Reaching a "work to rule" point, due to goodwill having been gone away.

[Ethel Street]

I think that when the law says "bargaining unit" it means something like "all warehouse staff" or "all delivery drivers based at location X" not  named individuals.

 

But I am not an expert on this.

 

[Emmzzi]

Ethel is quite correct. And members of that unit are subject to the outcome of the consultation whether members or not.

[SkintBadger]

Posting an update, as it was requested.

 

Well, perhaps foolishly in hindsight, the letter we all agreed to sign and send to Managing Director had to be sent from one of our email addresses, so mine was chosen. I sent the letter.

M.D. sent an acknowledgment of receipt and responded today. To be fair, it is a polite and considered email -

No. No consideration for any of our requests. Do not join a union or it will not end well for YOU (ie/ ME) in particular. As a minimum wage monkey if I choose to progress this course of action then there are thousands of people waiting behind you on the production line to replace you. 

Obviously he didn't couch it in those exact words, but the message was clear. 

A shame really, some of us have been loyal for over a decade. However, we talked amongst ourselves and like the new word "quiet quitting" - doing the minimum required to keep the job, but no overtime or going above and beyond because the goodwill has gone away, and we now know where we stand.

Ho hum. Nothing more to say really. I promised to update so have. 

Just to add - and it's more of a rant than any useful information - what really sticks in our collective craws is that "management" have just spent thousands on those sort of American "inspirational" posters about our business' "Core Values" - the usual mind-numbing and condescending shite about "Integrity" "Caring" etc - a purely tick-box exercise to show they talk the talk. 
 

There's probably a whole layer of middle-management paid ££££££ a year to come up with this management speak - money which could be better spent on stripping out the whole pointless lot of them, and giving the actual workers at the coal-face a pay-rise.

Moral of my story - don't ever fall for that crap about "one team; one family, all singing from the same hymn sheet" - you are only useful as a drone until you are not, or choose to make a fuss - then they'll drop you so fast your head will spin! 

Don't fall for it! Take the paycheque and keep your head down. It's one way traffic. 

Cynical? Yep you betcha

 

SB.

[unclebulgaria67]

If you and your colleagues joined a Union, then the Union will then help you by contacting the employers about them recognising the Union, plus they will point out the law that applies, about actions that could be taken etc.

 

Suggest you find out who definitely wants to become a Union member and is willing to pay the subscriptions required. Then contact the Union that best suits the sector you work in and ask for their help in getting set up.

[SkintBadger]

Thanks for the reply, but honestly no. I've already painted a target on my back with management. I "took one for the team". It's just not worth the hassle tbh. Especially as I'm not personally a big fan of Unions seeing how their barons waste their members' subscriptions on funding an endless political Tory grudge-match, rather than helping the little man - eg/ us! 

 

Thanks anyway. 

[Manxman in exile]

I think you are making the wrong decision but understand 100% why you are doing so.

Unfortunately even the Labour Party are no longer interested in helping the "little working man", and would prefer to pursue meaningless issues regarding "identity politics" rather than support their true core supporters.

[SkintBadger]

Any experienced insights or links to legislation appreciated.

been in the job for over 10 years. New line manager insisted we all sign up to Whatsapp Group. 

This has worked fine in the main for the past 12 months, yet he now expects us to answer random messages 24/7.

The business operates 24/7 but we are rota'd a week in advance.

I understand from time to time there will be emergencies, and in the general goodwill of that I answer when I can. However, recently it's now "X please call me asap" 07:00 or 21:00 on days off.

No. 

If it was in my contract to be "on call" for 24/7 then fair enough. If I was the CEO of British Gas, then also fair enough, because I'd be remunerated as such. I'm just a little minimum-wage cog in the machine!

Due to medical complications, I've asked him to leave me alone for a week, (Agreed on rota in advance, not a problem), but due to other co-workers sickness I'm now getting phone calls and messages. The group whatsapp I can obviously set to silent. The personal whatsapp messages and phone-calls, less so.

I don't want to go down the Jobsworth "work to rule" route, but I'd love to respond to him politely - "if you message me again on my day off, I will go to my doctor and get signed off with stress for the next month. Any further non-essential contact will be regarded as harassment!"

Thoughts on my legal position with this. All goodwill has now been ebbed away on both sides. So I find myself needing to know my exact legal position. I've tried to politely explain, didn't work. Now looking at fighting fire with fire, if possible.

Please only respond if you know. I've got enough Facebook groups of bar-room lawyers, but I've always had good advice from here in the past.

Ta, SB 

[Ethel Street]

26 minutes ago, SkintBadger said:

Please only respond if you know. 

I have a view on this but I don't know for sure (as I'm not a qualified lawyer) so in the light of that comment I won't bother to post it.

That sort of demand is not a good way to get help on a free online forum run by unpaid volunteers. If you want definitive answers pay a solicitor.

[SkintBadger]

Fair point. Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound quite so brutal, but I've noticed there's certain posters here who will be very high-handed and absolute in their responses, but when drilled down into -  just a "bloke in the pub" typing with his knuckles and trying to sound intelligent.

This is very important to me, so I was simply trying to say "opinions are like tongues : everyone's got one", does anyone here actually KNOW the answer.

I'd sincerely appreciate any response you have, Ms Street. I've read a lot of your Eviction posts, and clearly you are a person of considerable knowledge and skill. I phrased my opening post badly, but can't now edit it.

 

[dx100uk]

swearing in thread title removed

we've warned you several times already...please stop it!!

dx

 

[Manxman in exile]

Not in a union then?

Does your employer have  a HR dept?

[SkintBadger]

Not swearing. Asterisks. Apologies to the massive number of under 18 subscribers who must've been harmed by my asterisked swear words!

Tell you what guys, just delete the thread. I've had enough of this site and its petty rules. I'll leave you to rein supreme over your digital kingdom dx100uk! Ha! 

Please delete my membership. I'll stick with Facebook if I want opinions from sheepherders with delusions of grandeur! Dunning-Kruger scale of the charts! And the funny thing is you don't even realise it! Haha!

[dx100uk]

the forum is not age restricted nor closed to search engines .

every thread/post appears in our feeds .

i also notice this is nor your 1st thread on this subject so old and new threads merged. haha

you were advised last time what to do .

 

dx