A CWU REPRESENTATIVES’ BRIEF

[BMC]

A CWU REPRESENTATIVES’ BRIEF

PENSION REFORM/CWU CONSULTATIVE BALLOT


Introduction

In recent weeks the Union has issued two key documents providing comprehensive information on Pensions and the Government Review of competition in the postal sector. (Branches were asked to circulate these documents to all representatives. We have included them again as part of this pack for ease of reference).

Prior to these documents being circulated a letter was sent to members’ home addresses explaining how important both of these issues are to the future and why the two issues are linked.

The two documents were then presented to a National Briefing of all Branches and Senior Reps. Subsequently, the Postal Executive agreed to hold a Consultative ballot with a recommendation to reject the company’s pension plans.

Against this background – where Royal Mail fear a further dispute on pensions is looming - it is inevitable that Royal Mail will seek to undermine and divide the Union. This will involve Royal Mail trying to resurrect old arguments on pay and modernisation that have already been dealt with. The company want to shift the focus away from what they told our members about the pension’s consultation.

Our key task over the next two weeks is to stay focused on securing an overwhelming rejection of the company’s pension plans in the Consultative ballot. This will allow the Union to discredit the company’s claim that the consultation has been valid and launch a major industrial and political campaign to secure further improvements.

The purpose of this brief is to provide you with further information and give you the facts that will counter Royal Mail’s workplace propaganda. A further letter has already been sent to CWU members’ home addresses.

1. Pay and Modernisation is decoupled from pensions

• The National Agreement on Pay and Modernisation is totally separate from the Pensions Consultation Joint Statement. Royal Mail accepted this when the dispute was settled and agreed that the membership would be balloted separately.

• The National Agreement on Pay and Modernisation is explicit on what the remaining 1.5% and £800 lump sums are linked to.

The agreement contains no reference to these monies being linked, in any shape or form, to pensions.

Moreover, the agreement contains no reference whatsoever to pensions. Royal Mail cannot unilaterally change the terms of our agreement.

• All parties accepted that a letter from TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, would act as the mechanism that allowed the two issues to be separated.

This letter was published in full to the Postal Executive before any decisions were made. The reference in Brendan Barber’s letter to “the two stand or fall togetherâ€

[left739]

"The Union is convinced that having listened to our Branches there are alternative and less severe ways of introducing Pension Reform. In recent weeks, along with CMA/Unite, we have been jointly exploring other alternatives with Royal Mail. "
is the dodgy bit.

Its hard to see how pension reform can mean anything but a worsening of the pension - either getting less or working more, or both. We clearly can't trust a leadership to fight properly over this when they have already accepted that the pension cannot be defended. On the other hand under our pressure they seem to have moved a bit from the complete capitulation they were tending towards. After the last disgraceful deal its down to us to stop RM and the CWU doing another dodgy deal over pensions.