LATEST UPDATE

[Fluke]

We need to stop the negativity NOW. I agree the CWU many be dilly dallying a bit but getting negative is exactly what RM want.
This morning the membership of my office was briefed the rejected pay and major change document. Their faces were like thunder when i'd finished. I simply told them ''this is what RM thinks of you''. Put it another way, I won't have any problem with a 95%+ walkout when the strike dates are announced. Even the strike breakers looked horrified.

Totally agree, get behind them now slag them off l8r if we have to. :cfo :lfo

I agree with the sentiments, but. Why no communication or guidance from headquarters? Just WTF are we doing sitting on our hands whilst RM tell OUR members the jobs changing if you don't like it f*ck off? We have nearly 250 people in our office and 98% of them supported the strike, and now their asking why did we lose 4 days pay if the changes are coming in now without a fight?

I have been a Union Rep for nearly 10 years, and I have already written out my resignation ready to hand in, because I just don't know what to tell people when they ask "what are we doing about it"? It ain't Billy and Dave standing there in front of the members, when the questions start.

The only thing that keeps me going and fighting, is the fact that I hate the lying, bullying spineless f*cks they call managers.

[blackadder]

a party/union is only as strong as the man at the helm. someone fiteing our corner on tv/radio/papers etc. dos any1 here have any idea whats happening ??? i voted to strike to save 40,000 jobs, save my pension and do my best to save royal mail. i didnt strike to save the union.

[strangler]

We need to stop the negativity NOW. I agree the CWU many be dilly dallying a bit but getting negative is exactly what RM want.
This morning the membership of my office was briefed the rejected pay and major change document. Their faces were like thunder when i'd finished. I simply told them ''this is what RM thinks of you''. Put it another way, I won't have any problem with a 95%+ walkout when the strike dates are announced. Even the strike breakers looked horrified.

Couldn`t agree more. We`re all frustrated with the wait for strike dates but ultimately we have to back our union.
I think we all know what RMs response will be to CWU proposals. Perhaps, at least, it appears the 1 dayer national strike that was rumoured is out so it would seem rolling strikes when they happen. Imagine 4 weeks of rolling action throughout october. Take heart from the fact there`s still a backlog at Watford! Someone mentioned about christmas not being a 'good time to strike', but there`s never a 'good time' is there?

[dvbuk55]

a party/union is only as strong as the man at the helm. someone fiteing our corner on tv/radio/papers etc. dos any1 here have any idea whats happening ??? i voted to strike to save 40,000 jobs, save my pension and do my best to save royal mail. i didnt strike to save the union.

Ah! Well I think that's where you're wrong. There has been no sign of any fight from HQ for the last 5 weeks and still isn't. I for one will be stopping my subs if they do not put up a fight. I will join another union who won't be able to negotiate for me at RM, which I completely understand,
so there'll be no change there. But I will enjoy all the other aspects of union membership. Hopefully 100,000 will take the same action and instead of having RM deduct the money I will pay by direct debit. That will do two things, stop the gravy train and hide from RM how many and to which union you belong.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

a party/union is only as strong as the man at the helm. someone fiteing our corner on tv/radio/papers etc. dos any1 here have any idea whats happening ??? i voted to strike to save 40,000 jobs, save my pension and do my best to save royal mail. i didnt strike to save the union.

Ah! Well I think that's where you're wrong. There has been no sign of any fight from HQ for the last 5 weeks and still isn't. I for one will be stopping my subs if they do not put up a fight. I will join another union who won't be able to negotiate for me at RM, which I completely understand,
so there'll be no change there. But I will enjoy all the other aspects of union membership. Hopefully 100,000 will take the same action and instead of having RM deduct the money I will pay by direct debit. That will do two things, stop the gravy train and hide from RM how many and to which union you belong.

As I understand it, and I'll try and find out for certain, any recognised union can represent you in a disciplinary hearing. All that stuff they tell you about it having to be someone from your own workplace or a CWU representative could see Royal Mail in trouble with an IT if they prevent you from having a union representative of your own choice.

[chayoliver]

To Lovejoy & The Inspector. I have read through all the topics on this website and I for one am not impressed with the way things are handled. Once again the info Lovejoy gives is the only thing any of us get. There was a meeting last Thursday. Has anyone nationwide any idea what was discussed at that meeting because my unit knows nothing? Week after week CWU uses same delaying tactics as RM. The time has come to make a decision. We need to know if we are going to capitulate to RM or take definite action. No more delays. We have very little time before Xmas to make an impact. If anyone thinks that the membership is going to strike over Xmas pressure then think again. Xmas pressure isthe only time in the year when major overtime is available. Kids on school breaks, no holidays booked etc. This is the time when everybody does the overtime to cover annual budgets for living. It is the time to make money for next summers holidays (thats if the budgets for weekly living allow.
Does anyone know someone who will stand up and organise a campaign to get NEC making a decision. That someone would have to be a rep with the respect of a large region to get the ball rolling.

