Post Office Inquiry: CWU boss says it was not his job to represent sub-postmasters
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Tony Kearns, Senior Deputy General Secretary of Communications Workers Union, denies having any responsibility in representing sub-postmasters or directly acting on their concerns.
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Should be ashamed of himself. He is just as bad as all those others who turned his face away when he was most needed. Shame on you. Stop hiding behind your structures and start being human with a moral responsibility to stand up for what it right.
It's like the guy on the Titanic who saw the iceberg but didn't report it because he wasn't on lookout duty.
Very good analogy.
Typical union BS
It wasn't his remit. So he did nothing.
It wasn't Alan Bates remit either. Didn't stop him.
Alan Bates was not in the CWU but in the NFSP. See what there General Secretary did in sucking up to Paula Vennels. I’m no great defender of Kearns but you will find that the NFSP had a closed shop arrangement with Post Office Limited.
Your missing the point made that Alan Bates did.
He did intervene despite not being an official representative of any union.
The unions were missing in action when they should have been supporting and defending the very people who not only payed their wages via union contributions but were swimming in a cesspool of obfuscation. They failed the very people needing help, their employers not the Post Office.@@postiepaul
Just feed up with all this stuff….not my fault, not my remit, not my department, not my area, not my union, not my job….well your not worth talking too, complete waste of time and money. Union rep yeah right.
Yes , doesn't matter who sits there, or their position, the script's the same.
Its pass the parcel with this guy .
It is the post office, they'll probably get lost.... 😂
What a pile of rubbish from the union.
Typical scouser union leader As long as he gets his £200k a year it's nothing to do with him!!
Totally bang on !😊
But what if it isn’t his job? You would expect the health secretary do deal with army or education issues?
exactly
I Bet he got a huge salery for his job that had little to No Responsibility's
@@robbenson4598 This is rather tiresome but Sir Alan Bates was NOT a member of the CWU but of the NFSP. Do look up the difference.
This enquiry is amazing. Everyone concerned is completely blameless!
II was thinking the same thing. It’s a wonder the post office functioned at all with all these people being completely unaware of how it was being run.
@@janetbayford133 I'd call it miraculous!
@@janetbayford133Sad to say, but because it was run with public money that just kept rolling in. A bit like the NHS. No oversight, people in highly paid positions doing or not doing whatever they felt like.
Nobody else matters to people like this I’m afraid.
Another not my job, nothing to do with me, just pay me for doing sod all bloke. 😡
Shoddy lack of representation and integrity. It's still happening now, with the CWU's disgraceful performance against Royal Mail.
Let’s just pass the buck and not get involved. Typical union, to many Chiefs and not enough Indians. That’s why I never joined a union.
I thought Unions were supposed to look after their members. Strikes me the Union bosses are only in it for the kudos.
For themselves.....
They are in it for money nothing else..and people are stupid enough to give them it.. In all these years and all the prosecutions not a cheap out of their union..
If you mean $$, yes.
And the cash.. it's such a blag. I did have an awesome Unite rep at a bus depot once, but he made to many "waves" and he was edged out by a conspiracy between management and regional rep. There's some good ones on the Shop Floor, but upper management are 💩
Most union bosses are in it for the pension the members pay for.
"The structure prevented me from being concerned when a goodly number of union members were being suddenly jailed by their bosses for financial crimes following the introduction of a new computer system that totted up accounts. God damn that structure for blinding me to all of this!"
Unions. Interested in members fees but little else through my experience
professional abdicator why not to join a union
Not all,,nga were good till buried with sogat,etc
So he didn’t raise concerns because it wasn’t his job, presumably even if he already knew of concerns.
Challenging corruption is everyones job except S Yorks police,
Amazing!! He descibes his job as being about "Executive decisions....Whether to merge with other Unions...Keeping abreast of Financial issues etc...." At no point does he indicate it is his job to protect and look out for the Workers!!!! Sack him and demand he pays back his massive salary.
Wasn't his job FFS
But what if it isn’t his job? You would expect the health secretary do deal with army or education issues?
No the CWU did not have any responsibility spmrs. The CWU were responsible for only the EMPLOYEES across the Post Office, Royal Mail, Parcelforce and other former Post Office units. It would be like asking Tescos managers to take control of Sainsbury’s staff! Unfortunately the private individuals running their own businesses as spmrs had their own 'union' who were incompetent and in bed with PO management. Don't blame the CWU, blame the National Federation of Sub Postmasters.
