Community shows support for postal workers

[CJStone]

Meridian news report on the Whitstable strike and "Carnival of Resistance":

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/ ... e-in-kent/

[Bernardson]

A great report and well done the lads and lasses.
Royal mail spokesman fails to say how much extra time you will get for trying to knock on half of the street to get shot of packets

[LinChong]

Royal Mail "say during a 6 month consultation period no objection was made to re-locating the Whitstable office and they don't expect it to have an impact on deliveries."

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/ ... e-in-kent/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nice one Chris, but why didn't you get your supporters to write in during the consultation period?

[Lincox]

Because Lin Chong, like all of these consultations, they never existed. Royal Mail does not consult, it executes and deems that to be consultation.

[fishtank]

Nice one Chris, but why didn't you get your supporters to write in during the consultation period?

http://christopherjamesstone.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To be clear on this point: the Royal Mail claim that consultation has taken place “at the appropriate level”. The “consultation” they refer to is the fact that they informed us that the office was going to close. There was never any discussion on the matter, nor any agreement. No vote has ever been taken. That has been the full extent of what they refer to as consultation. This a radical redefinition of the word to mean “you have been told”.

[LinChong]

Then this is the point that the CWU should press. If there was no real consultation, evidence should be gathered and the CWU group of MPs should be lobbied to raise this in Parliament.

MP Michael Connarty, who leads the group of CWU-supported MPs at Westminster, asked the audience to remind their members of the work his group does and that they are available to help and advise CWU members.

"We want to be more responsive to CWU members - there are so many issues where we want a steer from CWU," he explained, adding: "Please tell your members to contact their nearest CWU-supported MP on any issues at all - even if she or he is not their own MP - and they'll be pleased to try to help."

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/join-la ... ether.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CWU-supported MPs

North Aryshire & Arran - Katy Clark MP
Washington & Sunderland - Sharon Hodgson MP
Vauxhall- Kate Hoey MP
Linlithgow/East Falkirk - Michael Connarty MP
Bootle - Joe Benton MP
Neath - Peter Hain MP
Luton North - Kelvin Hopkins MP
Dagenham & Rainham - Jon Cruddas MP
Tooting - Sadiq Khan MP

Wigan - Lisa Nandy MP
Wirral South - Alison McGovern MP
Islington South - Emily Thornberry MP
Blaydon - Dave Anderson MP
Hemsworth - Jon Trickett MP
Blackpool South - Gordon Marsden MP
Harrow West - Gareth Thomas MP



Renfrewshire South - Hugh Henry MSP
North East Scotland - Jenny Marra MSP

Gower - Edwina Hart AM

NW Region - Brian Simpson MEP
East Midlands - Glenis Wilmott MEP

[LinChong]

Nice one Chris, but why didn't you get your supporters to write in during the consultation period?

http://christopherjamesstone.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To be clear on this point: the Royal Mail claim that consultation has taken place “at the appropriate level”. The “consultation” they refer to is the fact that they informed us that the office was going to close. There was never any discussion on the matter, nor any agreement. No vote has ever been taken. That has been the full extent of what they refer to as consultation. This a radical redefinition of the word to mean “you have been told”.

Royal Mail are claiming that the local public in Whistable had the opportunity to raise objections during the consultation period but they didn't. We need to mobilise public support as well as members' support.

[Lincox]

Question/ Did Royal Mail announce/advertise a local meeting giving the public a chance to air their views and was such meeting ever held. What objections were raised at such public meeting and what answers were given. If none of these things have happened then there has been no consultation with the public and therefore Royal Mail should cancel the date on which they intend closing this office until they have properly consulted.

[fishtank]

According to Chris Stone....

We have handed in a petition with over 5,000 signatures. We have lobbied our MP who has had direct talks with the Royal Mail. We have held two marches and three public meetings, to which the Royal Mail have been invited, though they could never be bothered to attend. We have spoken to the press, to the TV and to the radio.

Does that sound like a town that wouldn't bother to raise a complaint during a proper 6 month consultation period?
Royal Mail's position is ludicrous and lacking in any credibility.

[CJStone]

Question/ Did Royal Mail announce/advertise a local meeting giving the public a chance to air their views and was such meeting ever held. What objections were raised at such public meeting and what answers were given. If none of these things have happened then there has been no consultation with the public and therefore Royal Mail should cancel the date on which they intend closing this office until they have properly consulted.

No, there were never any meetings, never any consultations. They never spoke to the public or to us. They say that they consulted "at the appropriate level" whatever that means, but that was never with the people who were going to be affected by the move, that is us, the postal workers, and the public. I keep asking, if this move was agreed, can we see the piece of paper with the signature on it please? I'm still awaiting a reply to that one.

[chooch]

In support of Chris and his colleagues who are doing all they can to retain their Delivery Office I've noted before on this forum:

'Come on Chris (Stone) we got over 10,000 signatures ( our *****direct.org says we've 'a population of approximately 30,000 represented by 16 Councillors in four wards')

whilst Home.co.uk states 'The average price of a detached house (in *********) is over £900,000 as of January 2012.

so it wasn't as though we didn't have punching power..

It was a done deal before anyone was informed.'

That's right - 'The average price of a detached house (in *********) is over £900,000 as of January 2012.'

and still they chose to sell us right down the swanny..

The relocation and 2/3rds completed(wtf?!?) Revision has resulted in a shambles that has torn the heart out of the work-force with a corresponding decline in service.. :vcfo