Royal Mail faces new strike threat from Unite

[Stormproof]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/2 ... ike-ballot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Relations have in the past been tense between Unite and the CWU, which both represent Royal Mail staff. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Royal Mail is facing industrial unrest on a new front after the Unite union said it would ballot thousands of managers on strike action for the first time since 1979, the year of the winter of discontent.

The threat of industrial action comes as the government prepares on Wednesday to debate in parliament for the first time the controversial postal services bill to privatise Royal Mail.

Unite, which represents about 15,000 Royal Mail managers, said that it would begin balloting members over the company's plans to make 1,500 job cuts in London – a figure that could include compulsory redundancies if there are not enough volunteers.

Royal Mail has been plagued by industrial unrest for years but disputes have been led by the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which represents most of the rest of the company's 160,000 workforce, one of the largest union memberships in the country. Relations have often been tense between members of the two unions, with many managers, represented by Unite, breaking picket lines on strike days called by the CWU.

The CWU is opposing government plans to privatise Royal Mail, mindful that new owners are likely to impose mass redundancies, and the move by Unite could see both unions combining to fight the privatisation plans.

Paul Reuter, national officer for Unite, said: "If Royal Mail are allowed to push ahead with forced redundancies it will keep coming back for more, so Unite intends to stop Royal Mail in its tracks. There have already been 5,000 job cuts over the last five years without any compulsory redundancies. Such a drastic step is not necessary now."

The ballot will take place at the beginning of next month.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We continue talking with Unite and have stressed we will continue doing our utmost to manage any job losses by voluntary means and that we have increased our existing voluntary redundancy package. As they know, these reductions are essential as we continue adapting to our rapidly changing and declining market, where mail volumes have fallen by 13m letters a day in just five years."

Also on Wednesday, the government will announce a substantial three-year funding package for the Post Office, which could be turned into a Co-operative Group-style mutual company once Royal Mail is privatised.

Ministers will outline how much will be provided to modernise and refurbish the 9,000 branches in the Post Office network, many of which are struggling to stay in business.

The new three-year package is much more generous than many executives expected, given the pressure on public finances, and is likely to run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

But despite this, the future of an independent Post Office, currently owned by Royal Mail, remains uncertain. The Post Office relies on Royal Mail for about a third of its revenue.

The National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) wants the government to force the new owner of Royal Mail to sign a contract lasting at least 10 years, committing it to continue to use the Post Office to provide services and process mail.

But government officials are instead proposing a maximum five-year contract. The NFSP is warning of "serious consequences" for the survival of the network if a longer contract is not secured, and it could try to block the privatisation.

George Thomson, general secretary of the NFSP, said: "There is no point mutualising the Post Office or privatising Royal Mail if it does not have a viable future – and it won't without a long-term agreement with Royal Mail."

This week, the CWU will lobby Labour MPs to add their voice to the campaign against privatisation. But with Conservative and Liberal Democrat backbenchers committed to the plan, it is almost certain to go ahead.

The government has said that Royal Mail staff will receive 10% of the privatised company's shares but has not specified whether it will float the business on the stock market or sell it to a rival such as Deutsche Post or the Dutch group TNT.

[baldrick]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/2 ... ike-ballot
Royal Mail has been plagued by industrial unrest for years but disputes have been led by the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which represents most of the rest of the company's 160,000 workforce, one of the largest union memberships in the country. Relations have often been tense between members of the two unions, with many managers, represented by Unite, breaking picket lines on strike days called by the CWU.

And many of us will find it difficult to forgive and forget the sight of managers, not just crossing our picket lines but also doing
our jobs when we were on our strike. And victimising CWU members who were on strike.

[ronnie6]

I think that is probably fair comment but I am aware that a number of (but not all) managers who crossed picket lines were of the 'new' breed of external recruits brought in on very large salaries in an attempt to inject a more commercial approach. Old RM staff, in the main, were fairly sympathetic to posties however, I'm not trying to justify the actions of anybody who decide to cross the picket line.
Having said that, this isn't about pay or hours of work, this is about compulsory redundancy, you and I both know that Royal Mail only need to make a single person redundant in this exercise and the precedent will have been set. Guess who they will come for next ?

