Thinking of leaving the CWU

[deadbox]

I am thinking of leaving the CWU

I am tired of supporting the CWU in strikes only to end up with a reduction of my rights

Dispite having RM on the ropes several times in the last STRIKE, we ended up with RM getting its own way, just in gradual stages instead of all at once.

My overtime, early start time ( My Wife has had to change HER job to accomedate these changes because RM imposed these without any thought to me and my personal circumstances), driving allowance, night duty allowance, and ENJOYMENT / RESPECT have all gone

Soon to go too are my right to privacy ( spy in the van / handheld GPS signature units ) , right to walk at a reasonable speed ( pegasus walkspeeds are UP ! ) , summer lapsing , increased D2D items , RF tagging of letters to SPY on indaviduals , longs & shorts, crap footware and managers that are obsessed with " where is your HiVis jacket (yet IGNORE every other health & safety issue in the office !

COUNTLESS cost saving exercises resulting in an ever increasing workload ( everytime a job becomes vacant, its not staffed.....It has to be absorbed in the next round of savings ! )

The list goes on and on ( too many to things to type in now )

And to top it all off, there is yet another RE-sign and dispite my duty NOT changing in any way.....I am NOT allowed to retain it ( Even though the WAY FORWARD agreement clearly states that I am within my rights to keep my duty (section 16 subsection 1 &2 )- Both the DOM and the CWU rep won't let me stop on it

A change in duty will lead to yet another change in my personal childcare / homelife /wifes work

Why am I paying for a CWU that WON'T protect my rights

Why am I paying CWU political levie to a party who are damaging my employment

What more do I have that an non union member who walked over the picket line and earned money in the last strike

They are still working & getting paid the same as me for NONE of the pain of striking !

I will now have to WORK 5 YEARS LONGER & HARDER FOR A REDUCED PENSION

I thought a union was supposed to fight for more workers rights, NOT JUST SLOW DOWN THEIR REMOVAL !

WHY ARE WE ALL SUFFERING IN SILENCE OVER THIS

[DirtyHarry]

Stay in the union, mate. The two berks we have in charge, will stay in charge, if there's a mass exodus of members. When the time comes, I'm gonna
take great pleasure in putting my "x" against whoever it is that stands against them.

One day we'll have our very own Bob Crowe, but not if we desert the union.

[edinburghsteve]

Your not the only one which is considering leaving CWU but hold off til the pension situation is sorted.

[deadbox]

Thank you for your support.....I'm just finding the way the RM and the CWU are being run at the moment hard to take.

I've NEVER crossed the picket line and have allways supported the union

But I am getting fed up of being trod on......

There is only so much that I can take

But Thanks again, I will try to stay positive

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough.


Also its hard to change something from the outside its a lot easier to do it from within. Perhaps we should start a No 10 petition to have Crowe be a work place trainer for Dave and Billy.

[Night Tonic]

Change of leadership is irrelevant - that won't undo whats been done and by the time theres a change of leadership most will already be looking for other jobs anyway.

[lovejoy]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough.


Also its hard to change something from the outside its a lot easier to do it from within. Perhaps we should start a No 10 petition to have Crowe be a work place trainer for Dave and Billy.

I've met Bob Crow and he is an excellent speaker but lets put things in perspective. At the moment he gets publicity for the Tube situation. Bob doesn't just represent the Tube Drivers. RMT cover the whole train network (along with other unions) and also the buses. In most areas bus companies struggle to recruit because pay is so poor.

On pensions (a big issue for us at the moment) the rail industries schemes are in a right mess right across the sector.

The whole network was privatised by the Tories - Something that the CWU defeated!

I bet that if you ask a hell of a lot of RMT members outside the Tube tehye wouldn't have too much praise for Mr Crow!

Its a bit like Dave Ward being in total control of one area of the union whilst the rest of the country is all over the place. Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

[shelanda]

leaving the union is not the answer WE are the union start knocking on the right doors and change things don't just give up, the biggest problem we have is communication, stupid really when that is our union. So write letters make phone calls, if you feel frustrated but don't leave it is our only voice, LETS USE IT PROPERLY.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

Exactly.

Though some are of the opinion that the Modernisation agreement is bad for offices with either no or weak union representation. I, however, am of the opinion that the Union do their best but the predatory instinct of RM means they will try to pick of these offices whatever the CWU tries to do.

[lovejoy]

Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

Exactly.

