ALL BALLOT COMMENTS IN THIS THREAD PLEASE

[bandit1157]

speaking as a part timer with less than two years service [doesn't take too long for disillusionment to set in] fantastic news. now remember how royal mail have treated you, it's our turn now, our big chance. stick it right up them because if you hesitate now they will walk all over you forever.

"Veni, vidi, vici" I came, I saw, I conquered.

[revilo88]

I can't see many of the part timers voting for a strike. Most of them won't be union members anyway. It's a case of "how many union members voted" not "how many people work for Royal Mail".

Hang on a minute mate, I am part time, I am in the union and I voted yes, how can you stereo type all of us part timers,fed up with this anti part timers crap! we all work together, it not our fault that we are made part time

I agree thats a very offhand comment to make about part timers.

[shelanda]

OK SORRY MATE

He did apologise

[Ethilfrog]

OK, we've had enough euphoria. Let's examine the reality. Rough figures to make the point plain:

60K in favour.
20K against.
40K didn't vote.

Add in all the people who aren't members of the union (please don't think their views don't matter, because when it comes to taking part in IA they definitely do) and we have a MINORITY who are definitely 'yes'. The rest are lukewarm at best.

An ambiguous result. What a disaster.

Deep down, and judging by their attitudes today, Hayes and Ward know this.

[BIG AL]

speaking as a part timer with less than two years service [doesn't take too long for disillusionment to set in] fantastic news. now remember how royal mail have treated you, it's our turn now, our big chance. stick it right up them because if you hesitate now they will walk all over you forever.

"Veni, vidi, vici" I came, I saw, I conquered.

I agree,
Now lets ALL stand up and be counted!

Lets get rid of this crap EA; bullying and intimidation from management; Pegusus/Georoute etc sort out the walks the old way 'on foot' and give us back some respect and dignity!

AT LAST A YES VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!



STAND FREE................................

[BELIAL]

OK, we've had enough euphoria. Let's examine the reality. Rough figures to make the point plain:

60K in favour.
20K against.
40K didn't vote.

Add in all the people who aren't members of the union (please don't think their views don't matter, because when it comes to taking part in IA they definitely do) and we have a MINORITY who are definitely 'yes'. The rest are lukewarm at best.

An ambiguous result. What a disaster.

Deep down, and judging by their attitudes today, Hayes and Ward know this.

Complete and utter bollocks if you don't mind me saying 76% yes of a 67% turnout. What do you think the turnout is in general elections? Try 30% ,still if anyone knows of a National party that has manage to secure 76% of a 30% turnout I'd be mightily impressed.
Three to one in favour on such a massive response is a crushing mandate and an absolutely devastating comment on the state of RM management.
Well done CWU members and a big thank you to those that have led the way
You stood up and you've been counted

[Sandra D]

OK, we've had enough euphoria. Let's examine the reality. Rough figures to make the point plain:

60K in favour.
20K against.
40K didn't vote.

Add in all the people who aren't members of the union (please don't think their views don't matter, because when it comes to taking part in IA they definitely do) and we have a MINORITY who are definitely 'yes'. The rest are lukewarm at best.

An ambiguous result. What a disaster.

Deep down, and judging by their attitudes today, Hayes and Ward know this.

I agree with Ethilfrog that it is more 50/50 on yes / no (though bear in mind that not all who didn't vote would have said no, but it is fair to think that probably most would have meaning at least a 40-45% 'no' I'd say).
However, I am baffled why this is good. Perhaps things are talked about differently in the vast majority of units, but my understanding is this is awful news. Clearly I'm in the minority based on the vote alone, but I don't understand why. Not looked to make an argument, but I know a good few people in various other companies who have been made redundant and another person with a pay freeze and even one with a pay cut forced.
We haven't faced any of this (unless I'm wrong and some have), so I view us as exceptionally fortunate compared to a considerable number of others out there. ALL companies are/have been struggling after all.
I just don't see how really pissing of the country will do anything to aid us and don't even see the need to do so when so many other friends/people are in FAR worse situations with their jobs. Quite frankly it makes me ashamed and embarrassed to talk to people facing real serious issues with their work life and employers.
I'm sure to elect some hatred for this post, but I don't mean any negativity to those here or who voted yes, I just genuinely don't see how it is a good thing. Just an understanding issue, not a hatred one!

[crash]

Thank god we have actually arrived at our national ballot and a massive yes vote.we need to co-ordinate the way we take our action,although i think cross functional strikes(different days)has more effect on the bussiness with least effect to our members.It seems up here in scotland it is unworkable because we still have problems crossing our colleagues picket lines,even if we know they will be taking their action the next day,so lets have strikes when we are all out at the same time,and lets not sell ourselves short this time ,we dont stop the action until we have concrete national agreements that can be understood and not twisted by local managers,lets win this one for a change.

