Unions

[tedebear]

You are making comments on a case you know very little about. The company did know they were wrong because at the last pay review they were forced to introduce a new bonus scheme, given to everyone else but I would only get it if withdrew the papers. That in itself is illegal. However, had I not left when I did then the following December would have been when I would have suffered the first financial loss. As it was, I left and within two years was earning twice what I had been. Had I stayed, come December I could then have claimed constructive dismissal but as it turned out, I was much better off leaving and so were my former colleagues because of the new bonus scheme.

I take it from your comments that you have taken an employer to a tribunal?

I thought you were inviting comment, sorry I didn't know I wasnt to respond.

I still say companies should be taken to task if they are out of order...

I have and have been involved from both sides.

 

[El Presidente]

Would those employee rights exist if it were not for unions though?

 

[tedebear]

Would those employee rights exist if it were not for unions though?

Historically employees rights would not be anywhere near as good if it weren't for the unions. Our standard of living is high due to this. We have a lot to thank the unions for in that respect. But its also meant the cost of staff in this country for companies is high. So where you have a company with high staff costs (Royal Mail) then you will find them either modernizing to reduce this cost - or off shoring (which they can't).....

Enough from me on this now - obviously I'm not popular.....

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If the management of companies treated people fairly then you wouldn't need unions and any employment law to protect people's rights. What you are suggesting is that everything should be based on the lowest common denominator. How sad you are.

Sadly most things are done on the cheap and/or lowest common denominator in this country.

 

[drew]

Historically employees rights would not be anywhere near as good if it weren't for the unions. Our standard of living is high due to this. We have a lot to thank the unions for in that respect. But its also meant the cost of staff in this country for companies is high. So where you have a company with high staff costs (Royal Mail) then you will find them either modernizing to reduce this cost - or off shoring (which they can't).....

Enough from me on this now - obviously I'm not popular.....

I take it from your comments that you are now on the management side of the line rather than the 'employee'.

Sadly most things are done on the cheap and/or lowest common denominator in this country.

For example, city salaries and bonuses!!!!!

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

I am aware of that. In order to compete anywhere the Royal Mail needs to modernize. Downstream access is foreign based companies taking advantage of the fact they can collect, sort and distribute to Royal Mail's own hubs far cheaper and far more efficiently, and then the posite drops it through the door. If the Royal Mail were able to modernize they should be able to offer service at a this reduced cost as well, thereby being competitive and remaining the fantastic insitution they are. Sadly it will mean job losses.

The politics and union posturing are getting in the way of saving this grand old dame of postage. If they argue too much longer there won't be anything to sort anyhow.

Royal Mail is modernising, I could take you to three offices in the BN/RH postcode area and show the new machines that are installed and working, they are only six months old.
Another 500 odd are to be rolled out across the rest of the country next year, with Bristol, Southampton, East London and Edinburgh already having them now.
Downstream access would be fairer if Royal Mail could set the price on how much we charge competitors who use our network, a network, incidentally that has been built up over the last 350 odd years on the back of stamp revenue and taxpayers money.
I don't think we can ever change the legislation but open and fair competition by the regulator is something that needs to be done if we want Royal Mail to be able to compete in the future.

 

[tedebear]

Royal Mail is modernising, I could take you to three offices in the BN/RH postcode area and show the new machines that are installed and working, they are only six months old.
Another 500 odd are to be rolled out across the rest of the country next year, with Bristol, Southampton, East London and Edinburgh already having them now..

Walk sequencing...Its just logic really....

Question for you then - when you talk to your colleagues about striking - what reasons are you giving them ?

 

[beorhthelm]

its a bit sad how talk of Unions becomes so partisan along left/right lines or managment/employee lines.

the two topical examples for me show complete contrast, the Royal Mail one seems to be as much about the union trying to show its strength and the cause is dubious (they dont make a strong enough case about what they are strking for, "bullying" is a cheap emotive word and they should be taking such incidents to tribunals). Meanwhile i find the Binmens situation utterly deplorable, they have little choice, you cant start cutting peoples pay like that.

so there's not necessarily a problem with unions, its just the reasons they fight over and stubbornness of certain egos in the union movemnt that are a problem. Unions offer a great deal of help for individuals with grievneces and in the past fought for alot of rights and decent pay. but the days of militancy are gone, move on.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I am a member of a union solely to protect me in the case of a disciplinary. The Ironic thing if I joined a certain political party. I would be expelled. Its bloody expensive as well £14 a month.

So if you joined the Conservative Party would your union buddies send you to Coventry ?

 

[User removed 4]

Historically employees rights would not be anywhere near as good if it weren't for the unions. Our standard of living is high due to this. We have a lot to thank the unions for in that respect. But its also meant the cost of staff in this country for companies is high. So where you have a company with high staff costs (Royal Mail) then you will find them either modernizing to reduce this cost - or off shoring (which they can't).....

Enough from me on this now - obviously I'm not popular.....

Its nowhere near as expensive as France or Germany, the unions really made themselves unpopuar in this country with their blatant political agenda in the seventies and also with the miners strike in the eighties,Bob Crow is carrying on this tradition, but we would have nowhere near the standard of living we have today without them.