told to cross picket lines.

[silly suffolk]

So, do we or don`t we? What`s the CWU stance on this and, probably more importantly, what`s the management stance?
I know previously we were told to take mail out and bring it back if there`s a picket line, but considering the constant B & H from managers now and there need/want to get rid of staff by fair means or foul how should we approach next wednesday? (remember, going sick is the cowards way out )

tell your manager you felt threatened so didn't cross the line. always a good get out clause if they get arsey.

[chelseachris]

Why are we not out with them?

[TeeferTiger]

Why are we not out with them?

Did they come out with us?

[silly suffolk]

Why are we not out with them?

Did they come out with us?

the local fbu supported my branch when we were last on strike, nice to see your looking at the bigger picture.

[ihatedogs]

it does not matter what royal mail or the cwu stance is on crossing picket lines,its something you never ever do,crossing a picket line is the same as being a scab

I agree. However...... we`re expecting a WTL on this mon/tues and the shop floor feeling seems to be that the DOM/DIM ( dumb? ) will be pushing us to cross them and deliver. Unfortunately our rep is a shoulder shrugger.
Are we in danger of putting ourselves in the firing line over something which is no concern of ours? As pointed out in this thread nobody came out with us.
Anyway, Its saturday. I`m on leave and footy kicks off at three. I`m off to the pub.

Edited to point out that in over thirty years of working I`ve never worked a strike or crossed a picket line.

[Martin Walsh]

The simple reason why we are not out with them is our pension scheme is not a public sector pension scheme and has not been since 1969.

All of these unions deserve our support , our former general secretary Alan Johnson when he was the minstered did a deal with them which closed their pension schemes for new recurits but allowed the final salary scheme to continue. The Government has now come back for the final salary scheme , increased contirbutions , changing the format from RPI to CPI and increasing the retirement age.

Some of the unions involved do not mind going into a care scheme as the way the care scheme works is through annual pot and you can therefore get more of your unpensionable pay into the care scheme and for lower paid workers a care scheme means that they could be better off then basing their pension on the last 3 years.

However the reason we are not involved is the following , RPI to CPI does not effect anyone who is in the POPs scheme who has RPI written into the scheme which is the vast majority of those employed after 1987 , does not effect those in the POSS scheme those who joined before 1987 until they retire and then there pensions will go up by CPI rather than RPI.

However the bizare thing is that retired members in our schemes would have recieved a higer pension increase down to CPI than RPI as the pension increase is done in September for the following April. RPI stood at 5.6 and CPI stood at 5.2. However the POPs scheme has a cap at 5.0 and therefore those who have reitired will get 5% , whereas those in Poss who are paid on CPI have no cap and will recieve 5.2 %.

Whilst we have lost our final salary we have not had increased contirubitons like what is being proposed by the public sector schcemes.

In addition whilst our retirement age is now 65 , the big differenence and is unquie in pension schemes is that someone can get their final salary scheme at 60 which means all your past service before 2008 will be calculated on your best of your last 3 years so still final salary and then continue to pay into the care scheme and then take that pension at 65 so you have the benefit of two pension pots.

Now in terms of our support for the public sector scheme strikes , we should support their battle , and I know many of ours will never cross a picket line out of principle , pride and respect. What makes me laugh is the Con Dems lining up to moan about the strike ballot turn outs , what percentage of the vote did the LIB Dems or the tories get in the general election.

Equally what all those moaning about subsiding the public sector pension schemes do not realise is that the taxpayer ( us included ) end up subsidying all those in the private sector who do not have a pension schceme and therefore cannot afford to live when they retire.

[silly suffolk]

dingo, you restore my faith in the human race

[TeeferTiger]

Why are we not out with them?

Did they come out with us?

the local fbu supported my branch when we were last on strike, nice to see your looking at the bigger picture.

No, I was merely saying that you can't expect every union to go on strike when every other union goes on strike. Although I have to say, our local civil servants were less than supportive in 2007 We didn't cross their picket lines the last time they were on strike either, but they quite happily crossed ours to pick their mail up.

[youwot!!!!!]

The simple reason why we are not out with them is our pension scheme is not a public sector pension scheme and has not been since 1969.

