A message from Billy Hayes, and Dave Ward.

Post by **POSTMAN** » 01 Apr 2008, 16:52

Dear Colleague,
Your Union is pleased to announce that CWU members
have overwhelmingly rejected Royal Mail's pension reforms.

The full result is as follows:-

Pension Consultative Ballot Results

Ballot Papers Issued: 140,800
Ballot Papers Returned: 86,230
In support of Rejection: 79,387 (92%)
Against Rejection: 6,763 ( 8%)
Spoilt: 80
Overall Return: (61%)

We would like to thank all representatives/members for your efforts in
carrying out the workplace ballot, in what we know were difficult
circumstances over the Easter holiday period.

The result is a good platform for the Union to move forward. Royal Mail
know the outcome means we have entered a new phase.

Next Steps

In conjunction with the ballot result your Postal Executive has taken
the decisions to step up our industrial and political campaigns as
follows;

* We have agreed to ballot our members for industrial action.
However, before setting a timetable, we will give Royal Mail a final
opportunity to reach an acceptable resolution. The Postal Executive has
also agreed to explore with UNITE (Royal Mail managers Union) areas of
common interest to move the pension debate forward.

* We have agreed that our immediate priority is to intensify the
political campaign. Within the next week we will be writing to all
MP's, MEP's and members of the House of Lords setting out the Union's
position and why we believe government policies must be challenged.
Similar communications will also be sent to devolved government bodies.

In the same timeframe we will commence the campaign in local
constituencies.

The Union's Political Campaign Committee will meet on the 7th April to
consider any further steps necessary to intensify our political
activities.

As you are aware Royal Mail have imposed pension reform changes as from
today. Your Postal Executive is firmly of the view that with the right
industrial and political campaign Royal Mail's position will be changed.

The Postal Executive will be meeting again within the next two weeks to
assess progress and determine the additional steps required in line with
the polices outlined above.

dogfood · Post by **dogfood** » 01 Apr 2008, 17:41

Sorry to be negative on such an important issue, but I can't see the threat of Industrial action will give much concern to RM after the last fiasco. Moreso during the summer when according to RM mail volumes our greatly reduced to such an extent that the union, during the most recent dispute, in effect agreed with RM by submitting the proposal to its members rather than rejecting it outright.

With only a 1.9% pay rise on our wages this year and the increase in the cost of basic living expenses. I can't see much support for IA would be forthcoming. I know when I was a lot younger the complexities and understanding of pension issues were not of great interest as I was too busy living for the moment rather than looking 25 years or more ahead.

The yes vote is about to bite our arses once again.

eian687 · Post by **eian687** » 01 Apr 2008, 19:42

work to rule, no over time, no good will

Post by **trythat** » 01 Apr 2008, 19:53

Gotta agree with dogfood, I don't really see any resolve for IA. All my office seems to be worried about, is their Â£400. A few quid seems to mean more to them than the Â£1000's they'll be losing every year they're retired.

I don't really hold much faith in the CWU leaders, Unite leaders, A large majority of our membership and of course our managers. I'm glad I can come here to recharge and find some like minded folk.

Glenno · Post by **Glenno** » 01 Apr 2008, 20:15

o.k dog food & trythat u seem to be pesamistic about the future of our pensions or the leadership of our union
i dont know what spurs you on in life but take it from an old pro YOUR PENSION should not be negotiable
when a lot of people started this job it was one of the main advantages that you could retire @ 60 with full pension rights poss & pops as it was then believe me when i say it affects me personally to the tune of Â£40,000 and this i will not give up without a fight i do agree with you that the Leadership in this Union is sh**t and we have to be wary of that (do they have a good fight in them ) the timing could be better, i agree but from where do you make your stand THIS IS OUR TIME YOU WILL NEVER GET IT AGAIN YOU MUST PUT ALL DIFFERENCES TO ONE SIDE
AND STAND UP AND BE COUNTED PROTECT YOUR PENSION

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 01 Apr 2008, 20:28

Glenno wrote:o.k dog food & trythat u seem to be pesamistic about the future of our pensions or the leadership of our union
i dont know what spurs you on in life but take it from an old pro YOUR PENSION should not be negotiable
when a lot of people started this job it was one of the main advantages that you could retire @ 60 with full pension rights poss & pops as it was then believe me when i say it affects me personally to the tune of Â£40,000 and this i will not give up without a fight i do agree with you that the Leadership in this Union is sh**t and we have to be wary of that (do they have a good fight in them ) the timing could be better, i agree but from where do you make your stand THIS IS OUR TIME YOU WILL NEVER GET IT AGAIN YOU MUST PUT ALL DIFFERENCES TO ONE SIDE
AND STAND UP AND BE COUNTED PROTECT YOUR PENSION

Well said

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 01 Apr 2008, 20:43

"However, before setting a timetable, we will give Royal Mail a final opportunity to reach an acceptable resolution."