[baldrick]

I understand what you're saying Ronnie, but will your own colleagues in frontline supervisory roles respect your picket lines (if there are any)?
And personally, I don't think I could cross any picket line.

[maisymoo04]

am all up for the strike,ad do our bosses job EASY ad just get off at 1030 hahahaha

[dazzlin72]

I will gladly be crossing the picket line if it happens, which i doubt it will. If you remember under the p&m agreement when posties went out on strike not over pay but working conditions, RM dragged the whole process out. But, low and behold managers threatened strike action and everthing was resolved with them very quickly indeed. That alone shows what the RM think of the footsoldiers. Anyway, those managers that do leave go with £80,000, far more than we the actual workers would. Dont feel any sorrow, pity, or shed a tear, they wouldn't if the shoe was on the other foot.

[DirtyHarry]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/2 ... ike-ballot
Royal Mail has been plagued by industrial unrest for years but disputes have been led by the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which represents most of the rest of the company's 160,000 workforce, one of the largest union memberships in the country. Relations have often been tense between members of the two unions, with many managers, represented by Unite, breaking picket lines on strike days called by the CWU.

And many of us will find it difficult to forgive and forget the sight of managers, not just crossing our picket lines but also doing
our jobs when we were on our strike. And victimising CWU members who were on strike.

I will never forgive, nor never forget, which is why I'll cross their joke picket lines when, and if, the time ever comes.

[DirtyHarry]

I think that is probably fair comment but I am aware that a number of (but not all) managers who crossed picket lines were of the 'new' breed of external recruits brought in on very large salaries in an attempt to inject a more commercial approach. Old RM staff, in the main, were fairly sympathetic to posties however, I'm not trying to justify the actions of anybody who decide to cross the picket line.
Having said that, this isn't about pay or hours of work, this is about compulsory redundancy, you and I both know that Royal Mail only need to make a single person redundant in this exercise and the precedent will have been set. Guess who they will come for next ?

Then that's the time for US to down our tools.
Tell me this, how big a mug would you feel if, we did show solidarity with our implacible enemy, helped them stave off what they thoroughly deserve, and when the millionaires decided to target US, those managers went back to their old ways and went out of their way to scupper our dispute?
I know how I'd feel, and why there isn't a Cat in Hell's chance of my putting myself in that position any time soon.

[ronnie6]

Unfortunately, rhetoric about implacable enemies and how much they deserve it aside, much as I hate to admit it you are probably right.

[Phantom]

Managers (if they do go on strike, which i don't think they will) will get a big f**k YOU as i cross their picket line, i ain't losing money for any w****r of management, f**k them and f**k unite

[guvenor]

[plainpat]

Just a thought:

If all managers in a particular office are out on strike, and RM is unable to provide a temporary manager to run that office, would they be enforced under Health and Safety Regulations to declare that office closed, and thus not allow access by postal workers?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The story is starting to spread:

http://news.carrentals.co.uk/strike-of- ... 19904.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11615277" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1 ... christmas/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://news.scotsman.com/news/UK-News-P ... 6597141.jp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/201 ... ers-strike" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.hellmail.co.uk/postalnews/te ... 1&zoneid=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://citywire.co.uk/money/royal-mail- ... on/a443536" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-2 ... -1979.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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

http://www.thelondondailynews.com/strik ... -4656.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[viking1488]

Just a thought:

If all managers in a particular office are out on strike, and RM is unable to provide a temporary manager to run that office, would they be enforced under Health and Safety Regulations to declare that office closed, and thus not allow access by postal workers?

that is right we will not be able to go into work if there are no managers and i dont think they will be able to get that many temps so i think all apart from main offices and mail centres the rest will be closed under Health and Safety Regulations

[Swinder]

I am going to predict the future in a very simple way;

1. Managers agree to strike.
2. Royal Mail back down.
3. Royal Mail still need to shed jobs to reduce costs.
4. Royal Mail decides to take aim at the ordinary workers.
5. For every manager that WOULD of been forced out they will take 2-3 workers.
6. Profit????