TIME FOR A NEW POSTAL UNION

[baggee]

WE KEEP FIGHTING AND STANDING TOGETHER AND SUPPORTING OUR UNION 100%,

[goinpostal]

We should fight for members to control the union, not just walk out of it, or join another one, all the other mass unions are just the same. To do so would split the more militant from the rest of the members, leaving them in the hands of...Hayes and Co.!

A struggle for a rank and file movement could well see repression, ejection of activists, even closure of branches like Unison has done in the past (and possibly Hayes has done in Northern Ireland). In that case there are past examples where in the middle of a struggle, a more militant union has been born from a bureaucratic one that refused to struggle, repressed its militant wing etc. But we should not be the "splitters" we should demand that the leaders allow full democracy etc. Even if faced with ejections and repression by the union leaders, a movement that hasnt won a substantial minority at least of the members could not just accept expulsion and leave but would have to demand its right to be readmitted, to an independent inquiry etc.

But it is not just an organisational question but a political one. What alternative policies besides "democracy" would such a movement have? For a more militant policy, for a fight for all our needs including jobs, for united strike action, for a break from labour, and for a new working class party of struggle in my opinion.

the job right now is to rally the more militant sections into an organised force with a clear policy. We need a rank and file conference called by those branches that have played a leading role in the past, Belfast being one (though dont konw the state of it now).

[dvbuk55]

Agreed.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

We should fight for members to control the union, not just walk out of it, or join another one, all the other mass unions are just the same. To do so would split the more militant from the rest of the members, leaving them in the hands of...Hayes and Co.!

A struggle for a rank and file movement could well see repression, ejection of activists, even closure of branches like Unison has done in the past (and possibly Hayes has done in Northern Ireland). In that case there are past examples where in the middle of a struggle, a more militant union has been born from a bureaucratic one that refused to struggle, repressed its militant wing etc. But we should not be the "splitters" we should demand that the leaders allow full democracy etc. Even if faced with ejections and repression by the union leaders, a movement that hasnt won a substantial minority at least of the members could not just accept expulsion and leave but would have to demand its right to be readmitted, to an independent inquiry etc.

But it is not just an organisational question but a political one. What alternative policies besides "democracy" would such a movement have? For a more militant policy, for a fight for all our needs including jobs, for united strike action, for a break from labour, and for a new working class party of struggle in my opinion.

the job right now is to rally the more militant sections into an organised force with a clear policy. We need a rank and file conference called by those branches that have played a leading role in the past, Belfast being one (though dont konw the state of it now).

I wonder if Hayes would kick out socialists (libertarian or otherwise) from the CWU. He seems happy enough to leave strike breakers alone.

[curly1975]

Two very famous sayings spring to mind here:

"You don't look at what you have got until it is gone"

and

"The grass is not always greener on the other side"

[dvbuk55]

Two very famous sayings spring to mind here:

"You don't look at what you have got until it is gone"

and

"The grass is not always greener on the other side"

What are we talking about here?

The union subs and the emerald isle perhaps?

[marky]

goingpostal, here fuxking here well said,

[strangler]

We should fight for members to control the union, not just walk out of it, or join another one, all the other mass unions are just the same. To do so would split the more militant from the rest of the members, leaving them in the hands of...Hayes and Co.!

A struggle for a rank and file movement could well see repression, ejection of activists, even closure of branches like Unison has done in the past (and possibly Hayes has done in Northern Ireland). In that case there are past examples where in the middle of a struggle, a more militant union has been born from a bureaucratic one that refused to struggle, repressed its militant wing etc. But we should not be the "splitters" we should demand that the leaders allow full democracy etc. Even if faced with ejections and repression by the union leaders, a movement that hasnt won a substantial minority at least of the members could not just accept expulsion and leave but would have to demand its right to be readmitted, to an independent inquiry etc.

But it is not just an organisational question but a political one. What alternative policies besides "democracy" would such a movement have? For a more militant policy, for a fight for all our needs including jobs, for united strike action, for a break from labour, and for a new working class party of struggle in my opinion.

the job right now is to rally the more militant sections into an organised force with a clear policy. We need a rank and file conference called by those branches that have played a leading role in the past, Belfast being one (though dont konw the state of it now).

I wonder if Hayes would kick out socialists (libertarian or otherwise) from the CWU. He seems happy enough to leave strike breakers alone.

They kick out BNP members. Why not strike breakers too?

[ulster postie]

WE HAVE HAD THE UCW THE CWU THE UWC MABE WE NEED THE UUCW

[marky]

as long as they have a bit of fight in their bellies, not pies. and hate the liebour party.

[Wild Cat]

Starting a new union is not the answer.

The problem lies with the members within the union acting as individuals and not as a union,for example I hear too much"I can't afford to strike I've got bills to pay".
Trouble is too many posties are taking drugs,drinking alcohol and watching football and are dumbed down and not focused on what's going on.The workers of the 70's would never have tolerated half the s**t this lot are putting on us.The terms and conditions we have left are thanks to our predecessors who had the balls and focus to stand up and fight for what they believed in.

The government and media have played a big part in this dumbing down process and it's time people sobered up and realised their future and their family's future is going down the pan.

I believe changing the leadership will achieve nothing and true change will need to be led from the ground by strong and focused members from within local offices across the country.

We now have this board as a communication tool and really it is just a matter of getting people on board making them aware of what can be done and what they need to do,I have seen what a difference can be made in one office just by a couple of people determined to wake people up and change things at a local level and the office went from being a sleepwalking disaster into a militant stronghold that management feared to upset within a matter of months.

A resurgent membership at ground level will soon kick any lazy incompetent leadership into touch and hold them to account.

So I say go out there at a local level and start organising for yourselves,get your members involved and communicate what is happening and spell it out in plain black and white that only they can change things themselves and no one is going to come and do it for them.Nothing in life is free without effort and why should it be.


We need to change the union ourselves and show :lfo and :cfo what a real union is like.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

They kick out BNP members. Why not strike breakers too?

I'll never know since both are anti-working class scum.