Though some are of the opinion that the Modernisation agreement is bad for offices with either no or weak union representation. I, however, am of the opinion that the Union do their best but the predatory instinct of RM means they will try to pick of these offices whatever the CWU tries to do.

Agreed but lets be 100% honest if an office has no union rep and is a soft touch don't you think RM would have been hammering them with or without the pay and modernisation agreement. And the thing is if these offices were that outraged then they'd get a rep and get behind them wouldn't they?

[dvbuk55]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough..

Its a bit like Dave Ward being in total control of one area of the union whilst the rest of the country is all over the place. Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

It is true that we are better off in the union than outside it and I would agree that a sign of good leadership is representing and protecting the members. Frankly all I see is a few fat cats riding the gravy train for all its worth without any compunction. How much did the leadership give up whilst we went on strike? Did they even suspend subs for 1 week as a gesture - no. Do they trumpet victory over their dismal failures - oh yes.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough..

Its a bit like Dave Ward being in total control of one area of the union whilst the rest of the country is all over the place. Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

It is true that we are better off in the union than outside it and I would agree that a sign of good leadership is representing and protecting the members. Frankly all I see is a few fat cats riding the gravy train for all its worth without any compunction. How much did the leadership give up whilst we went on strike? Did they even suspend subs for 1 week as a gesture - no. Do they trumpet victory over their dismal failures - oh yes.

I heard rumours that they donated 1 days pay to either a charity or the Unions fighting fund to match the days we were on strike. Not sue if this is true and have no documentation to support it.

[lovejoy]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough..

Its a bit like Dave Ward being in total control of one area of the union whilst the rest of the country is all over the place. Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

It is true that we are better off in the union than outside it and I would agree that a sign of good leadership is representing and protecting the members. Frankly all I see is a few fat cats riding the gravy train for all its worth without any compunction. How much did the leadership give up whilst we went on strike? Did they even suspend subs for 1 week as a gesture - no. Do they trumpet victory over their dismal failures - oh yes.

I heard rumours that they donated 1 days pay to either a charity or the Unions fighting fund to match the days we were on strike. Not sue if this is true and have no documentation to support it.

You are right mate it went to the fighting fund!

[dvbuk55]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough..

Its a bit like Dave Ward being in total control of one area of the union whilst the rest of the country is all over the place. Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

It is true that we are better off in the union than outside it and I would agree that a sign of good leadership is representing and protecting the members. Frankly all I see is a few fat cats riding the gravy train for all its worth without any compunction. How much did the leadership give up whilst we went on strike? Did they even suspend subs for 1 week as a gesture - no. Do they trumpet victory over their dismal failures - oh yes.

I heard rumours that they donated 1 days pay to either a charity or the Unions fighting fund to match the days we were on strike. Not sue if this is true and have no documentation to support it.

You are right mate it went to the fighting fund!

You'll pardon my ignorance of course but what was the fighting fund spent on? And if it was true - why not publicise it - I'd have more sympathy for a bunch of losers if I thought they had some measure of responsibility over their dismal performance.

[lovejoy]

Whenever I contemplate leaving the Union I just try to picture working for Royal Mail without a Union. That scares me enough..

Its a bit like Dave Ward being in total control of one area of the union whilst the rest of the country is all over the place. Surely the sign of good leadership is representating and protecting the weak as well as the strong.

It is true that we are better off in the union than outside it and I would agree that a sign of good leadership is representing and protecting the members. Frankly all I see is a few fat cats riding the gravy train for all its worth without any compunction. How much did the leadership give up whilst we went on strike? Did they even suspend subs for 1 week as a gesture - no. Do they trumpet victory over their dismal failures - oh yes.

I heard rumours that they donated 1 days pay to either a charity or the Unions fighting fund to match the days we were on strike. Not sue if this is true and have no documentation to support it.

You are right mate it went to the fighting fund!

You'll pardon my ignorance of course but what was the fighting fund spent on? And if it was true - why not publicise it - I'd have more sympathy for a bunch of losers if I thought they had some measure of responsibility over their dismal performance.

The fighting fund was spent on any member who applied to it due to having extreme financial trouble. It was advertised in an LTB. I don't see what anyone would gain from publicising the fact that they paid into it but I am aware that all the national officials do so. Over the years i've paid into funds for strikes of firefighters, teachers, bus drivers. Never felt the need to advertise it though.

On this I think you damned at national level whatever you do. There would be people labelling it a stunt if it was announced to be happening. Trade Union values would suggest they should pay in. The likes of YOU and ME elected them so surely we felt they had the right values to lead us?