Post workers offer strike moratorium amid deal hopes

[phantomshare]

Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Postal workers' leaders offered the Royal Mail a three-month moratorium on industrial action today in an attempt to reach a deal on modernisation and avoid a fresh wave of walkouts.


The Communication Workers Union warned at its annual conference that unless senior managers at the company changed its plans to cut jobs, a national postal dispute was "inevitable".


Postal workers in London have already voted to take strike action, accusing the Royal Mail of "arbitrary" cuts in jobs and services, and ballots for action are planned in other parts of the country.


An emergency motion approved by delegates at the Bournemouth conference during a private debate said Royal Mail should be given a "final opportunity" to transform the business before major industrial conflict becomes "necessary".


The union suggested a three-month moratorium on any industrial action to create the "right environment" for negotiations about modernising the business.


Delegates called for a commitment on a new job security package, improved pay and benefits and a fresh start on employee relations.


Officials said the idea of a moratorium was "unusual", adding that it proved the CWU wanted to help deliver modernisation, one of the issues at the heart of the current raging debate about the future of the Royal Mail.


There have been reports that the Government was delaying the passage of the Postal Services Bill, which paves the way for a partial sale of the Royal Mail, in the face of huge backbench opposition from more than 140 Labour MPs.


One Labour MP opposed to the Government's controversial plans said it appeared the issue had been "kicked into the long grass", adding: "I would like to believe this is now dead."


No date has been given for the second reading of the Bill, with time now running out before Parliament closes for the long summer recess in the third week of July.

[pinstripe]

Have the union forgotten the fiasco of 2007? Give RM 3 more months to force through the changes they want? I'm glad I'm not in London or I would be feeling rather let down.

[tomangoe]

How many chances do we have to give Royal Mail and how much more crap do we have to take before the CWU wakes up and realizes that negotiation is not an option as far as Royal mail are concerned.We'll just have another talking shop and still end up where we were but Billy Hayes and his mates will think they've done a good job because a deal has been "negotiated".

[brothermagrew]

Have the union forgotten the fiasco of 2007? Give RM 3 more months to force through the changes they want? I'm glad I'm not in London or I would be feeling rather let down.

Have to agree and it brings me in mind of Adolf failing to understand the lesson of Napoleon Bonaparte in invading Russia with the winter months fast approaching.

[weetrogg]

please tell me this is a joke

[weetrogg]

Is there anyway the rank and file can bring about a vote of no confidence about nec?

[Yahoorsur]

'Officials said the idea of a moratorium was "unusual", adding that it proved the CWU wanted to help deliver modernisation, one of the issues at the heart of the current raging debate about the future of the Royal Mail.'


bolleaux
In the words of the wummin fae 'Chewin The Fat'

'I smell shite'

[stokes11eg]

The UNION asking for a moratorium?????? Could Billy Hayes, please come on to this board, and clearly explain the 'Unions'(his) idea behind this.Whos side are you on Billy???

[andy2007]

It's not neccessarily as daft as it sounds, giving RM 3 Months grace. We're in June already. 3 Months from now, we'll be into Autumn Pressure. It will create more of a backlog, than Striking when it's not particularly busy.

The danger though: Is that they might have forced in all their changes, before the 3 Months are up. It's one Hell of a gamble. And I hope for the NECs sake, that they don't loose this gamble. Or they could end up facing a vote of no confidence.

Yes, Weetrogg. It is possible for the Rank and File to have a vote of no confidence in the NEC. Or indeed ANYONE who was voted in, to represent us. I don't know the procedure. But I'm sure one of the Reps on here, will be able to tell you how to go about it.

[stokes11eg]

Sorry, I'm union through and through But in Recent years, Blagging billy seems to have done more do destroy R/M
than "DE Management"!

[General Mannerheim]

Good grief!
I bet RM are rubbing their grubby little mitts together.....let`s bulldozer through all the `savings` bolloxs and then when Billy Boy and co start we can point out it`s already `working`.
Cwu Headquarters......the Neville Chamberlain of the union.

[bogstandard]

i agree with your posting andy2007,
get us out of summer when the likley impact is less than what it could be in autumn.
Unfortunately like in 07 the business introduced all its changes (start times and network changes) and the union agreed them on paper at a later date, and also signed us up to the P and M agreement which is not as popular i quess as it initially was when it was voted through.

DW wants us to achieve the national average wage, but i'm wondering if he is waiting for the national average wage to come down to our level rather than us catch up with it given the deals he is negotiating. i mean come on S/a rate O/T rate flat rate they are virtually the same. Am i wrong in thinking S/A and flat rate payments should be at least a couple of quid different, not a coulpe of pence.

[left739]

Pretty bad even by the standards Hayes and Ward set in the last national dispute.

In some London offices - EC at Mount Pleasant - so I am told, management have already imposed revisions by executive action and I think this has happened in other places like Scotland? (If someone can confirm these facts please do)- I work in East London so can't be sure but I was told by someone that the EC posties were ready to walk but were persuaded by the Union reps to hold back till the London ballot, that ballot delivers 92% yes vote and despite that - they have to wait - a sure recipe for demoralisation.

The only way I think Hayes and Ward etc. could justify their stance is if it was conditional on RM withdrawing from its unilateral actions. If not then it is totally unacceptable and shows we need to take things into our own hands.

[oggie]

reminds me of that film mars attack

[dvbuk55]

Not a lot of good having a ballot with an overwhelming majority for strike action and then pull the plug yet again.

It is time for a clean sweep, get rid of the dross - and how do we do that? - well for one thing we need to get people to vote when these elections come up and to get people to stand, however I have found, in my experience, that Branches are pretty much like a masonic lodge - you aren't welcome unless you fit the profile - which is "don't rock the boat" and keep it in the "family".

The reality is that things aren't going to change, the Union itself is run as a business, not for the rights and good of those people who support it financially but to employ and pay handsomely those who think the union owes them a living and in one particular case a soap box for any whim that takes his fancy to further a political future - though in light of recent results it may well be too late - which means we are going to have to put up with more of the same until we are paying to come to work.