EXECUTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN IN YOUR OFFICE BY ROYAL MAIL

[dvbuk55]

If i was RM i would choose a small section of EXECUTIVE ACTION to take in different offices at different times thus avoiding a National ballet and as each new EA gets bedded in move on to the next one, leaving out and isolating the more "diffucult offices" until such times as they and the CWU are so isolated they no longer pose a threat. Looking at my own office and reading about other offices good and bad it seems to be well under way! Anyone else noticed a pattern like that or is it just me?

Even the local union bods are accepting change without a murmur - but I can tell you I'm not wearing a tutu for anyone - well almost anyone.

[Martin Walsh]

Linkin you say its easy to blame local union. But it is very easy to blame headquaters as well.

the fact is that we have a National policy agreed at the PEC informed to all Branch`s at a National Briefing that we do not agree to any further savings and we do not agree to any further peagsus revisons.

On top of that all Divisional reps are asked to put in a report to Headquaters from each of the Branch`s to understand what is happening in the field. Yet according to Royal Mail there are offices around the country still agreeing to revisons. Now there are 6 National Officers and 17 members of the PEC there cannot control what happens in each Branch. That is what the Branch is there for and what a Branch recives a rebate from Headquaters for.

Every office who is still agreeing to savings are making a national agreement less likely. It has to stop and it has to be everyones responsibility to do so headquaters , pec , divisonal reps , area reps , Branch`s and local reps.

Now I am up for a national ballot but there again I come from an area where we produced either when the union got the last no vote in the National Ballot in 2003. That nearly destroyed this union it was only the widespread unoffical action in London , southend , covertry , warrington and postmouth to name a few which got the union the £26.28 deal and the SDD agreement . This union cannot afford a no vote or Royal Mail will destroy our terms and conditions.

Look it takes time to get the members across the country on board for a national strike. If it was so easy why didt we have a national strike over the following when they opposed the 3.30 starts and the clear frame policy in Newcastle in the 90s, or when they the Northern Ireland No 1 branch went out unoffically in defence of their terms and conditions , or the Exeter dispute or the Burslem dispute the reason why we didt ballot nationaly was overall Branchs know you cant ballot nationally and be sure of a yes vote. I wish we could but you can only go to the well some many times.

Now the way to do it is the way London has agreed things and all Branch`s have supported is that if management introduce any revison by exective action in London then the whole of London will be balloted for strike action. Surprise surprise no office in London has had any executive action introduced.

Now before anyone argues its easy for London , answer me this how can you ask for a national ballot if first and formost the local office which has had a revison imposed is not up for action morevoer how can you ask for the whole union to be balloted unless the local branch is going to show unity and be balloted in support of an office within their control.

Now lets get one thing straight we are going to end up with a national ballot at some stage but I want to win it because I hated the feeling back in 2003 when besides London only a handful of other branch`s got a yes vote and Royal Mail imposed a load of SDD agreements.

Lets not forget that.

[Geezer]

Linkin you say its easy to blame local union. But it is very easy to blame headquaters as well.

the fact is that we have a National policy agreed at the PEC informed to all Branch`s at a National Briefing that we do not agree to any further savings and we do not agree to any further peagsus revisons.

On top of that all Divisional reps are asked to put in a report to Headquaters from each of the Branch`s to understand what is happening in the field. Yet according to Royal Mail there are offices around the country still agreeing to revisons. Now there are 6 National Officers and 17 members of the PEC there cannot control what happens in each Branch. That is what the Branch is there for and what a Branch recives a rebate from Headquaters for.

Every office who is still agreeing to savings are making a national agreement less likely. It has to stop and it has to be everyones responsibility to do so headquaters , pec , divisonal reps , area reps , Branch`s and local reps.

Now I am up for a national ballot but there again I come from an area where we produced either when the union got the last no vote in the National Ballot in 2003. That nearly destroyed this union it was only the widespread unoffical action in London , southend , covertry , warrington and postmouth to name a few which got the union the £26.28 deal and the SDD agreement . This union cannot afford a no vote or Royal Mail will destroy our terms and conditions.

