Letter Sent To Labour Parties and Trades Councils

[Geezer]

Dear Colleagues

Please see attached email sent today to all Labour Parties and Trades Councils within our Branch area.

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Date: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 3:43 PM


Dear Friends

I am sure you will watching the current dispute with increasing concern.

The up to date position is as follows :

1. The CWU welcomed the involvement of Brendan Barber in facilitating negotiations.

2. Those negotiations have made some good solid progress

3. Yesterday (28th) the CWU put a proposal to RM based on capturing the substance of the talks to date. This document, if accepted would have ensured that the current strikes would have been "stood down" to allow a period of calm.

4. RM did not respond to the document despite stating that they were ready and waiting for the Union to talk. RM actually remained at TUC Congress House.

5. Without a response from RM to the document, there was no document, nor response that could then be put before the Postal Executive Committee. For this reason, there was no other option but to allow the planned strikes to go ahead (you will appreciate the difficulties of Branches in organising strikes on different shifts and ensuring workers are briefed on what will or will not happen. There does come a point of no return)

6. RM claims that the CWU are "split" is an irresponsible nonsense. The massive support today for the strikes is testimony enough (In our Branch ****** Mail Centre virtually 100% on strike)

7. Royal Mail continue to open up strike breaking operations with the explicit agreement of the Government. These workers are on 2 month contracts and are paid the NMW (incidentally, the amount RM would like to pay their own workers, hence their position that we are 25% overpaid).

8. There are millions of items in these warehouses. Royal Mail are spending in excess of £3m per month on agency workers. many of them are employed in existing workplaces are are wondering around with nothing to do.

Finally, I hope you do have sympathy with our struggle. Please write up to Gordon Brown or anyone within the Labour Party or Government, that you think will listen.

Many thanks

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Branch Secretary