Industrial Action

[johnnyp]

I have been speaking to a couple of prominent union reps in south london in the last couple of days and they tell me the situation with the c.w.u. and royal mail looks very grim. We are at loggerheads over so many things it will take me all day to list them,i think most of you know what im on about.If the s**t hits the fan and a ballot is called it is vital we get a massive yes vote and get behind the union. ,Me like most people hope it does not come to that and they sort out a deal which is good for all,my point is would we get a yes vote and do you think a lot of people would SCAB? I have been involved in I.A alot in the 21 years ive been in the job and always thought it was the right thing to do at the time,but i do wonder if the membership are up for it, have strikes at your place been solid in the past(Burslem we know you boys+girls are game )and do you think it was worth it?

[baggee]

Good afternoon Jonnypick,

If we are to get a National Ballot, i believe it will be a yes vote but not a big yes vote, that is why we should talk to our colleagues at work, listen to what they have to say, do not fall out over there view's,but try to make them look at Royal Mail change's and the reason they are doing them is to take away there JOBS as well as yours, and then maybe a few will realise that we are ALL in this together, and that is what make us STRONG.


At our office ( BURSLEM D.O ) yes we stick together and we are strong, and i am not a daft person to think everybody can afford to loose money and they enjoy Industrial Action, ( because none off us do ), but we all know we are winning our dispute by being ONE, and working to our time's, not using CARS and we will never again use them, and not doing OT for the last 14 weeks help's our cause.

STAY STRONG AND WE WILL ALL WIN IN THE END :

[TrueBlueTerrier]

My DO has just had its meeting in response to the executive action being imposed by royal mail. Basically we are shagged as Union were given proposals by RM but they did not pass it on to the members to discuss thats why RM are doing it.

We have decided at a poorly attended meeting that:

1. People can decide if they want to work to RM rules as per burslem or not. (ie no cars work to time etc)

2. Union are going to do a consultative ballot to see if there is enough willing to take industrial action.

3. As we have only 1 Rep (who got a right slagging) we are going to try and form a committee so that we can make the union stronger locally.


My feeling is that we wont strike but will go on a work to rule.

[tim1699]

i have been in the union for nearly 20 years and have been on strike the longest time being one week and i can tell those who have not done it that it does not matter if you believe in the cause or not there is not a lot worse than that payslip that says nett pay 0.00. I have never understood why the union goes straight to strike action instead of a work to rule and an o/t ban which is a course of action i personally could follow everytime. I know this would offend some hardline union members but i am sure there are plenty like me who would not follow a strike call but would follow a o/t ban and to my way of thinking an office that are all following one path whatever that may be presents a stronger and united front to royal mail than one that is split.

[Carnoustie]

Going straight for a strike ballot is, as tim1699 says, not the only option. In my office, we were involved in an unofficial dispute three years ago which split the office down the middle, mainly because our Unit Rep told porkies about several things, ignored the result of a show-of-hands and resorted to swearing which only led to people walking out of the meeting, not out on strike ! We have a lot of agency staff in our office, and RM draw people from two different agencies so going out may not be particularly effective as the 'regular' agency people and the 'stand-bys' could all be asked to work, covering pretty much all of our duties. With the huge mortgages some of my colleagues have, it's a more difficult thing than ever to contemplate going out, even if there are good reasons to do so. It's a damn sight easier to stick to your principles when you're on Big Al's salary

Someone should tell the Union executive that it's a risky tactic, going down the route of a ballot for an all-out stoppage. Even a 'consultative' ballot about whether we're prepared to go out is risky. If either ballot gets anything less than an overwhelming YES vote, I would argue that it actually puts the union in a worse negotiating postion, because RM will see weakness and may just press ahead with their plans, knowing people will break the strike.

Overtime bans and working-to-rule take longer to cause RM operational difficulties, but, in my experience, once a backlog of mail starts to build up, it puts RM under pressure to reach a settlement because they know that backlog is just going to grow and grow with each passing day, and the appetite of posties to continue the action is going to be far higher as they still have their basic pay instead of the 'nett pay 0.00'. I favour working-to-rule, personally.

[tommymac]

We recently had a 6 day strike split over 2 separate pay weeks. Thur,Fri,Sat then Mon,Tue,Wed. It took a large number of managers and cusuals to get any where near a clear up. These managers came from all over the country.
Now if every DO had its own back log the managers would be to preoccupied with their own problems to start travelling around the country and the back logs would continue to grow.
As you may know from elsewhere on this message board, we at Burslem have had a problem with RM since mid Dec. But we have stuck together, a staff of approx 110 have not booked one minute over time since the dispute began. Also, not one person has used a private car on delivery. We are doing nothing wrong. We are following RM guide lines eg. start and finish times, proper meal relief, using OMV to and from delivery. We still get our basic pay( no 000:00 net pay slips). In this situation every time a postman goes sick a manager has to cover the duty. If every office nationwide was in this position where would the cover come from.
Whatever RM throw at us we must remain united. If we don't then surely we will fall. One thing for sure, me and my mates in our office can hold our heads high and sleep peacefully at night.

