REINSTATE THE VICTIMISED BURSLEM 12

[Andy Bentley]

The following article will be in the Socialist out at the end of this week


[center]Burslem Postal Workers Walk Out[/center]

Postal workers at Burslem Delivery Office in Stoke walked out on Tuesday 11th September when twelve workers were suspended on trumped up charges of â€

[barkersboy]

Me thinks you are on your own. This is a case the union should be calling for vigorous national support, but listen to the appeasement of CWU to RM an me thinks you have no chance. Good luck guys, I hope somewhere, the union shows support, but I thinks tongues in HQ will get browner before u get help.

[Fluke]

The CWU seem to be frightened to death of backing its own members when bullying or harassment is mentioned, even when there appears to be no evidence. Yet, RM managers where evidence exists of bullying, go unchallenged by either the CWU or RM. I know of a manager who was moved into my office because of bullying in his old office. So far he has had 3 cases of bullying put in against him including one where he assaulted a Rep. Guess what? he's still here, everything was swept under the carpet by upper management.

You start wondering if its worth being in the CWU, let alone be a Rep, when, with even the slightest whisper, our own Union turns its back on you. If there is no supporting evidence and no specific charges have been laid, then we should be backing them 100%. I may be slightly biased because I know a few of the people involved, and I for one find the accusations hard to believe, even more so, when RM are having to interview everyone in the office, just to try and find something to justify the accusations. It sounds like a fit up and it ain't the first time its happened in our branch.

[andy2007]

Have you considered taking legal action against the managers involved?

A couple of people at my own office who were harrassed because they were on sick threatened to do so. The moment that legal action was mentioned, the managers caved in! You see, no matter what they try to tell you before you go that far. They are still subject to Employment Law, and they know as well as we do when they are breaking it.

For too long, people have been tricked into thinking that the management can follow their procedures, even if it infringes our legal rights as Employees.

You don't neccessarily have to go through the CWU to take this kind of action, although I recommend that you try them first.

The most important thing for the future though, is to remember that WE are the Union. If you are having problems with how things are being done, then take my advice: find someone new to nominate, and vote the old order out. You will achieve nothing by leaving the Union, but you could gain a great deal by trying to change things from the inside.

After all, as a Union we have power. If we try to go it alone, there will be no co-ordination. Particularly when it comes to negotiating with the management.

REMEMBER
United we stand!
Divided we fall!

[norbet colon]

Have you considered taking legal action against the managers involved?

A couple of people at my own office who were harassed because they were on sick threatened to do so. The moment that legal action was mentioned, the managers caved in! You see, no matter what they try to tell you before you go that far. They are still subject to Employment Law, and they know as well as we do when they are breaking it.

For too long, people have been tricked into thinking that the management can follow their procedures, even if it infringes our legal rights as Employees.

You don't necessarily have to go through the CWU to take this kind of action, although I recommend that you try them first.

The most important thing for the future though, is to remember that WE are the Union. If you are having problems with how things are being done, then take my advice: find someone new to nominate, and vote the old order out. You will achieve nothing by leaving the Union, but you could gain a great deal by trying to change things from the inside.

After all, as a Union we have power. If we try to go it alone, there will be no co-ordination. Particularly when it comes to negotiating with the management.I'm sorry but RM are deliberately challenging people to take them on in ETs ,that bullish take it or leave it attitude comes from the very top. They know people have no real due recourse with the CWU . The danger is that RM might turn ETs into Test Cases and unfortunately some people will become Martyrs , which is exactly what RM want ;so they can play people up against each other. Secondly that Litigation is expensive and it suits RM to play trench warfare , just a not very subtle way of grinding people down as they are seen as loose cannons . RM has always been autocratic and regarding itself above the law but now you are getting the worst of the old & new cultures , however it's arrogance CAN be it's achilles heel if challenged and contradicted with prosecution . I agree that you have to go through CWU channels first regardless of your views of the "corrupt " right wing old guard who hark back to days when RM was "relatively benign" and can't seem to raise their game towards mgt who see everything as a glorified casino (You can see where that culture comes from?) .RM will quite hypocritically & happily play the "victim" drawing dodgy & insulting adverse inferences . It's just a game to them and it will be. There's also the problem of the CWU Hierarchy sitting on things and playing politics as a cop out , unfortunately the chickens come home to roost , RM know this , they are arrogant and belligerent but not necessarily that stupid . I've every sympathy for the poor b*****rs who are punching out for people , getting threatened by Senior/Area management's lackies and understand the turnover with RM's thugs in suits . RM showed their true colours in 2003 when they threatened the union with litigation for the so-called "Red Plot" for unofficial IA . I think "Red " Billy had to get a few extra packets of "Just for Men " from the chemists in Wimbledon after that .

REMEMBER
United we stand!
Divided we fall!

[L Tommo]

See you there people...


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