[mdlmrk]

Would just like to wish you all the best,i left Royal Mail after the last strike in 2007 cause i could see what was coming....I just hope you come out of this with a better deal this time around !

[Ethilfrog]

Complete and utter bollocks if you don't mind me saying 76% yes of a 67% turnout. What do you think the turnout is in general elections?

Don't mind you saying so at all. I just wish that the evidence supported your conclusions. I wouldn't have said this a few months ago but what I've seen since then has made me change my mind.

Your comparison with general elections is a false one. No-one has to vote in a general election and if you don't vote you just put up with the result, the way things are these days the result is unlikely to change your life.

Not so this vote. When the call comes to strike everyone has to decide what to do, including the apathetic and the non-members. This is where what I call the 'lukewarm at best' come into play. They might put up with one or two days but that won't be enough, and anything longer will mean the union haemorrhages support. This is what happened in 2007.

I repeat -- the campaign has less than 50% support. (That, too, is the same as 2007).

[spiderman]

.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Complete and utter bollocks if you don't mind me saying 76% yes of a 67% turnout. What do you think the turnout is in general elections?

I repeat -- the campaign has less than 50% support. (That, too, is the same as 2007).

Your maths is wrong - lets base it on 100 workers 76% of 67 workers (the turn out)= 50.92% thats a majority of those eligible to vote. You cannot count those who are ineligible because they are not members and if you did it would be only fair to give them a similar division of the votes.

No matter how hard you spin it it is still one of the strongest votes for action that this Union has ever had.

[rathbonepostie]

Not looked to make an argument, but I know a good few people in various other companies who have been made redundant and another person with a pay freeze and even one with a pay cut forced.
We haven't faced any of this (unless I'm wrong and some have), so I view us as exceptionally fortunate compared to a considerable number of others out there. ALL companies are/have been struggling after all.
I just don't see how really pissing of the country will do anything to aid us and don't even see the need to do so when so many other friends/people are in FAR worse situations with their jobs. Quite frankly it makes me ashamed and embarrassed to talk to people facing real serious issues with their work life and employers.
I'm sure to elect some hatred for this post, but I don't mean any negativity to those here or who voted yes, I just genuinely don't see how it is a good thing. Just an understanding issue, not a hatred one!

Yes, many others are in a worse situation. But that doesn't explain why we should accept the s**t we have to put up with, nor why they should either. I'm not just in favour of us postal workers resisting such things, but others too. Ultimately the powers that be want us workers to pay for a crisis which is not of our making. They can bail out the banks with billions, but we are supposed to pay with job losses, pay freezes etc. We should resist and we should support everyone else that does. If we do so successfully, we can set an example to others.

[Ethilfrog]

Your maths is wrong - lets base it on 100 workers 76% of 67 workers (the turn out)= 50.92% thats a majority of those eligible to vote. You cannot count those who are ineligible because they are not members and if you did it would be only fair to give them a similar division of the votes.

No matter how hard you spin it it is still one of the strongest votes for action that this Union has ever had.

Sorry, as stated above non-union members do eventually get to vote, in a very real sense. That's when they decide whether to support the strike ... or not. Your assumption that their preferences reflect those of union members is wishful thinking I fear. Even if they do, their attitudes may change if the situation escalates

And 50.92% of those eligible to vote is marginal to say the least.

As I say, an ambiguous result. A disaster.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Your maths is wrong - lets base it on 100 workers 76% of 67 workers (the turn out)= 50.92% thats a majority of those eligible to vote. You cannot count those who are ineligible because they are not members and if you did it would be only fair to give them a similar division of the votes.

No matter how hard you spin it it is still one of the strongest votes for action that this Union has ever had.

Sorry, as stated above non-union members do eventually get to vote, in a very real sense. That's when they decide whether to support the strike ... or not. Your assumption that their preferences reflect those of union members is wishful thinking I fear. Even if they do, their attitudes may change if the situation escalates

And 50.92% of those eligible to vote is marginal to say the least.

As I say, an ambiguous result. A disaster.

Ambiguous - when a majority of those eligible to vote returned a YES vote. Yet no party who has been voted into Government in the last 100 years or so has had anything approaching that figure - in fact most governments get by on a 30% turn out and a 40% share of that vote.

No matter how its spun it is a strong mandate for the CWU and it shows how strong the feelings are with RMs workforce. You can ignore the vote and dismiss it thats your DEMOCRATIC choice we have made ours.

BTW it also wishful thinking if you believe that 100% of those who are not in the CWU would not support a strike, you can only base your assumptions on the data available and that data shows strong support for the Unions position.