That right? Typical Union management same I have with mine in my industry
@@MultiMeg101 The Post Office before Maggie Thatcher and co started carving it up, had quite good relations with the various unions covering front line staff, admin, management and senior management and only when negotiations broke down, was there any conflict. Sadly, and usually, most of these instances were due to the u seen and unwarranted government interference and trying to flex their muscles to prove who was boss. Staff attitudes were in the main focused on doing a good job and serving the public efficiently, and getting a fair wage. Too many frontline staff in non urban offices usually had two jobs, to earn a decent wage, or had to claim top up benefits, which is daft when you are already paying taxes! The Spmrs were never included in any of that as private contractors. The National Federation of Spmrs were quite a good organisation at that time too. I cannot understand why they turned on their own members and didn't believe them, when it must have been bloody obvious something was wrong, given the incidences of fraud accusations, court cases, or bankruptcy were rising alarmingly from their normal base levels. I don't know, and I could be wrong, but perhaps the Nat Fed officers were being 'rewarded' by the Post Office, not to rock the boat with the roll out of a deeply flawed Horizon system. The previous attempt to computerise the office weekly accounts wasn't without its problems either. I have yet to see any of the Nat Fed officers give evidence, but it should be quite revealing.
This way of thinking in the work place is archaic. It would be funny if it wasn’t such a serious scandal. If you think of “Carry On At Your Convenience“ then this is it. Utterly disgusting
wow this man should have been sacked as a union exec
Nothing to do with me !, now give me my pension…
Watching this union tosser today made me understand how Thatcher thought about unions (and I’m a former shop steward!)
This is tiresome, but this union tosser (I don’t disagree with that by the way) was not responsible for any of the subpostpersons who were relentlessly pursued by the Post Office.
As a Shop Steward, you must have observed, or even participated in, situations like Kearns is alluding to - and using as an excuse. To me, it's one of the 'negatives' about unions (there are plenty of to them too) as establishing/define boundaries of responsibility is quite fundamental and natural to their role (a worker noticing a possible fire hazard situation should report it to the Fire Marshall but can/should ignore it) as opposed to the more flexible/holistic role/attitude of 'company' folk. There re advantages and disadvantages in both approaches, with the best executives recognising the strengths and weaknesses and optimising their own working methods to get the best from the culture (and change it if necessary)! Post Office Executives failed everybody badly in this regard!
So this travesty was rumbling slong for years, and the union had no concerns for their members? I'd stop my membership immediately.
Sub post masters were not his members
"Not my job" Tony Kearns.
If this is how all unions, companies and government departments function (disfunction?) no wonder this country is in such a mess!
My thoughts exactly !
the man is a dodging disgrace, he must be brought to book
One of the few who claimed "not my job" who was technically correct. He'll totally skate.
In my experience with unions and later on the police federation, they are merely self-serving. As long as they have their cushy lifestyles, and in return care little about the members.
Yeah, they're in the pockets of the host business, and pally with the business managers, Unite is a good example.
Unions these days are nothing more than corporate businesses in bed with the state.
The days when unions were for the common man at the grassroots level is like looking at the remains of a dinosaur in the Natural History Museum. A thing of the past....
The Police federation is not a Union. It is a staff association, a very different animal.
Shameful.
It’s always not my fault
Hiding behind "not my job".
Not my job, guv. What a reflection on the uselessness of these large trade unions
Union and Bosses united against their own workers. He seemed to be happy about it. Good job Sir Alan thought differently.
Happy enough to collect their subs...and collect his pay
Disgraceful
Oh let’s hide behind the structure ..not let’s do what’s right for the members.
The glasses perched on the nose and the Northern accent is spot on for the on-type white male union leader (and I am a Northern). These guys have a LOT to say when they want to promote themselves as the “big f’la” telling the company how their members should be treated.
As a ex shop steward there is something drastically wrong here you are supposed to look after your members best interests...This Brother Dodge and passed the buck on to some one else...A injustice occurred here I hope they are fighting they're members corner for them not passing the buck on....🤔
Shameful
So what exactly was his job then, to turn a blind eye like the rest of them?
What a shocking disgrace of a union "rep". How did he ever get a job doing anything except stacking shelves?
Not sure he could manage stacking shelves....
This guy has the same scouser charm as that thug Bradshaw.
