CWU conference sends warning to Labour.

[POSTMAN]

SOCIALIST WORKER

The opening minutes of the CWU postal and telecom workers’ conference laid down a clear challenge to the government over the way services have been sacrificed to corporate greed.

The delegates gathered just as a strike ballot among 150,000 postal workers was coming to an end. The union is expecting a strong mandate to call action over a 2.5 percent pay offer (in reality a 2 percent pay cut, as inflation is 4.5 percent), threats to 40,000 jobs, the closure of 2,500 post offices, worse pensions, mail centre closures – and much else.

The strike campaign has energised the union and its structures. It highlighted the destructive plans coming from management, and the government’s contempt for public services.

Moving the second motion of the day, Martin Walsh, a London divisional rep, said, “We see job cuts, Post Office closures, full competition from private firms four years ahead of anywhere else in Europe.

“Imagine if all this was happening under a Tory government – there would be outrage, and quite right too. Royal Mail’s plans mean moves to regional pay, and the business also wants to limit deliveries on a Saturday to stamped mail – that’s about 10 percent of the total.

“We are facing destruction of the service.â€

[marky]

im heading over to conference next week, any passes going begging. not invited by my branch n,ireland no 1, so making my own way. want to see some of my mates in the branch, the true trade unionists and have a ball and and wee drink.



oh yes i forgot to say taking a wee break on doctors orders,

[IWW Fellow Worker]

"He demanded that unless there was significant change by June 2008, the union should ballot its members on whether they continued to fund the Labour Party."

I haven't paid the political levy since 1999 and plenty of other people in my office also opted out. There are only a minority of people who still pay it. Why fund someone to kick you in the knackers?

"But we also can’t continue in a situation where we go to Labour Party conference and to union-sponsored Labour MPs and all we get is hand-wringing. If the government won’t listen then we will ballot on whether to fund the Labour Party.â€

[DirtyHarry]

June 2008 ????

To be honest, POSTMAN , I wouldn't give 'em that long ! We've had 10 years of the next best thing to nothing
from those quasi-Tories,
and it's time ALL unions stopped throwing their members money away on people who've proved better friends to
big business, than to good,
honest, decent, working people.

[Big Daz]

My view is simple we give the new leadership team/brown goverment one chance and one chance only then we pass judgment by way of a ballot of political levy paying members.

Anybody got offical figures for political levy paying mbrs?