NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL ACTION CWU REPS Q&A BRIEFING FOR MEMBERS

[Geezer]

August 2009

It is clear that we have a strong and positive message to get across. The question is whether we are managing to do this as a National Union and a Branch ?

We hope this brief Q & A will help you deal with some of the points members may put to you. Please remember though NOT to accept any comment / propaganda from your manager. Always check it out with the Branch. We absolutely do not want disinformation and myths to start doing the rounds !

The picture is changing , but the following will help people focus on the issues and what is at stake. This brief supplements info you will get via CWUHQ.

1. What are Royal Mail offering and saying to the Union ?

They are offering praise for you making record profits BUT in exchange they offer a pay freeze.

They want more hours and cuts but they no longer want anyone to have a bonus for working harder. Their policy is that only managers will now get bonus as an incentive for THEM to make YOU work harder.

They do not want anymore National Agreements if they can get away with it. They have said as much to the CWU. Local Reps and Area Reps are an obstacle to them forcing through change.

They want your wages reduced over time by 25% down to a so call market level.

Royal Mail DENY they are breaking flexibility provisions in your office !!! This means of course that there is nothing to talk about !

Royal Mail want Later Starts – it’s already happening in some parts of the Branch. This includes later finishes of course on Saturdays .

Royal Mail want to move to a Part Time industry. This means that PT staff will never get the chance to move up to FT.

They may announce a closing of the Pension Scheme. The separate Scheme for senior management will in all probability, remain ! It’s a hell of a good scheme !

2. What will we achieve by going on strike ?

The question is , what did we achieve and protect last time in 2007 ?

 Royal Mail offered virtually nothing on pay
 Royal Mail wanted the No Compulsory Sackings guarantee gone
 Royal Mail wanted change with out us getting a share of savings
 Royal Mail wanted no upper limit on D2D items and no payments for them
 Royal Mail wanted to finish off the Pension Scheme
 Royal Mail wanted complete flexibility in workplaces with the CWU role being consultative and marginal only
 Royal Mail wanted no payments for election material
 Royal Mail wanted monthly pay
 Royal Mail said no more early start allowance due to later starts

As a last resort we took industrial action in 2007 and achieved :

 A decent pay rise (6.9% over 2 years of which 5.4% was from Oct 07) – your pay today reflects that fact
 A bonus scheme for you to share in savings made locally for working harder
 A guarantee of No Compulsory sackings
 Flexibility within strict limits with time worked over daily hours to be on a voluntary basis only + £400 once local agreement was reached
 The final salary pension protected up to April 2008 and a Career Average pension going forward. Not exactly what we wanted , but a hell of a lot better than first proposed
 Cap on Door 2 Door remains as do payments for D2D and election poll cards
 No monthly pay imposed
 Early start allowances retained permanently
 CWU negotiating role confirmed in the workplace

IF AND ONLY IF WE HAVE TO GO ON STRIKE , we will be looking to protect our terms and conditions including our pay and pensions and jobs guarantee. We protected our terms last time and we MUST do so again.

If there is a NO vote, Royal Mail will ram home their advantage. We will be finished. Does anyone seriously believe RM will offer anything if there is a No vote?

3. Royal Mail state that they are meeting the Union , so why ballot ?

Royal Mail have claimed that they have met with the CWU about 50 times in the last year (up to August 09). Does anything change though ? Has it got better or worse ? Are national agreements now being honoured ? Of course not.

The Union offered Royal Mail a 3 MONTH MORATORIUM to enable talks to take place without industrial action and without RM taking executive action. Royal Mail refused.
The Union have made this offer more than once, but each time RM refuse.

4. When will industrial action take place ?

As a last resort, any action will only take place from October. Mail volumes will be higher and pressure will then be on Royal Mail and the Government.

5. What about new entrants / temporary contract people – will they be ok if there is a strike ?

They will be ok. Reassure such people that Royal Mail do not cease temporary contracts due to industrial action. Our experience tells us this is the case and indeed industrial action taking place across the UK over recent weeks has confirmed this.

Temporary contract staff and new entrants NEED to support the Union. They are more vulnerable than most to bullying and harassment over flexibility.

6. I can’t afford to strike

No one can really afford to strike.

The harsh reality is that if you had not supported the Union last time in 2007, your pay would be permanently lower now. How would you be paying your bills then ?!

What will a pay freeze do to your family income ? If Royal Mail get away with it, will you get a pay rise next year ?? As Royal mail say you are 25% overpaid, what do you expect (and hope) to earn over the next few years ?

Everyone has to make a sacrifice. Be strong and support each other through this time.

7. My office has not had many problems with abuse of flexibility etc etc

If your office has not had too many problems - great ! However, this means you MUST defend what you have or Royal Mail will take it away. They will be watching your office very carefully for signs of division.

8. Will a strike destroy jobs ?

A strike will not happen unless Royal Mail maintain their arrogant refusal to talk properly. The truth is that industrial action is only a means to get an agreement. No one strikes for the sake of it. Last time Royal Mail said a strike would mean compulsory job losses. Scaremongering of course.

The reality is that a No vote WILL mean our Job Security Guarantees will go. A Yes vote, keeps them intact.

Royal Mail always play this game of brinkmanship to get their way. If we had not defended ourselves before, would we still have our Job Guarantees and MTSF agreement now ? Of course not.

9. Remind me again - what do we want ?

A solution to the Pension crisis – it’s not of your making

A pay rise to stop the rot towards accepting pay freezes whenever RM demand it

Working together with Royal Mail to make change jointly and preserve job security

A Shorter Working Week – with change and automation comes opportunity to maintain jobs , have a better work/life balance and a more manageable workload

Proper agreement on flexibility and work rates to prevent abuses and bullying

A fresh approach to industrial relations. Royal Mail seem to revel in confrontation both with the Union and with individual members of staff. Royal Mail need to recognise the right of your Union to negotiate terms and conditions for you


Nothing too outrageous there then !

VOTE YES

NATIONAL BALLOT IS FROM 9 TO 23 SEPT

[belle smith]

Cheers for the update Geezer agree with virtually all with the exception of the what a great job the union did for us during the last IA in 2007 section my recolection is that they rolled over played dead, lied to their members and resorted to divide and conquer tactics on their own members. heres hopping this time will be diffrent!