ACAS danger

[left739]

(ADMIN I don't know in News is the right forum for this but it seems to be where the strike is being discussed.)

I remember in one interview on TV before the first national strikes Billy Hayes going on and on about ACAS. Did he actually offer to call of the strikes if Royal Mail would enter unconditional strikes at ACAS? There seems to be an idea that he did. If so that was an outrageous fumble or worse!

Myself and people at my office will be disgusted if the union calls the strike off without the issues being resolved. London posties like myself have already lost about £1000 in fifteen one day strikes. Through four months management have been bullying us and provoking us, imposing revisions, tearing up agreements, forcing people to cross functions, cutting senior men's jobs and putting them on the hardest walks in the office, taking people off pay etc. Throughout the union has held units back from unofficial action on the argument that we have to 'play it smart', 'be disciplined', to tolerate stuff which would have had us all out before. People were becoming disheartened, it was plain that one day strikes in only parts of the country were not enough to make RM back off, but we have kept solid. With the national strike we were told 'the cavalry were coming'.

Now the situation seems to have turned - the pressure is now clearly on RM and the government. The mood has changed. Our picket line was twice as big as normal, the support we got from the public in terms of honking of horns and so on was maybe ten times as much as on our previous strike days.

All we have to do is keep on striking and if necessary escalate the action and it seems plain that the govt and RM will back down more and more. Though in London we have lost a lot of money, the feeling is let's make it worth the pain. If we win we will have faced down a bullying mangement and government. This will be a massive encouragement to workers across the public sector who know that they are in for exactly the same sort of attacks over the next few years. But to let the them off the hook just when the strikes are beginning to hurt them, to call off the strikes before knowing that RM and the government are ready to backdown would be a betrayal.

The 2007 deal was rubbish - we had them on the ropes and we snatched a defeat or at best a draw from the jaws of victory. Dave and Billy don't blow it again! We need to get the message to the executive committee that they must not call off the strikes till we know that managment are ready to take back their executive action and that RM and the government show us they are ready to resolve all the outstanding issues (including pensions) to our satisfaction. We are mobilised now let's press home our advantage. Other working class people don't want to see us being 'moderate and reasonable' they want to see us win! Talks at ACAS sure, but lets keep on striking till the job is done.

[stodgy88]

good post -my son

[DGP1]

No stopping the strikes until a deal is sorted out because we all know that RM will screw us if we give them a chance and I for one am sick of it.


PS. Be warned Billy that the rage we are now feeling towards RM can be easily put onto you and that I and the other in my office are ready to leave the union if we get done over again just so that you can obtain your political ambitions.

[stokes11eg]

Yes-and I have noticed on T.V. a couplE of times, Billy keeps saying 'there are faults on both sides' EH???

[norwichchris]

What all of us need to do is contact Billy Hayes and Dave Ward on the subject of Acas. They can be emailed directly @ bhayes@cwu.org & dward@cwu.org.
It really gets me that they regard Acas as miracle workers, but you only have to look at how many times they've been called in to mediate at RMT disputes and there's been no agreement. Instead of constantly calling for peace talks and moratoriums the CWU should hit RM with hard hitting strikes until they cave in. It's the only language they understand!

[piranha]

Im pretty sure we want to go to ACAS with NO pre-conditions, i.e we will not call off until an agreement is reached. It is RM who will only go to ACAS if we call off the strikes, they are just trying anything and everything to stop the strikes, Xmas PRESSURE is almost here

[nelson]

they regard Acas as miracle workers

That is a fair point. In times past they did have a lot of clout. I think now they are toothless tigers.
I do so hope I am incorrect, but this I can see is the only way to move things on.

[belle smith]

Im pretty sure we want to go to ACAS with NO pre-conditions, i.e we will not call off until an agreement is reached. It is RM who will only go to ACAS if we call off the strikes, they are just trying anything and everything to stop the strikes, Xmas PRESSURE is almost here

Thats how i understood it.

[left739]

Im pretty sure we want to go to ACAS with NO pre-conditions, i.e we will not call off until an agreement is reached. It is RM who will only go to ACAS if we call off the strikes, they are just trying anything and everything to stop the strikes, Xmas PRESSURE is almost here

Thats how i understood it.

ACAS talks while we keep on striking is no problem. However I believe that what people in the union see Billy as having offered is to suspend the strikes if RM enter ACAS talks with no preconditions - for example RM so far have been saying they will talk about 2010 plans but 'there is no going back on change' for 2009. But what I am hearing is that if RM shift and say OK we agree to talks about everything, now call of the strikes the union will feel under immense pressure to do so based on what Billy has said. Then RM drag out the talks, the backlog is cleared, members are disheartened, it gets closer and closer to Christmas and harder to recall people out again. I think we need to to get the message to the people higher up the union (the Executive Committee are the ones that have the power) that whatever Billy said last week they mustn't fall into RM's trap. If we or Billy get some criticism in the media so be it but we musn't suspend the strikes.

[stokes11eg]

Here- here STIll feel that Billy could agree to this. Is he really strong enough to stand up to R/M?

[opgpat]

RM said they will go to ACAS if strikes were called off this week. CWU said 'no' poiint blank hence strikes went ahead. I feel Dave and Billy are strong and committed and slowly getting there with the press despite being in a deep hole of RM propaganda 2 weeks ago. We have moved forward this week, it's been a good week for our cause with no backlash about CWU saying no to RM pre-condition of calling off strike to go to ACAS. The press broadly and quietly accepted this was an unacceptable pre-condition scuppering RM hopes that this would pile the pressure on CWU.

Public support is critical going forward so escalating the disruption to off-the-scale could be a mistake. Many positives to keeping it 1day per week per staff including financial and not getting the publics back up. If we can get their 1st class/birthday cards and imnportant stuff to them but disrupt buisness mail we would be doing well.

[Godric]

why is it i having the nagging feeling when crozier was on andrew marrs programme talking about talks that could last 2 months conviently ending just after christmas that we could be back to where we started calling for industrial action :cfo :mfo

[swannyadams]

why is it i having the nagging feeling when crozier was on andrew marrs programme talking about talks that could last 2 months conviently ending just after christmas that we could be back to where we started calling for industrial action :cfo :mfo

well said.I thought that too.looked like he was trying to pull the wool over our eyes.just hope billy and dave have seen through him. :cfo :cfo :cfo :cfo