Executive action hits London

[dvbuk55]

I think your words will be wasted weetrog - I think London are very insular - and I just wonder how united they would be if they were offered a "Local" deal.

The goalpposts always seem to change when HQ become involved - "it's not a bricks and mortar thing, it's a people thing" they said - personally I think it is a lack of bottle thing.

[Martin Walsh]

Dvbuk in London we are fighting for a national deal and not a local deal. Back in 2003 when this union got a no vote London delivered a yes vote in both the national ballot and the London weighting ballot and in the end we went out unofficailly some of our offices for two weeks. Offices like southend chelmsford , Postmouth Covertry and warrington joined us and we got the union back in talks and achieved the £26.28 pence pay rise and the 5 day week for everyone. So we in London are hardly insular or after ourselves.

Its very easy complaining about everything but actions speak louder then a thousand words and we in London along with parts of Scotland and a growing number of other offices are holding the line as was agreed and are putting ourselves at the front of the fight to get a national deal. Whenever i do meetings with members in offices I frequently bump into what I call the canteen cowboys people who moan and talk a good fight but when the bullets are flying they are nowhere to be seen. I think there maybe a few on this site who fall into that catagory.

[dvbuk55]

Dvbuk in London we are fighting for a national deal and not a local deal. Back in 2003 when this union got a no vote London delivered a yes vote in both the national ballot and the London weighting ballot and in the end we went out unofficailly some of our offices for two weeks. Offices like southend chelmsford , Postmouth Covertry and warrington joined us and we got the union back in talks and achieved the £26.28 pence pay rise and the 5 day week for everyone. So we in London are hardly insular or after ourselves.

Its very easy complaining about everything but actions speak louder then a thousand words and we in London along with parts of Scotland and a growing number of other offices are holding the line as was agreed and are putting ourselves at the front of the fight to get a national deal. Whenever i do meetings with members in offices I frequently bump into what I call the canteen cowboys people who moan and talk a good fight but when the bullets are flying they are nowhere to be seen. I think there maybe a few on this site who fall into that catagory.

And good luck to you. However, how are you going to achieve a national agreement on modernisation, forget the pay element because that is a new and separate issue, when the modernisation plans have already been implemented under agreement over the last two years? Are RM going to re-instate the lost hours and members - as I've said before, theses agreements were under the auspices of the CWU and the NW reorganisation and it is disingenuous to suggest that we aren't holding the line now the modernisation and reorganisation have reached you and other areas. I don't recall seeing any posts from you when all the things we have said over the last two years were affecting us and we criticised HQ for failing to protect Reps from aggressive management tactics and a failure to negotiate local agreements and implementing EA - but now expect others to support you when those self same things happen to you.

[Martin Walsh]

You really dont get it , Royal Mail view of modernisation is to de recognise the CWU. Thats why they have made two bold statements one is that they no longer want national agreements and the second is that they no longer want to pay for change.

Look apart from the miners and the print workers we are the last union which has a massive role in the workplace. The Government and Royal Mail want to remove our strength. You see this is an issue which is going to effect you just as much as anyother postal worker in the UK.

Look they want to introduce one outward plan in the mail centre which will close further mail centres. That one outward plan will also reduce network runs. The second class will be removed from mail centres who have higher costs and given to cheaper mail centres.

In deliverys they want to sequence the mail. In the Gatwick trial the walk sequenicning machines work I was there visting last week there are 7 machines and they do three passes in 20 mins thats appox 6000 delivery points. The problem is the indivdual running the machine cannot keep up so the manual part of the operation slows it down meaning the second batch of work appox 40% of your work will not get into your office until after 10 00 in the morning. There is no need to get in early as you cannot throw your first part of the work up and with a 2 0clock last letter it will be a part time jobs.

Shorter saturdays will be a thing of the past as walk sequencing cannot operate with a shorter saturday.

So you can see this is plan which effects everyone, No one will be exempt from Royal Mail`s plans.

