CWU driving up standards

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CWU will be campaigning "throughout the TUC and wider labour movement" for a Living Wage for all workers in our industry and for an end to zero-hours contracts.

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The motion was moved in response to the effects of expanded operations by TNT Post - and other non-Royal Mail companies in the sector - and mounting evidence of low pay and appalling terms and conditions for many of their workers.

The fight to improve workers' rights across our industry will see a stepping up of organising and recruitment activity among all employees within the sector, visiting workplaces, speaking to staff, giving them information and advice explaining what they should be entitled to and also telling them about the CWU, offering them membership and setting out what we can do to assist and represent them.

And the other main strand of the campaign will focus on seeking to ensure delivery service quality standards are protected. This aspect will aim at winning widespread public and political support for defending the universal postal service and highlighting the dangers of unregulated competition.

Moving the motion, London divisional rep Martin Walsh spelled out how much impact the new market entrants have made, saying that TNT Post have taken some 10 per cent of market share in areas where they are operating end-to-end letter delivery services.

"This is not about attacking the workers at TNT or the other companies, it's about protecting workers' rights and defending the universal postal service," Martin explained, adding that the service quality criteria that Royal Mail works under should be applied across the sector.

Merseyside Amal Branch delegate Mark Walsh seconded the proposition and said: "What we've been doing in the north west is trying to sign these workers up. They're on zero-hour contracts and we need to bring up their pay, terms and conditions.

"This campaign is winnable," he added.

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And Hugh Gaffney, from Glasgow Amal Branch, sparked enthusiastic applause from delegates with a lively contribution which he addressed directly to the bosses of the competitor companies, demanding: "Pay your employees a decent standard of pay - you must pay above the Living Wage."

Responding to the debate on behalf of the executive, Dave Ward said: "I think we'll ask Hugh to make more speeches in this campaign."

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In a strong criticism of Royal Mail's sector competitors, Dave told conference that they were aiming to win some 40 per cent of market share in specific targeted areas.

"But they want to do it by cheap labour," he explained, adding that the CWU must be at the forefront of the fight to protect delivery quality of service, develop new products and services and bring up pay, terms and conditions across the sector.

"This union is going to lead that fight for decent standards of employment," he vowed, adding: "We've got a real opportunity here. We're on top of this and we can win this."

Read the full version of motion E3. http://www.cwu.org/assets/_files/docume ... D_TO_T.doc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;