This guy reminds me of another Scouse union leader, Tony Woodley (now unbelievably Baron Woodley...The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woodley) who was the union leader for the TGWU representing the car & vehicle building workers....
These guys are just professional blatherers, building themselves up on the graft of others, protecting themselves in layers & layers of bureaucracy......Tony Kearns is a shining example of why not to join a union.
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+1
“The only thing that is required for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
What jobsworth! Goes by the "Rule Book" - head in the sand the rest of the time.
If the rule book says they don’t have to support the people paying their dues, they are useless, and if it is no longer part of your remit, yet there is a real problem, why wouldn’t you raise it with someone who could help.
Just like the Post Office, the rules say….. Quit the useless union, shame on them hiding behind their rule book. Guess they didn’t want to risk upsetting someone and losing their 200k salary ?……
But what if it isn’t his job? You would expect the health secretary to do deal with army or education issues?
@@somethingelse516 The Communication Workers Union. "Your voice in the workplace for Postal,
Telecoms, Financial Services, and Tech workers". The CWU’s statement of values:
To provide first class collective and individual representation for all CWU members;
To achieve security of employment for all members. Enough said?
@@tonychorley4936 The spmrs never paid any dues to the CWU, so get your facts straight. CWU represents employees of the Post Office only. Spmrs are private individuals running their own businesses as self employed people, on contract as agents to The Post Office.
@@paulfildes5489 a job of the UK is to defend the country. The education secretary is part of the government but no one expects them to deal with army matters
I paid my dues time after time.... for what! 🤬
What a disgrace he is.
When I have to have coffee and biscuits at 10am.
Then go to lunch from 12 to 1 pm.
Tea and biscuits at 3pm.
Then I am forced to leave "work" at 5 pm.
How am I expected to be aware of what is going on in my Union?
Every union is the same now, cow down to bosses and their political leaders, glad I’m out of it, when I sought help from unison they didn’t even bother to respond.
How can the ‘Executive’ that he sat on be above, in the hierarchy, the ‘Executive’ that deals with industrial issues?
Where does ‘the buck stop’ when it comes to day-to-day industrial matters? - because, if the responsibility for these lies with a ‘lower’ executive, then there is absolutely zero accountability.
The bosses of the Union not responsible for the actions of the reps dealing with the members…
Is it just me? The lawyer "representing the NFSP" appears to be simply trying to divert attention away from the fact that during the relevant period, not only was the NSFP in the pocket of the Pist Office, but it did nothing to help its members. Numerous sub-postmasters have given evidence in the High Court and to the Inquiry about how useless the NSFP was. Facing overwhelming criticism, it is now trying to gain a veneer of respectability.
What are unions for?
Ripping off their workers on a big wedge
I’d be interested to find out how the ‘Executive’ would react if the PLO said ‘That’s not my responsibility’ when jobs are lost, would the ‘Executive’ agree and let it slide?
Is he still a union rep, if so he should be fired.
What a nice man. A real profile in courage. /s
These guys take their salary and do nothing. What a great non-job.
how about a MORAL DUTY to SPM?? hmmmm
A shocking and shameful absence of common decency. This senior exec should have acted to help protect Post and sub Post Masters/Mistresses!
High Court justice for sub-postmasters must now try these managers
He represented nothing but his OWN interests .
Seems none of this was anyone’s fault
See 😵💫no evil, 🤫hear, no evil, 🤐speak, no evil.
They knew it was wrong and did nothing, still no empathy or shame.....Prison
Isn't the whole point of unions to represent the job they're the Union for? I'm so confused.
Another one bites the Dust .
Jobs worth. I’m alright Jack, pull the ladder up.
Classic buck passing. Not my job, guv.
All these Union Reps don’t half ramble out a long winded, rambling, incoherent narrative when asked a simple question.
What is a union FOR ???
All the questioning to people like this from top to bottom ends up as word spaghetti!!
This guy gives unions a bad name.
Unions give THEMSELVES a bad name!
How pathetic this is
What an awful attitude this guy had towards SPMs
Is he saying he was far too important to represent his union members ??
yes the unions only gather the money of fees they charge ------- leaving the minor things to the lower , less important folks !
Oh my its getting more like a comedy show.
No one knows what he does or just go around the merry ground.
What an embarrassment for all unions how can any worker trust your own union. Stop paying your subscription. They are a waste of money..