[POSTMAN]

'Action short of a strike' i think they call it,if everybody done that like Burslem then it's as good as an all out strike.
But i fear that with the bully Management attitude while we're doing it there will be pockets of 'all out' offices,mlo's ect.
I would think that if we had a choice the 'work to rule' would get the vote.
It would still do a lot of damage and we'd not suffer financially.

[tommymac]

Spot on Postman. Do the job to the book. It's a winner.

[L Tommo]

I say this as a "work to rule" should mean "work to the 318" . Working to rule constitutes a withdrawl of Labour and now is illegal as i believe? (please tell me if anyone know diff?) Im sure thats right! But as this thread goes on i must say a all out strike does hit US as well as Massive loss to RM And Now with the culture of BUY NOW PAY LATER. every one and his/her dog are up to the eyebrows in debt, paying huge intrest rates back for loans and Morgages. This started from the 80's when the Trade Unions were stamped on by Baroness T... Then the 90's came with the Yuppy, MUST HAVE ATTITUDE. bought houses with big pay backs and now WE as a people are in the 00's with more going out then coming in. Im not trying to give you people a History lesson in economics but WE put ourselves in a position to be exploited by our own greed. Buying council houses cheap but then finding that WE cant go on strike for real reasons no more!! Clever trap on us, WE all would fall for it again as human nature calls.. But shitting on ourselves is not a way to go anymore. Easyer said than done i know, but dont live outside of our means...

RM can be hit with a part, work to the 318 and 2 day strikes every 28 days. FRI + MON'S .Until they come round the table and NOT bashing us over the head and brow beating us. Straight talk from RM AND CWU needs to privale.
In my veiw to much chest beating from both sets happen, a "i can piss the highest comp goes on." And WE the workers have to be spoon fed drips of info from BOTH CWU And RM.. And follow what comes out if it when WE dont get a hearing or the full facts. In my opinion...

No one wants to lose £££ No 0ne wants to work in a place of Bullying and bad feelings. WE ALL COME TO WORK AND TAKE HOME OUR PAY TO LIVE , NOT LIVE TO WORK!!!

A staunch D.O. like Burslem is a credit and a lesson to us all, Posties and ANY WORKER worth his/her salts. A true UNION.....


OUT...


DONT LET THE 318 GRIND YA DOWN....

[javidfreekashmir]

Its not "work to rule" or "work to 318" its basically telling your manager you don't want to do any docket and that you want to go out on the van.If all of an office happen do it at the same time,then this can be argued that it is purely coincidental-even if management try to say otherwise,and if they try anything on just keep going out on the vans and stop the docket. Don't make a decision collectively just do it as an individual-DO THE RIGHT THING!!!!!

[cjp]

In reply to the was it worth it comment I can only say 100% YES. Our issues weren't about money but rather a colleague who I worked with and respected for 13 years and I want to know for my own peace of mind that I have done everything that I possibly could to help that man who only wants to be allowed to finish his working life and retire with dignity. On a personal note there is no way that I want to work until I am 65 for this bunch of TOSSERS but Dave is from a different era I guess.
On the national issues I think a work to rule/time is the way to go providing offices can make it stick and get in it for the long haul and the war of attrition.
We have had good IR reps for many years now but recently the official union support in the office has been growing with H + S reps and ULR reps who are all active and willing to give good support to anyone who wants it but MOST IMPORTANTLY we tell them what kind of action we want to take after listening to the best advice they can give at the time. I have never felt that I was told what to do by my rep but rather that I/the office told them what we wanted and they went to try and get it knowing that they had the offices support. Dont let your rep get isolated is the key message and a comittee seems a good way to go.
BRING IT ON

[L Tommo]

I can only commend Burslem, your colleagues and familys and mostly BIG DAVE.. In this time of s**t n bullets from RM... No one want to lose £££ But you show your solidarity for the way RM treat Big D and your rights that WE ALL DESERVE!! RM , we all know dont care!! I Talk on a wider outlook than just a D.O. I agree on all you both said But in a M.C. U just dont get the same people or feelings for each other. In my view Ive worked in Both D.O. And M.C. And knew the diff straight away!!!! When you work with a person who does 4 hrs a day and has other job/s then gets the same rights as A Person who works a full day and only job, Then sees the A.G'S taking O.T. and knocking off FULL TIMERS coz of a 9 hr rule.. There is a rift straight away... The Union from top dont see a problem as they get there ££££ all the same, And the Full timers just sit and watch!!! Ive tried to speak up and no one is really interested coz it bucks the trend up HQ.... We need to all stick together but when your fighting from diff corners its hard to trust a person who aint pulling in the same direction... I loved the D.O. attitude of the blue shirts. Some not all for strikes or action when NEEDED... But a firmer togetherness was all to see.. As you point out Javid and all @ Burslem...I would be proud to say "I WORK @ BURSLEM D.O."
Im in much the same s**t as dave and a handfull of good mates and people i trust from my M.C. back me but the Upper echlons of the CWU, i feel dont show up and back a cause!! I hope it gets that far with mine..Yours as you have it sorted in my view Need to be strong and ride it out n FINGERS CROSSED FOR BIG DAVES APPEAL!!!

OUT..

DONT LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YA DOWN.......