Why did ward suspend the strike?

[left739]

I don’t know if this has been discussed on the site anywhere, but I was talking to someone involved in the union at a local level. He thought Ward had made a big mistake in suspending the strike when he did. He said that the way it happened was that the TUC and ACAS were trying to get the sides to negotiate but RM was refusing. The government joined in to put its weight behind the TUC/ACAS effort and RM reluctantly agreed. However apparently when RM saw the letter that was to be put out by the union to announce the suspension they said they couldn’t accept it because it said used mentioned ‘negotiations’.

Ward was then naturally of a mind to not suspend the strike, but the government through TUC and ACAS put pressure on him to suspend the strike anyway and remove the word ‘negotiate’ or ‘negotiations’ from the letter. As I see that the letter
does not talk of ‘negotiations’ but only ‘talks’ this account seems accurate. There seems a big difference between talks and negotiations at least a big difference for Leighton. javascript:emoticon(':lfo')

If this account is true - and I trust the guy who told me – it suggests that Ward has made a bad move. Rightly or wrongly he had publicly said that he would call off the strike if RM entered ‘meaningful negotiations’. But he could easily have argued that RM were not offering this. How can one believe that Leighton is ready to enter ‘meaningful negotiations’ if he won’t even agree that he is negotiating!

Of course whether called ‘negotiations’ or ‘talks’ there are talks/negotiations going on, but by agreeing to let Leighton avoid using the word, Ward entered these talks showing weakness.

The guy who told me thought that we should have kept the strike going till RM was ready to come to us. Now if RM aren’t ready to give us a good deal Ward will feel he has to recommend a bad one or look foolish when he has to call us back out on strike.

What do people think?

[mailman71]

i think we should wait and see what offer is made before we condem ward,remember leighton and crozier said they would never talk with the union so to get them to the talks was a big step forward

[heapsy]

Think we did the right thing. It shows that we are being honest and open, and not, as some papers and other areas of the media have tried to assume, militant. If talks break down, people will at least know that we did engage in those talks.

[crocodillapig]

i agree we should wait for the outcome of the talks/negotiations and if it is a crock of s**t as we suspect then bollocks to them all out and stay out indefinetly to show closure and lateworm that we mean business :cfo :lfo

[armani]

I heard from a good source in RM that it was due to Postcomm trying to step in with fines because of delivery failures.
I dont think the reason put forward in the opening post hold much water due to the fact that POL are still striking. POL do not have any regulatory requirements that striking can make us fail.

If this is the case it makes all the workers involved look like very small pawns in a big chess game.

[DirtyHarry]

We won't know until on or about the 4th Sept, whether Dave made an error of judgement, or not. As ever, patience is key in all this.

[DGP1]

I heard from a good source in RM that it was due to Postcomm trying to step in with fines because of delivery failures.
I dont think the reason put forward in the opening post hold much water due to the fact that POL are still striking. POL do not have any regulatory requirements that striking can make us fail.

If this is the case it makes all the workers involved look like very small pawns in a big chess game.

At least you could stop using the same post over again

[crocodillapig]

who is this guy armani he seems to have a lot to say for himself, seems to have an attitude problem as well and doesnt react well to constructive criticism. i think this person must have too much time on his hands and hasnt learnt the art of masturbation yet or maybe hes a manager i wonder which? :cfo :lfo

[IWW Fellow Worker]

who is this guy armani he seems to have a lot to say for himself, seems to have an attitude problem as well and doesnt react well to constructive criticism. i think this person must have too much time on his hands and hasnt learnt the art of masturbation yet or maybe hes a manager i wonder which? :cfo :lfo

If he isn't already a manager, he looks as though he expects to be one soon. I'll bet his colleagues are sick of the toadying, arse-licking creep.

[POSTMAN]

OI!! Primark!!! f**k off to your own forum!

On a serious note,actually i WAS being serious
All these sources going down,gonna put Heinz out of business

Anyway,i'm ready to go back out if it's a stitch up!
Lets hold tight and see what the outcome is.

[billypants]

Actually IF this story about RM insisting that the word "negotiate" be removed from the press release is true then I'm with left739 on this one . . . . the only reason Ive supported the suspension of action up to this point is because that's what the CWU promised from day 1 . . . . as long as RM enter "meaningful negotiation" . . so if RM are so insistant that they haven't done this why exactly have we stopped doing what was, so obviously, starting to work . . . if RM aren't "negotiating" we should all be on that picket line . . . regrouping and regaining support from 4th Sept will not be easy

[armani]

Dont take the hump with everything I say guys.

This was something I heard coming through RM before most knew about the strikes stopping.

Not on a wind up here

[POSTMAN]

No one's got the hump Primarky,it's just yours is about the 5th rumour so far since the strikes we're suspended!

[L Tommo]

HE COMES ON GOBBING OFF, GETS THERE OWN FORUM... (FAIR CALL) THEN COMES ACROSS HERE TO SPOUT TO US AS A CWU MEMBER AND TELL US THE RUMOURS!!!! NOW PISS OFF RUMOURMUNGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

GO N SHINE YA LITTLE GLASS BOX FOR YOUR OLD DEARS AND FELLERS THAT WANT A XMAS CARD FOR AUNTIE MABLE N A BOOK ON WATER FEATURES BY CHARLIE DIMMOCK!!

Sad bastard!!!

[pistol]

HE COMES ON GOBBING OFF, GETS THERE OWN FORUM... (FAIR CALL) THEN COMES ACROSS HERE TO SPOUT TO US AS A CWU MEMBER AND TELL US THE RUMOURS!!!! NOW PISS OFF RUMOURMUNGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

GO N SHINE YA LITTLE GLASS BOX FOR YOUR OLD DEARS AND FELLERS THAT WANT A XMAS CARD FOR AUNTIE MABLE N A BOOK ON WATER FEATURES BY CHARLIE DIMMOCK!!

Sad bastard!!!

So he's off your christmas card list then????