Talks involving TUC and announcement today 28/10/09

[Punk]

Just recieved this:

PRESS RELEASE

Strikes Continue

Dave Ward, Deputy General Secretary says

“Due to the involvement of Brendan Barber as an independent third party and because for the first time, Royal Mail’s Managing Director, Mark Higson was directly involved in negotiations we have had the most useful and productive discussions over the last 3 days since the dispute commenced.

Earlier today we tabled a proposal as part of the process that reflected the progress made in negotiations over the last few days.

Had that proposal been agreed this would have enabled a period of calm and allowed further talks through ACAS with the intention of concluding a full and final agreement.

At this point of time, we have not had confirmation as to whether our proposal is acceptable and therefore the strikes previously announced for the next few days will take place.

We respect the confidentiality of the process currently managed by Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, and we are not prepared to comment on the detail of those discussions or our proposal.

This series of strikes and future strikes can still be avoided and we remain available for discussions at any time, including tonight. We remain committed to reaching an agreed resolution”.

[justin time]

hmmmmmm the plot thickens!

[RTI]

So the strikes will go ahead this week. now do you take this as a good or bad sign?
Now none of us want to strike, but im very happy that the strike is going ahead on saturday because its showing we are not backing down. i had a really bad feeling that if the strikes were called off then that would be the end of us again, like 2007.

all we can do is speculate as no one is informing us of anything. would like to see more union representation on tv.

But how do you feel about the decision to go ahead with the strikes?

[bandit1157]

But how do you feel about the decision to go ahead with the strikes?

if thats what it takes, i'm in all the way

[Destroyer]

After the revealing of RM's 'Secret Document' on Newsnight the CWU cant afford to get this wrong - part of their tactics was to get us to delay the strikes until January & then cane us. Its a 'Deal For Us Now' or forget it - Lose this & were done for.

[smokerjim]

Just recieved this:

PRESS RELEASE

Strikes Continue

Dave Ward, Deputy General Secretary says

"Blah, blah, blah....Earlier today we tabled a proposal as part of the process that reflected the progress made in negotiations over the last few days.

Had that proposal been agreed this would have enabled a period of calm and allowed further talks through ACAS with the intention of concluding a full and final agreement.

more blah, blah, blah.....”.

That's the bit I like to see - using the TUC to push for an ACAS agreement, we just need to see this carried through to the end of the discussions, otherwise RM might wiggle off the hook