At the meeting last Thursday the union formally rejected the proposals from Royal Mail. The business then challenged the CWU to come up with their own counter proposals which of course is where we are now!

What an absalute farce this is turning into i am getting baffled by the lack movement and communication from the cwu so its up to us to tell our local reps to put in complaints to head office and tell them how p*ssed off everyone is with this deafening silence, my local rep is as much p*ssed off as evetone else, and to talk about royal mail asking the union for their own proposals thats just typical, when we had the transport review our manager had ten months of special projects to sort it out he tabled his proposals 2 weeks before it was due in and what a shambles he made of it, our local union rep got it tore it up and spent 2 weeks on it bingo easy done, so what the f*ck was the manager doing for 9 months ??????????????????????????????????????

[Fluke]

We are still trying to recover from the last pile of shite a manager spent time on. He called it walk equalisation and had months of sitting at home because it was supposedly quieter to come up with it. Its never worked since it came in, and even his fellow managers behind his back say that its f*cked up. Anywhere else, these twats would have been sacked for gross incompetence.

[dvbuk55]

a party/union is only as strong as the man at the helm. someone fiteing our corner on tv/radio/papers etc. dos any1 here have any idea whats happening ??? i voted to strike to save 40,000 jobs, save my pension and do my best to save royal mail. i didnt strike to save the union.

Ah! Well I think that's where you're wrong. There has been no sign of any fight from HQ for the last 5 weeks and still isn't. I for one will be stopping my subs if they do not put up a fight. I will join another union who won't be able to negotiate for me at RM, which I completely understand,
so there'll be no change there. But I will enjoy all the other aspects of union membership. Hopefully 100,000 will take the same action and instead of having RM deduct the money I will pay by direct debit. That will do two things, stop the gravy train and hide from RM how many and to which union you belong.

As I understand it, and I'll try and find out for certain, any recognised union can represent you in a disciplinary hearing. All that stuff they tell you about it having to be someone from your own workplace or a CWU representative could see Royal Mail in trouble with an IT if they prevent you from having a union representative of your own choice.

Yes you are quite right! Anyone is entitled to be represented by their chosen representative on a disciplinary. That of course doesn't allow negotiations for pay and conditions and pension - but what's different . So I would expect an influx for support for the IWW. If enough members left and went to the same union then RM would have to deal with them wherever they happened to be.

[mdtomuk]

WE HAVE TO 'STICK WITH IT' - THE UNION ARE US, THEY ACT ON OUR SAY SO. REMEMBER, WE GET THE FINAL VOTE ON WHATEVER THEY AGREE ON - IF THEY EVER AGREE ON IT! IT'S ALL DOG-DOO AND WE HAVE TO SINK OR SWIM IN THIS STUFF.
DO YOU RECKON IF LEIGHTON NEVER EXISTED WE'D HAVE HAD A SCABBY PAY RISE MONTHS AGO, WE'D HAVE MOANED AND GROANED AS NORMAL BUT ALL THIS DOG-SH*TE WE ARE SUFFERING NOW WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED - I WISH SOMEONE WOULD FIND SOMETHING IN HIS PAST THAT STUFFED HIM, LEEDS UNITED ANYONE??????

:lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo :lfo

[dvbuk55]

WE HAVE TO 'STICK WITH IT' - THE UNION ARE US, THEY ACT ON OUR SAY SO. REMEMBER, WE GET THE FINAL VOTE ON WHATEVER THEY AGREE ON - IF THEY EVER AGREE ON IT!

That is the whole point! We are telling them to set dates and start the action again before it is too late but they aren't listening.
Once the moves are set up there will be no point in voting because Royal Mail won't be going backwards.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

Yes you are quite right! Anyone is entitled to be represented by their chosen representative on a disciplinary. That of course doesn't allow negotiations for pay and conditions and pension - but what's different . So I would expect an influx for support for the IWW. If enough members left and went to the same union then RM would have to deal with them wherever they happened to be.

Cheers mate. Here's part of the reply to a question I asked on another site. It's a letter to an employer in Scotland.

Dear Sir,

For the avoidance of doubt you are hereby informed that Ms *****
******* is a member of both UNISON, and the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW).

You are also informed that in respect to her right to be accompanied,
Ms ******* has provided instructions to the IWW to represent her on
an individual basis.

You are also informed that the IWW is a listed Trade Union with the
Certification Office and enjoys all rights and responsibilities as
per the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992.

You are also informed that IWW Central Scotland Organiser, Mr. ****
*****, is an official of the IWW, and that Ms ******* is invoking
her rights under Section 10, Employment Relations Act 1999 to be
individually accompanied and represented in any meetings or hearings
relating to informal or formal disciplinary procedures by Mr. Nick
Durie. The IWW does not require collective recognition rights at ***
in order for our members to exercise rights to be accompanied under
Section 10, Employment Relations Act 1999.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this
further.