That has a horrible familiarity about it. I have no confidence in Hayes and Ward, if they really meant business they would be giving notice to Royal
Fail of their intention to ballot members for strike action. An overwhelming sense of deja vu is sweeping over me, and one sentence in the communique
from CWU HQ, "We appreciate the need for pension reform", has haunted me from the moment I read it a few weeks back. Our leadership, as I see it,
aren't so much up in arms about the butchery of our pensions, but that they aren't being allowed a hand in it. That's nowhere good enough, if there's to
be IA then let it be work to rule, as after Hayes and Ward's latest betrayal of members hopes and aspirations, most unit reps are going to have an even
bigger mountain to climb as regards asking members to throw away two, four, six, eight, ten, or even more, days pay, on what in all likelihood will be a
waste of everybody's time, effort, and money, than they did last summer.

At this particular time, units all over the country are beginning to count the cost of Hayes and Ward's complete cave-in to Royal Fail's ludicrous pay
and modernisation deal, that many of our brothers and sisters are almost totally disillusioned with our union's so-called leadership cannot for one nano
second be underestimated. Not even 12 months have gone by since the last sell-out, and now our two idiots are mooting an all-out strike, that members
will chuck away days pay for only a partial butchery of our pensions rather than a complete butchery.

Wakey, wakey, Hayes......Wakey, wakey, Ward............Fool us once, shame on you.........Fool us twice, shame on us.

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 01 Apr 2008, 20:48

eian687 wrote:work to rule, no over time, no good will

That is what I will advocate. The work to rule to begin in September and continue indefinately. The goal, our final salary scheme to remain untouched.

lovejoy · Post by **lovejoy** » 01 Apr 2008, 20:50

DirtyHarry wrote:
eian687 wrote:work to rule, no over time, no good will
That is what I will advocate. The work to rule to begin in September and continue indefinately. The goal, our final salary scheme to remain untouched.

Agreed but we must make sure any action is workable in all business units in the pension scheme as it won't be simply a Royal Mail ballot

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 01 Apr 2008, 21:10

lovejoy wrote:
DirtyHarry wrote:
eian687 wrote:work to rule, no over time, no good will
That is what I will advocate. The work to rule to begin in September and continue indefinately. The goal, our final salary scheme to remain untouched.
Agreed but we must make sure any action is workable in all business units in the pension scheme as it won't be simply a Royal Mail ballot

Yes, I must admit I tend to forget about other functions in RM other than deliveries. Through our branches, we must stress that any action called for
during the summer months is a non starter. The autumn must be the point in which a future campaign of action begins, where Christmas is within
touching distance, and where RM will feel the impact almost immediately. There must not, I repeat, must not, be a repetition of last summer.

billyb8 · Post by **billyb8** » 01 Apr 2008, 21:12

eian687 wrote:work to rule, no over time, no good will

this should start with the night shifts today.

Glenno · Post by **Glenno** » 01 Apr 2008, 21:31

LOVEJOY ME OLD MUCKER ME OLD MATE ME OLD SON LIFE HAS MOVED ON A FEW PACES SINCE WE LAST SPOKE
DONT YOU THINK THAT A WORK TO RULE LOCALLY POLICY T O ALL OFFICES WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL THAN AN ALL OUT STRIKE THEORY WOULD POSSIBLY IMPACT ON OUR UNION

Post by **trythat** » 02 Apr 2008, 15:26

Glenno wrote:o.k dog food & trythat u seem to be pesamistic about the future of our pensions or the leadership of our union
i dont know what spurs you on in life but take it from an old pro YOUR PENSION should not be negotiable
when a lot of people started this job it was one of the main advantages that you could retire @ 60 with full pension rights poss & pops as it was then believe me when i say it affects me personally to the tune of Â£40,000 and this i will not give up without a fight i do agree with you that the Leadership in this Union is sh**t and we have to be wary of that (do they have a good fight in them ) the timing could be better, i agree but from where do you make your stand THIS IS OUR TIME YOU WILL NEVER GET IT AGAIN YOU MUST PUT ALL DIFFERENCES TO ONE SIDE
AND STAND UP AND BE COUNTED PROTECT YOUR PENSION

Don't worry I'll fight, its the rest of 'em I'm worried about! I've been with RM since 1990, and retiring at 60 was what kept me here, now I'm to old (mid 40's) to get another job, so I'm a bit stuffed really. It's just every time someone up top of the CWU opens their mouth - I seem to end up worse off (of course this time its going to be a LOT worse off).

Post by **trythat** » 02 Apr 2008, 15:27

billyb8 wrote:
eian687 wrote:work to rule, no over time, no good will
this should start with the night shifts today.

What night shifts, ours are going in a couple of weeks.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 02 Apr 2008, 17:44

trythat wrote:
billyb8 wrote:
eian687 wrote:work to rule, no over time, no good will
this should start with the night shifts today.
What night shifts, ours are going in a couple of weeks.

Ours went 1 year ago.