Postal strike: at least 1/4 of postmen to cross picket line

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postal strike: at least quarter of postmen to cross picket line

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... -line.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

More than a quarter of postal workers are expected to break the strike later this week as Royal Mail launched an advertising campaign to encourage its staff to go to work.

The Royal Mail spent tens of thousands of pounds placing full-page adverts in all national newspapers appealing to its staff to defy the postal union by crossing the picket line later this week.

The Communication Workers Union has called out its 120,000 members on two more days of national strikes, on Friday this week and Monday next week. This will take the industrial action into its fourth week, risking crippling the Christmas post for many consumers and severely damaging many small businesses that rely on the post.

Amid signs the public is losing sympathy for striking postmen, the Royal Mail called on "its people" to "decide about your future" and stop striking. A YouGov poll in The Daily Telegraph earlier this week suggested the public now equally blamed the workers for the strikes as they did the management. This was in contrast to two weeks ago when more blamed the management.

The Royal Mail appeal said: "We need to face the future together – not try to turn the clock back, as the union wants to do.

"A quarter of postmen and women have already chosen to work and to keep looking after their customers through these strikes."

The company's executives hope that more than a quarter will not strike this week. Every day that a postman strikes, he loses a day's pay and most workers have so far lost just two days' salary.

However, if the strike at the end of this week goes ahead they will have lost 4 days' pay, with many London workers having lost 18 days' pay, because they stopped work for many days during August, September and October in the run up to the national strike.

The union is angry that the Royal Mail has hired 30,000 temporary workers to help sort through the backlog of delayed post. It is taking the company to the High Court on Friday in an attempt to injunct the company, claiming the Royal Mail has broken employment law by hiring "strikebreakers".

The Royal Mail said it has broken no laws, and the agency workers are carrying out additional duties, rather than replacing striking workers.

Despite the recriminations, talks between the management and the CWU leaders are continuing at the TUC headquarters in an attempt to resolve the differences between the two sides. The union still insists that it has the right to veto any key change in working practice, while the management insists that postmen will have to work more flexible hours.

Though progress is being made, time is running out to reach a breakthrough. If one is not made by Thursday night, the current backlog of delayed post, which had fallen below 20 million, is likely to climb rapidly.

[nelson]

That headline should read---------at least 3/4 of postman will not cross picket line

[rmdriver]

More than a quarter of postal workers are expected to break the strike later this week as Royal Mail launched an advertising campaign to encourage its staff to go to work.


How do they know this???? More propaganda I think. :cfo

[elmo]

That figure is rubbish. What royal mail are doing is counting everyone they pay, this includes people on a/l, s/l and rest days! If you add these numbers up they would work out around 25%. You would of thought you was up against shane warne with the amount of spin this lot come out with!

[clashcityrocker]

The only answer to this spin is to ensure the picket lines are manned by postmen and women in full uniform so the general public know we are solidly out on strike in support of our union.

[barkersboy]

If we do lose backing from members of union and the public the blame will rest solely with CWU. RMs "spin" is having an effect with the newspapers carrying full page adverts, which are read by members and the public, but nothing from CWU to reply to the statements. In our workplace it is hard to find a union rep and when you do there is no robust reaction to RMs claims. The "Activists" in our unit are being closely monitored by management who are quick to pounce if they see us talking to the wavering postmen. There are no posters on the union board so postpeople just walk past it.
Through union inactivity we may start to lose support.

[La Poste]

Through union inactivity we may start to lose support.

Indeed. And management will start spreading bullsh1t rumours that people may well start believing unless there is a good flow of information from the union.
Communication is essential here absolutely essential.

[ExSG]

[quote][/quote]

So you think the position has changed and all the media are suddenly on your side? Its always been like this, there is no possiblity of rags like the Sun, the Torygraph et al publishing anything the Union puts out.

The best way to combat this type of mass media crap is to talk to your customers and tell them what is going on. If they trust you, you can convince them of the truth.

This blame game, putting it all on the Union is nonsense. Would you want the Union to waste your money on full page adds? I can just hear the groans from the moaners on the floor about what are they spending my money on now?

[treadhead]

Through union inactivity we may start to lose support.

Indeed. And management will start spreading bullsh1t rumours that people may well start believing unless there is a good flow of information from the union.
Communication is essential here absolutely essential.

There must be some one on here that can pass these comments on the communications from the union through out have been appaling its not to late to reverse this but the union must act now at the very least members who may waver this weekend need more encourement from branch and HQ.

[dogfood]

Would you want the Union to waste your money on full page adds?

I would rather it be spent on a full page ad giving the truth, than finding its way into the labour parties coffers.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

Would you want the Union to waste your money on full page adds?

I would rather it be spent on a full page ad giving the truth, than finding its way into the labour parties coffers.

Correct!

[Robocop]

That figure is rubbish. What royal mail are doing is counting everyone they pay, this includes people on a/l, s/l and rest days! If you add these numbers up they would work out around 25%. You would of thought you was up against shane warne with the amount of spin this lot come out with!

Exactly! 16.66% will be on their day off and roughly 10% ( in my office anyway ) will be on annual leave.

It's just like the result of the ballot,RM get slaughtered then use the figures to suggest we were against striking. It annoys me that journalists were never clued up enough to pull Higson et al up about this kind of spin.