Just as bad as the post office execs, no accountability! CWU took the subscription's and their salary yet claim not my job, not my area, not my pay grade, disgrace.
So.......none of these people ever felt the need to "go above or beyond" for the greater good. Just head in sand, make out you wasnt aware to avoid bring involved, stick absolutely to the job description.
You cant accuse this lot of being jobsworths.
One big huge cover up.
We need to have some jail cells made ready......honestly its terrible.
He’s evidently not heard of the ‘good Samaritan’ and was happy to pass by on the other side of the road. Thank Thatcher for the lack of social cohesion evident in this man’s attitude.
Another one with Teflon shoulders
Shameful! Keep on passing the buck. It's the only way to protect yourself.
Unions only exist to support their paid employers and not their members.
To support their subscribed members, actually.
I Bet he got a huge salery for his job that had little to No Responsibility's
They old British unionist shrug of the shoulders with 'it's not my job'.
You got to love it.
I feel he is one of the worse union people I have ever seen or heard, he seemed entirely immune to what any union should have at the heart of it.
He’s a typical union type. A professional gobshite, interested only in the huge wage and pension he fleeces from his sheep-like members, and over promoted when he was given the job of sweeping the factory floor.
This should be a lesson to all those thinking of joining a Union, the bottom line is that those at the top of any Union are in it for themselves, not the members!
Kearns being as clear as mud, all he has to say is the Postmasters were not part of the CWU, they were not in the same union, they paid their subs to a different union, not his members. How difficult is that..............
Threw his subordinate under the bus. The chairman's question later on made it clear they weren't listening to anything and would only act when there is a complaint that would have gone up through their bureaucracy. They were also sensitive that some of Post Office's audit staff were also their members
Ok, so although the governance body on which he sat has no operational role, like a company board, it is without question it’s responsibility to ensure it is kept informed of important issues, especially those likely to affect the integrity of the organisation (or finances or legal issues etc). That’s done through the job description and responsibilities. Even if the executive failed to raise such important issues as those being investigated, the governance body has failed. Passing the buck in super drive. In the corporate world the companies act (or UK equivalent, I’m in NZ) ensures ignorance is no defence. Bottom line, though, is that he must have known. To do nothing is unforgivable.
We have a lot of executives who all get well paid but we don't really do very much, that would always be somebody else's responsibility.
Couldn't be arsed.
Not my job, Mate.
The unions have an agenda, your just a direct debit
Well, from all the inquiry footage I have seen, it would appear nobody is to blame for this terrible miscarriage of justice and the resulting tragedies to so many innocent people.
Must have happened all on its own then.
Solidarity in name only
No wonder the Sub PM got stuffed even the union that was supposed to represent them did not do anything !
and this is why I have nothing to do with unions anymore .... self serving a holes
Oh the CWU - can’t escape from the old demarcation days of the 1970’s. Not my job, mate…
Why would (or why could) a union represent people who weren't its members?
Despite the comments criticising Kearns, it would be interesting to hear the views of the members and critics if they had a problem that unqualified and unauthorised people started to interfere with. Any Union structure is designed to provide representation by suitable and relevant structures, not a free for all. In any case, it’s likely that any employer faced with unauthorised or unrecognised action would ignore it or even go to court to prevent it. No doubt many people would see this as justifiable because Unions should keep to their remits and not get involved in matters that don’t concern them. As usual the ‘popular’ deal is to bash the Union when the reality is far more complex. The Postmasters were not represented by the CWU.
The simple analogy for the benefit of the usual Union bashers, if you were told that you were going to be represented by an officer from another union who was neither recognised by your employer nor qualified in your work you would be pretty pissed off.
Of course this doesn’t sell papers or get clicks on a website so the actual truth about how the representation of individuals involved in this awful saga - remember this is the Post Office not the Unions being investigated - works doesn’t fit the right wing story so will not get a mention.
My experience working from the early 80s in big companies and the Civil Service, was that getting a union post was a cushy way of getting paid for doing very little. Once you were elected, the local union rep disappeared into his own private office, got 100% of "time off" to do union work and only reappeared once a year to tell his members to accept the annual pay offer. Or every 3 to 5 years, to tell his members to reject it. When the instructions from union head office changed. All decisions were made at the "national level" anyway.
Not my job... I see no ships... I was only following orders....... its surprising that any Union members pay their monthly dues after this enquiry.
Best for SPMs to leave the CWU and to establish a new union of their own ...