Yours sincerely,

**** *******
SECRETARY

[dvbuk55]

Yes you are quite right! Anyone is entitled to be represented by their chosen representative on a disciplinary. That of course doesn't allow negotiations for pay and conditions and pension - but what's different . So I would expect an influx for support for the IWW. If enough members left and went to the same union then RM would have to deal with them wherever they happened to be.

Cheers mate. Here's part of the reply to a question I asked on another site. It's a letter to an employer in Scotland.

Dear Sir,

For the avoidance of doubt you are hereby informed that Ms *****
******* is a member of both UNISON, and the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW).

You are also informed that in respect to her right to be accompanied,
Ms ******* has provided instructions to the IWW to represent her on
an individual basis.

You are also informed that the IWW is a listed Trade Union with the
Certification Office and enjoys all rights and responsibilities as
per the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992.

You are also informed that IWW Central Scotland Organiser, Mr. ****
*****, is an official of the IWW, and that Ms ******* is invoking
her rights under Section 10, Employment Relations Act 1999 to be
individually accompanied and represented in any meetings or hearings
relating to informal or formal disciplinary procedures by Mr. Nick
Durie. The IWW does not require collective recognition rights at ***
in order for our members to exercise rights to be accompanied under
Section 10, Employment Relations Act 1999.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this
further.

Yours sincerely,

**** *******
SECRETARY

Great letter and really a great comfort to those of us who have long gone past the wavering stages.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

Great letter and really a great comfort to those of us who have long gone past the wavering stages.

We are small, but perfectly formed!

[freespeech]

Yes you are quite right! Anyone is entitled to be represented by their chosen representative on a disciplinary. That of course doesn't allow negotiations for pay and conditions and pension - but what's different . So I would expect an influx for support for the IWW. If enough members left and went to the same union then RM would have to deal with them wherever they happened to be.

Cheers mate. Here's part of the reply to a question I asked on another site. It's a letter to an employer in Scotland.

Dear Sir,

For the avoidance of doubt you are hereby informed that Ms *****
******* is a member of both UNISON, and the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW).

You are also informed that in respect to her right to be accompanied,
Ms ******* has provided instructions to the IWW to represent her on
an individual basis.

You are also informed that the IWW is a listed Trade Union with the
Certification Office and enjoys all rights and responsibilities as
per the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992.

You are also informed that IWW Central Scotland Organiser, Mr. ****
*****, is an official of the IWW, and that Ms ******* is invoking
her rights under Section 10, Employment Relations Act 1999 to be
individually accompanied and represented in any meetings or hearings
relating to informal or formal disciplinary procedures by Mr. Nick
Durie. The IWW does not require collective recognition rights at ***
in order for our members to exercise rights to be accompanied under
Section 10, Employment Relations Act 1999.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this
further.

Yours sincerely,

**** *******
SECRETARY

10 Right to be accompanied (1) This section applies where a worker—
(a) is required or invited by his employer to attend a disciplinary or grievance hearing, and
(b) reasonably requests to be accompanied at the hearing.
(2) Where this section applies the employer must permit the worker to be accompanied at the hearing by a single companion who—
(a) is chosen by the worker and is within subsection (3),
(b) is to be permitted to address the hearing (but not to answer questions on behalf of the worker), and
(c) is to be permitted to confer with the worker during the hearing.
(3) A person is within this subsection if he is—
(a) employed by a trade union of which he is an official within the meaning of sections 1 and 119 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992,
(b) an official of a trade union (within that meaning) whom the union has reasonably certified in writing as having experience of, or as having received training in, acting as a worker’s companion at disciplinary or grievance hearings, or
(c) another of the employer’s workers.

I think 3(c) is the sticking point here......

[pickaname]

To Lovejoy & The Inspector. I have read through all the topics on this website and I for one am not impressed with the way things are handled. Once again the info Lovejoy gives is the only thing any of us get. There was a meeting last Thursday. Has anyone nationwide any idea what was discussed at that meeting because my unit knows nothing? Week after week CWU uses same delaying tactics as RM. The time has come to make a decision. We need to know if we are going to capitulate to RM or take definite action. No more delays. We have very little time before Xmas to make an impact. If anyone thinks that the membership is going to strike over Xmas pressure then think again. Xmas pressure isthe only time in the year when major overtime is available. Kids on school breaks, no holidays booked etc. This is the time when everybody does the overtime to cover annual budgets for living. It is the time to make money for next summers holidays (thats if the budgets for weekly living allow.
Does anyone know someone who will stand up and organise a campaign to get NEC making a decision. That someone would have to be a rep with the respect of a large region to get the ball rolling.

At the meeting last Thursday the union formally rejected the proposals from Royal Mail. The business then challenged the CWU to come up with their own counter proposals which of course is where we are now!

Then I ask you what have the union been doing for the last 5 weeks? Surely they should have had a counter proposal ready to go...? I hear dragging heels and smell the scent of postmen getting stuffed...