In terms of asking what I have done to support people who have been bullied well I was at Bruslem on the christmas eve picket 2007 and on the march . I support the Bristol 3 and i supported numerous other idivduals who have been bullied.

With regards to criticising CWU Headquaters been there done it more times then I care to remember. I have no problems having a go when at them when I think its justified whether that will be at DIvisonal meetings, National briefings , personal chats or at conference. But equally I will also defend them if i think they have done the right thing and Branch`s have gone against the agreed policy.

[weetrogg]

Dingo, i applaud the action that youre area and others are taking and i certainly agree that it all boils down to de-recognition but you have to understand that the attacks that are happening to you have been forced on us and when we fought back the union deliberatley cut us off at the knees. Our MC has always supported this union through numerous bouts of official and un-official action but as to wether we could manage to return a yes vote on a national issue im just not sure anymore

I think and hope that the action you are now taking will lead to a national dispute because if we dont win this battle, all the things you ve said ie part time workforce etc will become a reality.One thing that gives me optimism is the fact what is happening in your area and others seems to be membership led which is the only way any action can be successful

As ive said in other posts this union is in a perilous position and i believe the only way to rescue the situation is for more of the membership to become active and take an interest and generally just stand up and be counted.


WE are the union

[andy2007]

Weetrog, I think you're confusing the London area, with HQ. They are two seperate entities, despite the fact that HQ is located in that area.

I am very disturbed to find out that HQ lied about the reason for cancelling the IA. I'm from the same area as you, and although I work in an RDC, not an MC. I am affected by the NW Review, and was ready to come out with you. All we were told, was that "significant progress" had been made. Then, nothing. Don't misunderstand me: I see Strikes as a last resort, when ALL other options have been exhausted. But I think we have reached that point now.

Personally, I and my Collegues at the RDC, will benefit from the review. But we're not the kind of people to just look after ourselves. If it comes to it, we'd be willing to back you up. We are a Union. And as such, we should LOOK AFTER THE INTERESTS OF ALL. Not just ourselves. All this weakness from HQ, is undermining us.

Many of my Collegues think that HQ has "lost the plot". Although, as I keep pointing out to them: There are some high ranking Reps, who are starting to change their approach, and actually discuss these issues with us openly on here. Albeit with the shield of annonymity.

Personally, I think that staying annonymous is an advantage. As it allows people to be open, honest, and at times even leak vital information to us. Without fear of reprisals, from those who don't want us to know what's going on.

We are in a position now, where it's possible to change what's bad about the Union. And by that, I don't just mean HQ. There are plenty of US who could do more. We need to continue to communicate, encourage others to join in, and try to get control of the situation.

[weetrogg]

Andy i do understand that london are not HQ, the point i was replying too from dingo was he cant understand why the rest of the regions are not following londons lead, well i was just pointing out that what RM are trying in London they have already pushed through in the NW and when we tried to fightback it was HQ that pulled the plug and thats why the members have lost faith

I also said that what london and others are doing is in my opinion is the only way to save this union. as you pointed out in your post we need to act as one and i believe this will be the start of a fightback as i said its time every member stepped upand fought back

[BELIAL]

It gets increasingly clear that you can't view HQ as a single unified entity. Factions and power struggles and the big picture comes second.
Take the last dispute, someone came up with the devastatingly effective idea of rolling sector strikes,someone else as soon as they cottoned on to how effective this tactic was -decided to completely undermine this tactic by pushing for suspension of action as soon as talks were arranged ( bit of a piss take though,the decision makers not even attending said meetings,kind of a giveaway if you see what I mean)Guess some on here will know the folks who did the deed

[belle smith]

Dvbuk why do you think they have annouced the pay freeze now. Could it be that they know London will achieve a yes vote and they want to broaden the fight. Knowing that a protential national fight would take weeks if not months to organise. Time enough to weaken the union.

