CWU reps to decide on Royal Mail strike ballot

[DirtyHarry]

It was vital we won the last dispute.
That we didn't, despite very good support from the membership, showing resolute determination in seeing the fight through to the bitter end, was down to the seemingly inexplicable decision by the CWU leadership to surrender to all the demands made by Royal mail management.
We all know what faces us, but can we trust the CWU not to betray us again?
I'm finding it almost impossible to trust that union, if I'm honest.
The hard fact is, after each strike these last twelve years, I've gone back in to a worse job, than before I went out, and that's just not right.

[comeracing]

why doesn't everybody on delivery come in on there start time,deliver the door to doors for that day,do the job properly no shortcuts,and get back to the office an there finishing time. 95 % of duties will have mail left behind or brought back to the office,and guess who will have to deliver the extra each day.the DOM,every member of staff followed this day in day out.

[Cut Off King]

The hard fact is, after each strike these last twelve years, I've gone back in to a worse job, than before I went out, and that's just not right.

About the time that Billy took over I wonder if there's a connection ?

[Phantom]

It was vital we won the last dispute.
That we didn't, despite very good support from the membership, showing resolute determination in seeing the fight through to the bitter end, was down to the seemingly inexplicable decision by the CWU leadership to surrender to all the demands made by Royal mail management.
We all know what faces us, but can we trust the CWU not to betray us again?
I'm finding it almost impossible to trust that union, if I'm honest.
The hard fact is, after each strike these last twelve years, I've gone back in to a worse job, than before I went out, and that's just not right.

Exactly and thats the reason i pulled out!

[boogyman]

why doesn't everybody on delivery come in on there start time,deliver the door to doors for that day,do the job properly no shortcuts,and get back to the office an there finishing time. 95 % of duties will have mail left behind or brought back to the office,and guess who will have to deliver the extra each day.the DOM,every member of staff followed this day in day out.

not in our office. managment would leave to take the next day!

[dvbuk55]

to have the CWU back down and actively sell the agreement to staff. but we need to know that the CWU big guns aren't going to roll over again.

There's the rub, after our experience last time with the road show actively selling the deal of the century I just hope we have an open vote this time without the pressure to accept a bum deal.

[aiden01]

to have the CWU back down and actively sell the agreement to staff. but we need to know that the CWU big guns aren't going to roll over again.

There's the rub, after our experience last time with the road show actively selling the deal of the century I just hope we have an open vote this time without the pressure to accept a bum deal.

Surely you make your own mind up how to vote.

[dvbuk55]

to have the CWU back down and actively sell the agreement to staff. but we need to know that the CWU big guns aren't going to roll over again.

There's the rub, after our experience last time with the road show actively selling the deal of the century I just hope we have an open vote this time without the pressure to accept a bum deal.

Surely you make your own mind up how to vote.

In that case why was there the need to send out a cavalcade of CWU glitterati to persuade the rank and file to vote for it - now look at the state of the nation.

[Danelectro]

to have the CWU back down and actively sell the agreement to staff. but we need to know that the CWU big guns aren't going to roll over again.

There's the rub, after our experience last time with the road show actively selling the deal of the century I just hope we have an open vote this time without the pressure to accept a bum deal.

Surely you make your own mind up how to vote.

something like 40% made their mind up NOT to vote and as dvbuk says the active selling of the last deal with no plan b was a stitch up .

[TrueBlueTerrier]

to have the CWU back down and actively sell the agreement to staff. but we need to know that the CWU big guns aren't going to roll over again.

There's the rub, after our experience last time with the road show actively selling the deal of the century I just hope we have an open vote this time without the pressure to accept a bum deal.

Surely you make your own mind up how to vote.

You can only vote on the information available and the BT2010 deal was not available in its entirety except on here and perhaps on the CWU website I can't remember.

When the voting papers went out there was nothing except a recommendation to vote to accept and a brief resume' on the reasons why.

There was no dissenting opinion with the official paperwork, even though at least 2 PEC members (IIRC) did not recommend it.

In this atmosphere, most reps were guided by the CWUs recommendation, and duly advised their own members the same.

This is why I think its disingenuous to say that the majority accepted the deal and its time to move on. I actually think that if we don't learn from those mistakes and that if the CWU don't learn to trust the members by giving them ALL the information, good and bad, then the Union will be seen more and more as out of touch and nothing but a kind of employment insurance in bad times.

There was nothing wrong with the Union recommending we accept the deal, its the way they went about it that stunk for me.

[fishtank]

It's very unusual for the membership to reject a deal endorsed by the union.
It only really happens during an internal power struggle if certain areas want more influence at the top table.

If they are a strong area they can mobilise their membership and other like-minded areas to vote against the deal as a block which given the relatively low turnout can turn a vote around.
The only way I could see that happening is if the negotiators agreed to the pension proposals or something contentious like a no strike agreement.
I can't see anything like that happening.

If there is no organised rejection from inside the union then whatever the union walks out of this fight with will be accepted by the membership as a whole.

[dvbuk55]

It's very unusual for the membership to reject a deal endorsed by the union.
It only really happens during an internal power struggle if certain areas want more influence at the top table.

If they are a strong area they can mobilise their membership and other like-minded areas to vote against the deal as a block which given the relatively low turnout can turn a vote around.
The only way I could see that happening is if the negotiators agreed to the pension proposals or something contentious like a no strike agreement.
I can't see anything like that happening.

If there is no organised rejection from inside the union then whatever the union walks out of this fight with will be accepted by the membership as a whole.

The problem is of course the "top table" and the many side tables are peopled with like minded minions who wouldn't dream of going against the wishes of the glitterati - look at the road show last time galvanised into action purely to get a YES vote NOT to lay it out on the line as to what BT 2010 really was. It is possible and I think probable that the negotiators had no idea what BT 2010 was in reality - 3 plus years on and it isn't complete and has thrown up a continuous stream of problems still being discussed now.

[Andy51]

Most inour office will not go on strike every time we go on strike we come back to worse terms.privatison is going to happen whether we strike or not we will go down like miners ,I.e loose everything and dignity won't pay the mortgage or rent

[dvbuk55]

I believe we should strike but only if we can win. In order to win we need to have a committed CWU and membership to see it through and for that we need to have visits from Area and Div Reps to all offices, if necessary to speak to each and every individual and be seen to support the pickets. Despite manning and even organising pickets last time not a single visit from a full time release bod. I don't believe the union was up for the fight but they need to be this time or it's goodnight Vienna. It's strange but every time I see the membership figure reported recently it seems to have gone down, now reported to be 115k.

[scoobydo79]

Most inour office will not go on strike every time we go on strike we come back to worse terms.privatison is going to happen whether we strike or not we will go down like miners ,I.e loose everything and dignity won't pay the mortgage or rent

That attitude will get us no where.