Would you stike for six months

[DirtyHarry]

6 months , 6 years , a lifetime , whatever it takes. I will never surrender to them.

[arsenalbob]

government would not let it run for 6 months. they would force a compromise, though without an agreement the strings will always be surfacing.

[ulster postie]

hear hear dirtyharry

[mailman71]

a ban on overtime plus 1 day strikes is the way to go .
in my first year as a postman we were on strike in 71 we were out for 7 weeks but were forced back because of financial problems for many of us,thats why in my humble opinion having some money coming in while we strike is the only way forward

[side_door]

I am prepared to strike for as long as it takes. But I also feel that the work to rule should have been our starting point. The whole point of this dispute are the strings which are attached to this paltry pay deal - but for those, there would be no dispute. A work to rule would demonstrate very aptly the unworkability of many of these proposals. If accepted, any deal based on the proposed business plan would have us working overtime everyday for nothing. Very quickly most of us would end up on a work to rule by default anyway. I think the one day option sent the wrong message to Leighton and Co. It suggests weakness on our part and has encouraged them to make these statements about weathering a 6 month strike. I think that they believe that if they hold out (through a couple more one day strikes) then the resolve of the majority of union members will crumble. I doubt it will take 6 months but it won't end with this one day action either. If our union leaders had reacted appropriately to RM aggression earlier then our task would be easier now. As it is we have to work with what we've got. I'll be out picketing tommorrow and working to my time on Saturday as I did today. Those people who talk about making back in overtime what they lose on missing a day through strike, are in my view misguided. At the end of the day it all comes down to money for the bosses. No big fines are going to be imposed by Postcomm (see other thread on that announcement) and Gordon Brown is not going to want to be seen as any less the Tory than his predeccesor. The only way this strike will end is if Royal Mail realise that financially they cannot sustain it. That happens when RM have to bring agency staff or pay well over the odds in OT to get the mail out. IF YOU DO DO ANY OVERTIME AFTER THE STRIKE, make the screws pay through the nose for it.

[jafferpants]

I was also out in 71 for 7 weeks. we wanted a £3 a week increase but we didn't get it thanks to tom jackson selling us down the river and if you doubt my word just reasearch the history and you will see i'm right. As for a 6 month strike in this day and age it would never be allowed to happen. I'm already surrounded by people whinging about a day.As in 71 i support this strike 100% but think on this in 71 we had no alternative to the post no fax, no email, no mobiles, no private couriers, and no video conferancing and we lost YOU DO THE MATHS.

[baldrick]

I didn't work in the Post Office in 1971, but I remember seeing the UPW march down Fleet Street during the strike.
But some of the old timers at work (they have all gone now) used to tell me that although they did not win any increase after 7 weeks on strike they did get good pay increases every year for the following ten years as a result of showing that they were prepared to fight.

[madsorter]

Side door is spot on i reckon, wtr would of been more of a point maker than one dayers. which.... as i ve said all along are not going to work... people are already moaning about loss of pay from 1 day of action and ive heard absolutely loads say they are going out for ONE DAY only then in for any more, i think they are under some ridiculous illusion that a one dayer is gonna work!!! WTR SHOULD OF BEEN 1ST cos people are gonna crumble FAST after this one dayer has no effect. Also this is gonna lose us contracts which puts us in a worse position than we started as there are MANY alternatives to us these days!! Although im backing the union with strike action myself..........im saying it was a very HASTY move.


Public aint too impressed either http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread. ... 0629112353

[martin]

I was on the picket line at 3.30. Only managers went in our office. STAY STRONG :lfo :cfo