T

Dingo, have to say i have a concern that RM have announced a pay freeze in order to frame that as the reason for the industrial action which is currently pending on other issues, namely terms & conditions. and i fear that the union nationally (if they are not prepared) will not convey properly to the public via the media that this is not the main issue.

[BELIAL]

Why are you worried about public opinion? It counts for nothing . Public disapproval has not prevented a single Post Office closure or reduction in service provided by RM. I can think of lots of things this govt. has carried out despite widespread public disapproval, Helping to slaughter 300,000 civilians will do for a start
And if you ever believe that you can cross all the t's and dot the i's to get favourable or even fair and factual media coverage you must be bonkers
If Mother Theresa had asked for a living wage our corporate media machine would have painted her as the right hand man of the devil himself.
Time would be far better spent worrying about communicating with and informing the membership

[belle smith]

say what you want but the court of public opinion does matter! During the last strike i was dissmaed by the media coverage but did see both Billy hayes & Dave ward on the news and given every oppertunity to make our case, instead they performed like empty suits, thats hardly the medias fault!

[BELIAL]

Why does it matter?
Tend to agree with you on the other points, but then again it is amazing what you can do in an editing suit I remember Orgreave coming out backwards after a two hour gap in screening and some very artful cutting and splicing

[andy2007]

Of course it matters! If the Government can convince the Public that we're just a bunch of greedy b*****ds, looking after no. 1. Then how long do you think it'll be, before there is a Public backlash against US?
I'm ok, as I work indoors. But what about all of you, who actually go out in Public, delivering the Mail?
Would you REALLY want to be facing a majority of people, who were angry with you, for causing supposedly unneccessary disruption. When they, themselves are struggling with a pay freeze, drop in wages, or even redundancy?!?!?

As a wise man once said (sorry, I can't remember who): The truth will set you free!

[BELIAL]

Of course it matters! If the Government can convince the Public that we're just a bunch of greedy b*****ds, looking after no. 1. Then how long do you think it'll be, before there is a Public backlash against US?
I'm ok, as I work indoors. But what about all of you, who actually go out in Public, delivering the Mail?
Would you REALLY want to be facing a majority of people, who were angry with you, for causing supposedly unneccessary disruption. When they, themselves are struggling with a pay freeze, drop in wages, or even redundancy?!?!?

As a wise man once said (sorry, I can't remember who): The truth will set you free!

Thats a good saying,but if you are linking it in a positive way to our corporate media machine then I think you are mistaken.
Public opinion is routinely managed and manipulated by the media,the truth has very little to do with our modern news media . What stories make the news,the tone and content of those that do are all monitored and controlled ,even the "independent' BBC news output is subject to government approval. The truth is carefully edited or buried under a smokescreen of safe issues,red herrings ,agenda setting is a daily practice.
So in truth even if we went on strike to save ten thousand starving infants we would still be portrayed as rabid commie dogs in the media if our actions threatened govt. plans or fat cat profits.True ,there is no point handing the media our heads on a plate, say by striking at xmas,but we will be vilified whatever we do.
In a sense if you swallow the lie about public opinion being all important then you've lost already because you will never control the means to influence it, the odds and wealth are stacked against you. Public opinion never negotiated a settlement to any industrial action, it's only power lies in it's ability to influence your thinking and actions. To be honest ,the public can "backlash' all they like when I walk out cos I won't be seeing them,and after I've got my terms and conditions secured I think I would be able to shrug off a few insults with a smile on my face Who knows maybe some will be inspired by our stand and refusal to give in to the bone grinding profit machine.

[andy2007]

Public opinion isn't all improtant. But it is a significant factor. The timing of the announcement of the pay freeze, is in my opinion, the first salvo in the Media battle. The hard part is, to get the truth out there.

The Media is biased. But there are independant communications available: The Internet, word of mouth, leaflets (assuming that HQ can be bothered!), etc., etc..

We need to set the record strait. And like you said: Avoid giving them our heads on a platter.

Like I said in my previous post: Remember: The truth will set you free! We just need to get the truth out there!