Look it takes time to get the members across the country on board for a national strike. If it was so easy why didt we have a national strike over the following when they opposed the 3.30 starts and the clear frame policy in Newcastle in the 90s, or when they the Northern Ireland No 1 branch went out unoffically in defence of their terms and conditions , or the Exeter dispute or the Burslem dispute the reason why we didt ballot nationaly was overall Branchs know you cant ballot nationally and be sure of a yes vote. I wish we could but you can only go to the well some many times.

Now the way to do it is the way London has agreed things and all Branch`s have supported is that if management introduce any revison by exective action in London then the whole of London will be balloted for strike action. Surprise surprise no office in London has had any executive action introduced.

Now before anyone argues its easy for London , answer me this how can you ask for a national ballot if first and formost the local office which has had a revison imposed is not up for action morevoer how can you ask for the whole union to be balloted unless the local branch is going to show unity and be balloted in support of an office within their control.

Now lets get one thing straight we are going to end up with a national ballot at some stage but I want to win it because I hated the feeling back in 2003 when besides London only a handful of other branch`s got a yes vote and Royal Mail imposed a load of SDD agreements.

Lets not forget that.

Dingo i agree with what you have to say, but if the local and area branch has tried and failed to stop the Executive action could they not be balloted on a work to rule in the offices or area's affected.If they were and people still continued to do what management wanted flexibility,savings,later starts etc. then they would have no one to blame but themselves.The other side of this coin though is that the people who always support the union and who fight along side us will get crapped on and I find this hard to stomach.I know there are areas were the majority of people just don't want to know but in them same areas their are people who will still stand side by side with us when called too, and we need to do the same for them when they need our support.If we don't we will end up worse off because RM will have split us around the country, with each area saying sod them they didn't give a toss when it was happening to me, so I wont be helping them,and before we know it RM will have broken us as a union forever, which is something we just cant afford to let happen.

[dvbuk55]

If i was RM i would choose a small section of EXECUTIVE ACTION to take in different offices at different times thus avoiding a National ballet and as each new EA gets bedded in move on to the next one, leaving out and isolating the more "diffucult offices" until such times as they and the CWU are so isolated they no longer pose a threat. Looking at my own office and reading about other offices good and bad it seems to be well under way! Anyone else noticed a pattern like that or is it just me?

Even the local union bods are accepting change without a murmur - but I can tell you I'm not wearing a tutu for anyone - well almost anyone.

Its too easy to blame the "local union bods"! Sorry but the direction comes from HQ! The lack of support from HQ! Lack of imformation from HQ! Lack of leadership from HQ! As well as lack of education for OUR reps who have to work in this minefield of HQs good (not) work on their jack jones in each office as a layperson by HQ! And what our aspirations are from HQ! Its not from the "local union bods" but HQ! If some of our REPS find it hard or impossible to cope with then i aint suprised. I couldnt do their job under normal circumstances let alone the pile of sh*t they have been left to work with from yes you guessed it HQ! So thats the BS out of the way any chance of a few pixs of you in a tutu cause that we all need to see please.

Just tried on my old tutu - daren't take pictures - it looks like my tutus' swallowing a python

[POSTMAN]

On top of that all Divisional reps are asked to put in a report to Headquaters from each of the Branch`s to understand what is happening in the field.

I think this is a good way forward,but if the news is bad,which it probably will be,then we need to move on and do something about it.

Although to be fair,the 'to understand what is happening in the field' statement is and you have to be honest is a bit of a joke,they should always know what is happening.

Lets be honest again,there is somewhere where a lot of information is readily available!!!!

[Geezer]

On top of that all Divisional reps are asked to put in a report to Headquaters from each of the Branch`s to understand what is happening in the field.

I think this is a good way forward,but if the news is bad,which it probably will be,then we need to move on and do something about it.

Although to be fair,the 'to understand what is happening in the field' statement is and you have to be honest is a bit of a joke,they should always know what is happening.

Lets be honest again,there is somewhere where a lot of information is readily available!!!!

I cant think! , Now where could you possible mean

[dvbuk55]

Quote Just tried on my old tutu - daren't take pictures - it looks like my tutus' swallowing a python
dvbuk55

And your point is? Oh go on please showwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. LOL.

You are sooooooooooo persuasive

[irishstaff]

Mr Dingo, still as yet you have not answered the questions that I have asked, when was the last time you had a Delivery Bag on your back and work with the common membership? i am not having a pop yet, but just remember there, the elections our a coming for the P.E.C.

