350 pound lump sum payment.

[wannabeek]

If there is going to be strike action it needs to be sudden. Actioned as soon as possible.

There is literally no point at all in delaying the vote for a few weeks so that we can strike in January.

The crucial lead up to December is the only time RM would take heed of a strike threat I think.

[panch1989]

But why rush to a ballot for a strike when the employer is asking the Union to come back to the negotiating table.

This tactic of quickly going for a strike is the old way of doing things - trade union relationships with employer has changed and threats of strikes in such a competitive industry is not the best way to go.

All the talk about working till late is not even that clear; not even from the CWU - it's all hearsay. Moreover, starting a little later is not a reason for strikes, the CWU have lost the argument on pensions, we cannot argue about productivity demands when some of us regularly give away hours by starting early and some are not working the hours they get paid for.

We now have legal protections and a little give on pay rise (should not be lump some only).

A Yes vote then what - back to the table and then more give and take but in the meantime, customers not sure and the competitors are sharpening their claws because the strikes threat

Do you remember our "rivals" all failing over black friday and christmas last year? They can't handle what we can. If we wait to vote it only plays into moyas hands, no one elses. Why do you think shes released two offers this week alone? Scared of dropping share prices and angry shareholders. A huge turn out and a yes majority plays to our hands in negotiations. She hasnt even been to one meeting about it with the cwu. A yes vote comes and she might suddenly show up. Good ol missing moya.

[aiden01]

But why rush to a ballot for a strike when the employer is asking the Union to come back to the negotiating table.

This tactic of quickly going for a strike is the old way of doing things - trade union relationships with employer has changed and threats of strikes in such a competitive industry is not the best way to go.

All the talk about working till late is not even that clear; not even from the CWU - it's all hearsay. Moreover, starting a little later is not a reason for strikes, the CWU have lost the argument on pensions, we cannot argue about productivity demands when some of us regularly give away hours by starting early and some are not working the hours they get paid for.

We now have legal protections and a little give on pay rise (should not be lump some only).

A Yes vote then what - back to the table and then more give and take but in the meantime, customers not sure and the competitors are sharpening their claws because the strikes threat

they have been negotiating for months and we were due a pay rise in April so how much time should cwu give rm. Vote YES

[Spedley]

But why rush to a ballot for a strike when the employer is asking the Union to come back to the negotiating table.

You are sounding like a Royal Mail spokesperson. This is NOT true. It may have been passed about very recently (not that I have seen) but they have had plenty of chance to turn up at talks but they didn't. Now they are just trying to undermine the vote.
Why are RM contacting people directly with idiotic offers and not discussing it with the Union? I pay for the Union to represent me, speak to them.

Now I'll have to ignore you. At first I thought you were a well spoken and rational individual but now I can't see past you being a Moya Mole. Sorry.

[chrisj]

Ha ha ha. Just one mole?

Let the Union communicate better and stop treating us like children... Tell us everything that has been discussed for the last months or years before asking us for a strike or our trust...

And let the Delivery folks start doing her job properly and start and finish on their time; then we can see where we are...

* I am for clicking machines and PDA monitoring - I work my as* off and that will just prove it but can others say this same?

[Danelectro]

But why rush to a ballot for a strike when the employer is asking the Union to come back to the negotiating table.

This tactic of quickly going for a strike is the old way of doing things - trade union relationships with employer has changed and threats of strikes in such a competitive industry is not the best way to go.

All the talk about working till late is not even that clear; not even from the CWU - it's all hearsay. Moreover, starting a little later is not a reason for strikes, the CWU have lost the argument on pensions, we cannot argue about productivity demands when some of us regularly give away hours by starting early and some are not working the hours they get paid for.

We now have legal protections and a little give on pay rise (should not be lump some only).

A Yes vote then what - back to the table and then more give and take but in the meantime, customers not sure and the competitors are sharpening their claws because the strikes threat

First of all there is no guarantees from voting YES but If you wanna vote NO and work during a strke just get on with it rather than come on here with half arsed arguments that are based on failed economics( suppress wages etc ).

Your latest line of questioning resorts to claiming we are rushing into a strike- what after a year of negotiating and a recent 2 month stint holed up in a hotel.Grow up man

You also claim that we should get real because we are now in private sector but forget we provide a public service under the USO.You also forget that we were forced to deliver competitors mail at a loss for 7 years and are now forced to make small margins under the current regulations.This was not real competition when owned by the state nor is it real competition in the private sector.Its what's called a ' natural monopoly'.Other mail companies piggy backing on our network is not competition,we have to make profit for these companies and now forced to increase returns to investors around the world including the government of Kuwait.

You have had all your questions answered but you choose to believe RM and under are the deluded notion that they put things back on the table and are genuine in their propaganda.What RM want is the proposal they put forward on new starters which is no sick pay for 5 years,new working conditions,reduced holidays,outsourcing,less holidays- in short externalise costs on the employee.Thats what they put on the table and that's exactly where it will end up if members of this union took your advice.

[fishtank]

But why rush to a ballot for a strike when the employer is asking the Union to come back to the negotiating table.

The union has never left the negotiating table, it's what's on the table that's unacceptable. We pay the union to negotiate until they believe an acceptable offer is on the table ( because it's impractical to ask us every time the deal changes slightly ) so what do you think they should do if they don't believe that's the case?

The strike ballot and even any possible action are simply negotiation tactics, the first only asks us to affirm our confidence in our union which if you're a union member is a no brainer. The second which we're nowhere near yet and which will require a separate decision to be made by the executive may ask us to make a short term financial sacrifice in order to secure our longer term future, All stages of this process will continue to involve negotiations with the business and any decision to take action including what action to take will be considered on the basis of the current negotiation position and the affect strike action will have on the members.

Do you really believe that the union will blindly lead it's Royal Mail members ( by far its biggest source of funding ) into a self destructive fight it cannot possibly win? Reading your posts would lead me to believe that you think the points you've made are a product of your own superior intellect alone and haven't been considered by people far more experienced in employer negotiations than you. The truth is we hear the same old excuses for inaction and capitulation every time we negotiate our terms and conditions and they're as weak now as they've always been. If we listened to guys like you we'd still be turning up at the factory gates begging for a shift. What we have might not be wonderful but it's better than a lot and we didn't get it from inaction, capitulation or begging.