All of these unions deserve our support , our former general secretary Alan Johnson when he was the minstered did a deal with them which closed their pension schemes for new recurits but allowed the final salary scheme to continue. The Government has now come back for the final salary scheme , increased contirbutions , changing the format from RPI to CPI and increasing the retirement age.

Some of the unions involved do not mind going into a care scheme as the way the care scheme works is through annual pot and you can therefore get more of your unpensionable pay into the care scheme and for lower paid workers a care scheme means that they could be better off then basing their pension on the last 3 years.

However the reason we are not involved is the following , RPI to CPI does not effect anyone who is in the POPs scheme who has RPI written into the scheme which is the vast majority of those employed after 1987 , does not effect those in the POSS scheme those who joined before 1987 until they retire and then there pensions will go up by CPI rather than RPI.

However the bizare thing is that retired members in our schemes would have recieved a higer pension increase down to CPI than RPI as the pension increase is done in September for the following April. RPI stood at 5.6 and CPI stood at 5.2. However the POPs scheme has a cap at 5.0 and therefore those who have reitired will get 5% , whereas those in Poss who are paid on CPI have no cap and will recieve 5.2 %.

Whilst we have lost our final salary we have not had increased contirubitons like what is being proposed by the public sector schcemes.

In addition whilst our retirement age is now 65 , the big differenence and is unquie in pension schemes is that someone can get their final salary scheme at 60 which means all your past service before 2008 will be calculated on your best of your last 3 years so still final salary and then continue to pay into the care scheme and then take that pension at 65 so you have the benefit of two pension pots.

Now in terms of our support for the public sector scheme strikes , we should support their battle , and I know many of ours will never cross a picket line out of principle , pride and respect. What makes me laugh is the Con Dems lining up to moan about the strike ballot turn outs , what percentage of the vote did the LIB Dems or the tories get in the general election.

Equally what all those moaning about subsiding the public sector pension schemes do not realise is that the taxpayer ( us included ) end up subsidying all those in the private sector who do not have a pension schceme and therefore cannot afford to live when they retire.

great post dingo.

[Judgee]

Shouldn't matter whether or not any of these people supported our strikes.

I would not go on strike purely to support these people, as we all have to fight our own battles at the end of the day. But I would not cross anyones picket lines. It's a respect issue. I respect thier right to strike and most people respected our lines when we were striking!

If you don't want to cross them, just say you felt in danger in doing so, as you cannot be expected to put yourself in harms way!

[Pinky 1]

So, do we or don`t we? What`s the CWU stance on this and, probably more importantly, what`s the management stance?
I know previously we were told to take mail out and bring it back if there`s a picket line, but considering the constant B & H from managers now and there need/want to get rid of staff by fair means or foul how should we approach next wednesday? (remember, going sick is the cowards way out )

I have NEVER crossed anyone's picket line, and i aint gonna start now.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

2 Similar threads merged.

[meercat]

If you don't want to cross them, just say you felt in danger in doing so, as you cannot be expected to put yourself in harms way!

That would have been fine if it were the miners out again (are there are any left) but are you really going to tell your LM that you were scared of the 3 female Primary school teachers who were standing at the school gate??

With political leaflets we can concientiously object and refuse to deliver ones which we find offensive - can we use a similar justification to not cross picket line? It involves us in a political act.

[DGP1]

If you don't want to cross them, just say you felt in danger in doing so, as you cannot be expected to put yourself in harms way!

That would have been fine if it were the miners out again (are there are any left) but are you really going to tell your LM that you were scared of the 3 female Primary school teachers who were standing at the school gate??

With political leaflets we can concientiously object and refuse to deliver ones which we find offensive - can we use a similar justification to not cross picket line? It involves us in a political act.

I'd rather face 100 hairy arsed miners than 3 angry women, they really scare me.

[Judgee]

If you don't want to cross them, just say you felt in danger in doing so, as you cannot be expected to put yourself in harms way!

That would have been fine if it were the miners out again (are there are any left) but are you really going to tell your LM that you were scared of the 3 female Primary school teachers who were standing at the school gate??

With political leaflets we can concientiously object and refuse to deliver ones which we find offensive - can we use a similar justification to not cross picket line? It involves us in a political act.

I'd rather face 100 hairy arsed miners than 3 angry women, they really scare me.

Ain't that the truth!