To continue blame or passing the buck is always easy everybody does it even H.Q, more so than the members, as they are always the last to no even before what has happen, but the only thing is the humble CWU O.P.G. member has to carry out everything that National U agree's, and yes Mr Dingo of course it does dont try and fool people ever on this site or the whole of the membership?

Not every person on this site or the whole of membership, dont realise that more politics our played against each other in H.Q. than Parliment- would you agree? You and others can change that but wont?

If you wish to qoute or mention scraps you have been in, you do so? but remember this you and the people YOU named our answerable to me and the paying members of this Union.

[dvbuk55]

Quote Just tried on my old tutu - daren't take pictures - it looks like my tutus' swallowing a python
dvbuk55

And your point is? Oh go on please showwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. LOL.

You are sooooooooooo persuasive

On behalf of ALL interested members of RMC

PS The snake was asleep

[Martin Walsh]

Irish staff your right i have not done a delivery for some time but I served my appernctiship in deliveries and I dont think you have to still do a delivery to have a view. What I can assure you is I meeting the members regually across a wide area of the country and I also meet local reps and Branch secs and Area Reps so believe I am in touch. I believe also that its about providing leadership in all roles across the union and where I come from we do that well and we stick together.

We also support other workers in their plight and stuggle and I was marching with you along the falls road and shankill road a couple of years. I was also invited to your do in the fish market so i would say i have no axe to grind with anyone. For me its always about policy.

From Headquaters down we all have made mistakes and I am as critacal of Headquaters as anyone when needed. But I have to say some of the neagative commnets from some posters on here you wouldt believe this union has done anything to look after the members over the last few years.

Its time you took the blinkers off. In 1999 OPGs were on £201.63 National Rate in 2009 ( without this years pay round) OPGs are on £347.04. Thats an increase of £145.41 in 9 years. Now in anyones view that is significant progress on pay.

Now lets look at Pay and Mod has it really been as bad as everyone thought. Certainly in the areas I repersent I come from Phase 3 and outdoor asorbition has not been introduced. Instead we took the money in pay rises and the £800 in two payment collleague share and phase 2 without doing very much at all other than agree a level of savings. Which has been a yearly proposal from mangement for the last 25 years. Moreover our members have achieved 4 day weeks and 9 day fortnights and increases in earnings. Further more the phase 4s joint working parties which everyone feared have as usual gone down a roadblock.

With regards to pensions that was not part of pay and mod and is something which should have been tackled by the leadership and branchs but I attended two northampton briefings where the majority of branchs wanted to wait for the Hooper report to be published rather than be balloted over pensions.

Now if you want a national strike then start lobby your branch committee , agm and they in turn can start lobbying headquaters. I am not the enemy nor is the leadership . The constant blame culture in this union is whats holding everyone back. Sometimes I just wish we all show leadership instead of passing the buck and blaming someone else thats so easy but gets us no where.

Its times we all show that we are going to fight the Governments plans and Royal Mails slash and burn policies at every level across the CWU in a united way. The members I repersent are up for that are you ??

[dvbuk55]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with Dingo - I am not subscribing to the sort of "corporate responsibility" by the membership that he alludes to.

I no longer deliver but I work in a delivery office and if he thinks that pay and modernisation has been a bed of roses at delivery level then he is further from the sharp end than he thinks. Oddly though that is the sort of mentality that seems to be prevalent with union bods.

But I digress the point in question is how do you fight executive action in offices now that there is such diverse contracts - some of which are apparently for 1 hour - there is little likelihood of a national ballot to fight anything, even privatisation because there is no unity.

It's a bit rich to ask for unity now when the last time the membership showed unity and took industrial action the initiative was squandered and the result was the pay and modernisation agreement and a denigration of the pension.

As for the pay well that was really a red herring - overall it amounts to 7% a year on average of course that culminated in the 1.5% last year so performance levels are falling in the negotiating stakes, I'm surprised we didn't see a "lucky to be in a job. I haven't heard of a figure mooted for this years pay rise but I dread to think what the price will be.

