Saturday - September 12, 2009

Labor Union to Prime Minister …. Turn more to the left or quit!

No. I didn’t make it up.

We didn’t get our mail today so perhaps the strike has finally hit where we are.  Yesterday, our postman (is he now a postperson?) said that some mail here was a bit backed up and deliveries were running late. Then when the morning paper came, came this was a headline I saw first thing.

TURN LEFT OR QUIT, UNIONS TELL BROWN. 
I guess that says a lot about what’s happening here at the moment.  Gee, and I thought Maggie had destroyed the unions. Guess not.

There is something here called Spanish Practices, which is an expressions that refer to irregular or restrictive practices in workers’ interests. ...
Here’s what the union is insisting on and this comes up every time they strike or even talk about striking.
There are actually 92 SPs but here are top 12.

* Two or three hour minimum daily overtime - so if 30 minutes of actual work is required and completed, then between two and three hours’ payment is demanded;

* An additional allowance claimed for using particular vehicles - regardless of whether the individual has actually driven the vehicle;

* Automatic overtime if mail volumes reach a certain level - regardless of how many ordinary working hours remain that day;

* If a delivery round is finished before the end of the paid shift, the employee expects to be able to go straight home. But if it takes 10 minutes longer two to three hours’ over time is claimed;

* Set overtime level is claimed at Christmas, even if there is no need for any additional hours and no extra hours are worked;

* An additional two hour payment on Easter Saturday - regardless of whether any work required;

* No flexibility between different parts of the same sorting office - if an employee sorts letters for a particular postcode, they will not sort for the adjacent postcode, even though both activities are often in the same room;

* Signing in and out for a shift on arrival - so that no record of actual hours worked exists;

* Collection drivers expect overtime pay for doing collections outside usual route - even if it is done within usual working hours;

* Overtime to cover for an absent colleague - a full day is claimed, even if only half day needed and worked;

* Ban on any cross functional working, even of similar tasks under the same roof;

* Additional meal and grace breaks as custom and practice

Union barons have warned Gordon Brown that they will undermine his leadership unless he brings Labour to the Left.
Derek Simpson, the boss of the biggest union Unite, yesterday said the Prime Minister must stand aside unless he is prepared to steer the party back down the ‘Old Labour’ path.

Posted by peiper     on 09/12/2009 at 09:50 AM   
Filed Under: • UK • Unions-Labor •  
• Comments (5) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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