PLEASE YOUR HEAD AND HEART

[jack straw]

You must vote NO. We will all lose money if this lousy deal goes through. Don't think, 'I will not bother to vote, it'll be ok'.
Every one of us is being shafted. Tell your colleagues, this is so important to vote NO.

[phantomshare]

Jack, have you other plans for the £10 billion that gordon might use to pay the pensions deficit off?

[Stormproof]

Phantom we all know your position regarding the ballot so stop ramming it down everyones throat! As for the pensions we are in this s**t because of governments taking the pensions holiday and creaming off all our profits.

[Big Daz]

The condtions for lifting the deficit are s**t, but can we really over turn them?

If so how?

[jack straw]

Yeah, and that pension holiday was started by Thatcher, I don't see that us being forced into taking out 6 d2d and losing £12 early morning allowance should fund the pension deficit do you?

[steven100]

Until i read that the government is prepared to plug the pension deficit in agreement with Tories and Liberals, the deal is no good.

[fishtank]

Until i read that the government is prepared to plug the pension deficit in agreement with Tories and Liberals, the deal is no good.

Not until the cash is banked and counted.
I don't want to hear the words "commitment to" or "promise to" or "long term aim" or "future plan" just cold hard cash and even then i would only commit to reconsidering my position.

[belle smith]

The condtions for lifting the deficit are s**t, but can we really over turn them?

If so how?

Daz pension schemes in deficit have the same legal status as company creditors. with the goverment currently borrowing £178 billion this year. they can't afford to start having companys that they own defaulting on debts. The intrest that they are charged would go through the roof.

The pension scheme is a red herring! THEY WILL PAY IT NO MATTER WHAT! They have no other option!

[tbi1959]

I don't do a delivery, so the the deal for me personally isn't that bad. It's not good but it's not bad. But i still won't vote for it. Chuck it out boys it's CRAP!!!!!!!!!

[numan]

When exactly did the CWU leadership's position on our pensions shift? In 2007 when they falsely claimed they'd decoupled pensions from the P&M agreement, they promised to fight to keep the final salary scheme for existing members and strive to introduce another (better than existing) plan for new members. After a period of deep slumber their only goal now appears to be to persuade the government (whose party many of the CWU leaders are paying members of) to cover the cost of pensions that we're actually legally entitled to.

[Lemuel]

I posted this before the proposed Agreement was published.

1. A 35 hour week
2. £400 basic pay
3. A fair and manageable workload, without reference to intimidation and bullying by some managers
4. Decent EVR's for older staff who want to go
5. Full time contracts for part time staff who work full time hours
6. The Tools to do the Job
7. Put the Customer before the budget.
8. Six weeks Holidays
9 Better financial settlement if I have to retire through Ill Health
10. Decent pension when I hang up my Boots

I'm not asking for the Moon, I just want better terms and conditions for the folk who come after me. Just as our older members got for us. Through Our Union

I've seen the proposed agreement and have compared it with what I was looking for.
1. 39 hour week (CWU aim for 35hr by progression over 3 years?)
2. Year one £347 basic pay to £354 + £20.60 = ££374, Year two £354 to £359 basic pay + £20.88 = £380, Year 3 £359 to £371 + £21.62 = £393 (all figs approx)
3. Haven't yet seen work rates but CWU will jointly agree. Have no faith that any action will be taken against bullying managers. CWU cite the 'new relationship with ACAS and Mr Poole as marriage guidance.
4. EVR's and VR still under MTSF protection and reward.
5. I think there will be an improvement in Full time mix. Do not support the pro rata payments on D2D. A major reason for voting No in their support.
6. They are promised but I've heard all this before.
7. Do not believe RM managers will discard budget based bonus. Managers Bonus scheme would have to go for this to happen.
8. More Saturdays off a major bonus in the Agreement if RM locally can be made to deliver.
9. Not mentioned and no improvement proposed.
10. No concrete evidence that the deficit will be met. Even if it is I have already lost out on the recent changes to career average scheme.

Is it enough to make me vote Yes and hope for the best?

No its not. I supported the Industrial action to force RM to talk to my Union and I will support further strike action to improve on this proposition. With a general election coming it applies maximum pressure on RM and the Government.