[padraig1965]

Irish staff your right i have not done a delivery for some time but I served my appernctiship in deliveries and I dont think you have to still do a delivery to have a view. What I can assure you is I meeting the members regually across a wide area of the country and I also meet local reps and Branch secs and Area Reps so believe I am in touch. I believe also that its about providing leadership in all roles across the union and where I come from we do that well and we stick together.

We also support other workers in their plight and stuggle and I was marching with you along the falls road and shankill road a couple of years. I was also invited to your do in the fish market so i would say i have no axe to grind with anyone. For me its always about policy.

From Headquaters down we all have made mistakes and I am as critacal of Headquaters as anyone when needed. But I have to say some of the neagative commnets from some posters on here you wouldt believe this union has done anything to look after the members over the last few years.

Its time you took the blinkers off. In 1999 OPGs were on £201.63 National Rate in 2009 ( without this years pay round) OPGs are on £347.04. Thats an increase of £145.41 in 9 years. Now in anyones view that is significant progress on pay.

Now lets look at Pay and Mod has it really been as bad as everyone thought. Certainly in the areas I repersent I come from Phase 3 and outdoor asorbition has not been introduced. Instead we took the money in pay rises and the £800 in two payment collleague share and phase 2 without doing very much at all other than agree a level of savings. Which has been a yearly proposal from mangement for the last 25 years. Moreover our members have achieved 4 day weeks and 9 day fortnights and increases in earnings. Further more the phase 4s joint working parties which everyone feared have as usual gone down a roadblock.

With regards to pensions that was not part of pay and mod and is something which should have been tackled by the leadership and branchs but I attended two northampton briefings where the majority of branchs wanted to wait for the Hooper report to be published rather than be balloted over pensions.

Now if you want a national strike then start lobby your branch committee , agm and they in turn can start lobbying headquaters. I am not the enemy nor is the leadership . The constant blame culture in this union is whats holding everyone back. Sometimes I just wish we all show leadership instead of passing the buck and blaming someone else thats so easy but gets us no where.

Its times we all show that we are going to fight the Governments plans and Royal Mails slash and burn policies at every level across the CWU in a united way. The members I repersent are up for that are you ??

dingo,I agree this divide and conquer at local level,I am lucky i have good area rep and the best at branch level.

[spilie]

once again dingo by your last post it shows just how out of touch the mid to top union are from the shop floor. Yes you take credit for pay deals but at what cost? maybe your area has been left alone but i can assure you mines hasnt we lapsed duties in the so called summer but wait yes youve guessed it were still lapsing oh and wait yes thats right weve lost more than 70 hours from our small office in the last 2 years oh and wait we no longer recruit full time staff, shall i go on...

[Geezer]

Dingo
You Said.....

Its time you took the blinkers off. In 1999 OPGs were on £201.63 National Rate in 2009 ( without this years pay round) OPGs are on £347.04. Thats an increase of £145.41 in 9 years. Now in anyones view that is significant progress on pay.

What has that got to do with the crisis we face now.Are you seriously telling me you want to justify the unions inaction by quoting on what's been achieved in the past.Remember it was'nt just the top brass that won concessions and good pay rises for us,but the actions of the Local Reps and Members who's support put you in the position to be able to negotiate the agreements You / WE Won.Remember that you are nothing without our support and if you believe otherwise then you defiantly aren't living in the same world as the rest of us,and don't forget it's the members who make the sacrifices not the executive.

[tpost]

Dingo
You Said.....

Its time you took the blinkers off. In 1999 OPGs were on £201.63 National Rate in 2009 ( without this years pay round) OPGs are on £347.04. Thats an increase of £145.41 in 9 years. Now in anyones view that is significant progress on pay.

What has that got to do with the crisis we face now.Are you seriously telling me you want to justify the unions inaction by quoting on what's been achieved in the past.Remember it was'nt just the top brass that won concessions and good pay rises for us,but the actions of the Local Reps and Members who's support put you in the position to be able to negotiate the agreements You / WE Won.Remember that you are nothing without our support and if you believe otherwise then you defiantly aren't living in the same world as the rest of us,and don't forget it's the members who make the sacrifices not the executive.

Quite right, at the coalface I see the union losing support as we are left to fend for ourselves. RM are picking off weak offices one by one and bringing in changes bit by bit. After the last strike it is now hard to get people interested and most people think we are doomed.