, or even with ‘wilful delay of the mail’, which is a sackable offence.
“I’ve got two postal workers in my area who are facing this charge.”
The story is all too familiar to Barry, a delivery worker in north London. He faced dismissal after a computer simulation issued him a new delivery round, known as a “walk”, that he could not complete within his working hours.
“They started me on the new walk earlier this year,” he told Socialist Worker. “When I realised that it could not be done in the time allotted, I followed procedure and rang my manager to explain.
“I said that there was too much mail and that the route made no sense. But they didn’t want explanations. They’re just like some of the teachers I had at school – they’re just bullies.
“When I got back to my office the top manager shouted, ‘I want him in the office. Now!’.”
As management moved to sack him, Barry decided to call his mum for advice.
“She told me to get on to the union, which I did. My union rep saved my job and through that I learned that sticking together is the only way.”
But the pressure at work has affected Barry, who has been at Royal Mail for almost a decade.
“I used to love this job,” he says. “But now I hate it, and all I can think about is getting it finished and getting home.
“Managers have dangled a carrot of overtime in front of me if I finish my walk in my own time, but I don’t care about that. After all, some things are more important than money.”
Management elsewhere have attempted to undermine strikes in the hope that this will clear the way for more attacks on working conditions.
Union activists in Plymouth told Socialist Worker that bosses there repeatedly phoned and sent text messages to union members falsely claiming that their strikes are “illegal”, and that there would be “consequences” for those that took action.
And in London, Greg is one of many reps whose union facility time has been removed, with bosses clearly hoping that this will weaken the union.
“Sure, it makes it harder to get around the different offices I cover, but as a plan it’s completely backfired,” he says.
“It hasn’t intimidated our reps, and my colleagues have even decided to take on some of my work to give me time to help prepare the strike.
“In many ways, management’s attacks have strengthened the union.”
The following should be read alongside this article:
» Solidarity can win the post fight
» Notes from a postal striker in the north: Sack the dimwit duo and cronies
» Postie soldier is bosses’ target
» They’re all doing their bit to back the post strikers
» Last week’s solid strikes showed workers’ strength
» Shut down the scab centres
» Job centres ban casual ads
» We should come first
» Only a good deal will be enough
» A junk article in the Sun
» Mandelson goes all quiet on us
» Union leaders must do more
» Step up the action to win
» A day in the life of a post support group
» Where now for workers' struggle after post strikes suspended?
» Why post union should not have stopped strikes
© Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may republish if you include an active link to the original.
Share this story on:
Delicious
| Digg
| reddit
| Facebook
| StumbleUpon
If you found this article useful please help us maintain SW by » making a donation.
» comment on article | » email article
| » printable version
top of page
