The CWU safe in their hands? doc

[Nikellie]

In the interests of fairness and a right to reply I e-mailed Mr Hayes and received a response from his secretary (Dorothy) as follows;

Dear "xxxx"

Thank you for your email.

I am unable to visit Royal Mail chat.If you send me a hard copy I will read it.

If you wish to discuss with me directly,or by way of visit to your Branch or workplace,subject to the agreement of your Branch I will speak with and your fellow workers.

Yours Sincerely
Billy Hayes

I was genuinely surprised he is not registered with (or unable to visit) RMC, it being an independent website run for the benefit of posties with a considerable amount of conversation relating to CWU matters.

[clashcityrocker]

Dear "xxxx"

Thank you for your email.

I am unable to visit Royal Mail chat.
Billy Hayes

Sounds like Teebs has banned him.......

[dvbuk55]

He used to come on as billynomates, then he had a bit of a windfall - almost £30k and bought one, you have to blow it up and it has a limited vocabulary - "Awrigh La" "Calm Darn" but hey its better than nothing.

[clashcityrocker]

In the interests of fairness and a right to reply I e-mailed Mr Hayes and received a response from his secretary (Dorothy) as follows;

So is he a friend of Dorothy?

[dvbuk55]

In the interests of fairness and a right to reply I e-mailed Mr Hayes and received a response from his secretary (Dorothy) as follows;

So is he a friend of Dorothy?

No, Dorothy is a real person - he calls his blow up friend Vanessa................it's not all been wine and roses though, she has gone down on him a couple of times......................... luckily a puncture repair outfit is cheap enough from Halfords...........especially if claimed on expenses

[Nikellie]

Well I tried again, specifically the answer to the question;

I would like you to provide answers as to why you felt it necessary to claim your unused leave allowance to the tune of £29,580? I would have thought that a socialist trade union leader, on an ample salary, would consider other factors more important such as the Political Fund or perhaps saving the training centres?

He replied thus;

Dear "xxxx"

Thank you for you reply.
If you want to ask me a specific question, I will answer youths will be via your Branch Secretary. The correct route for dealing with the concerns of our people is through the democratic structure.
I will of course read the information you have sent to me. Having been a postmen for 18 years,and National Officer for Delivery staff for a further 9 years,I am aware of how difficult things are for our people. I believe the union has done,and is doing a good job in these difficult times.

My offer stands,I will be prepared to visit and speak to you and your members subject to an invitation from your Branch.
Yours Sincerely
Billy Hayes

Not sure what he means by "youths", that aside I've been told to follow the correct route - which means my simple question will get lost in the "structure". It must have taken him longer to type that reply than actually answer the question.

[dvbuk55]

Well I tried again, specifically the answer to the question;

I would like you to provide answers as to why you felt it necessary to claim your unused leave allowance to the tune of £29,580? I would have thought that a socialist trade union leader, on an ample salary, would consider other factors more important such as the Political Fund or perhaps saving the training centres?

He replied thus;

Dear "xxxx"

Thank you for you reply.
If you want to ask me a specific question, I will answer youths will be via your Branch Secretary. The correct route for dealing with the concerns of our people is through the democratic structure.
I will of course read the information you have sent to me. Having been a postmen for 18 years,and National Officer for Delivery staff for a further 9 years,I am aware of how difficult things are for our people. I believe the union has done,and is doing a good job in these difficult times.

My offer stands,I will be prepared to visit and speak to you and your members subject to an invitation from your Branch.
Yours Sincerely
Billy Hayes

Not sure what he means by "youths", that aside I've been told to follow the correct route - which means my simple question will get lost in the "structure". It must have taken him longer to type that reply than actually answer the question.

Now there's a turn of phrase that looks familiar. Wonder if anybody living remembers BH doing an actual delivery

[fishtank]

Coincidence or panic?

No. 808/12
Ref: TK/sn/PM
Date: 24th October 2012

To: All Branches

CWU SPONSORED PENSION SCHEMES

At the NEC meeting held on the Tuesday the 9th of October 2012 the following course of action was agreed.

“This NEC instructs the General Secretary to produce recommendations to the next FOS or NEC on how the Union intends to deal with the CWU sponsored Pension Schemes to ensure that employees have a suitable and affordable pension scheme which, the CWU as sponsors of any scheme can afford.”

CWU General Conference debated this matter in 2010 and LTB’s 828/10 1151/10 and 179/11 updated Branches on this issue with the latter containing the written legal advice received from WRIGLEYS Solicitors at that point in time.

In processing the policy agreed by the NEC we intend to seek both an independent legal review and an independent actuarial review of the options that are open to us with regard to this matter.

Additionally we aim to consult as widely as possible and will be writing to the Trustees of the 3 employer sponsored schemes, the representatives of our employees i.e. GMB CWU HQ Branch and CWU Officers Branch.

The purpose of the LTB is to seek any views Branches may have and wish to be taken into consideration on this issue, any comments should be forwarded to Tony Kearns, Senior Deputy General Secretary, by no later than noon on Monday the 19th November 2012.

Yours sincerely



Billy Hayes Tony Kearns
General Secretary Senior Deputy General Secretary

[dvbuk55]

It may just be that there is now people in the know who are concerned at the way the unions affairs are being run. Where are the savings? We are all pulling our tripe out whilst the union employees are riding out the storm on the strength of the memberships subs. Any guess as to what the next sub rise will be? Could the union actually gather in the subs without Royal Mail.......it is a little bit worrying that the CWU don't control their own cash flow.

[fishtank]

They have been throwing members money into these schemes for the last three years and putting the entire existance of the union at risk in the hope that they could shore them up without affecting the final pensions of those involved.
All very noble but the money was not theirs to use.

I am aware that not all of those involved are on the kind of money the national officers are on and they are real people so it must be devastating for those on far more mediocre salaries but i'm afraid a reality check is needed.
A pension deficit as we are all too well aware is a bottomless pit that will eat anything the union can throw at it as has been proven over the last few years.
The kind of packages these schemes offer is not sustainable in the long run and tough decisions have to be made and in my opinion should have been made 3 years ago if not earlier.

[dvbuk55]

They have been throwing members money into these schemes for the last three years and putting the entire existance of the union at risk in the hope that they could shore them up without affecting the final pensions of those involved.
All very noble but the money was not theirs to use.

I am aware that not all of those involved are on the kind of money the national officers are on and they are real people so it must be devastating for those on far more mediocre salaries but i'm afraid a reality check is needed.
A pension deficit as we are all too well aware is a bottomless pit that will eat anything the union can throw at it as has been proven over the last few years.
The kind of packages these schemes offer is not sustainable in the long run and tough decisions have to be made and in my opinion should have been made 3 years ago if not earlier.

Mind you would have thought that the problem with RMs Final Salary scheme might have been a bit of a pointer - the fact that the powers that be chose to ignore it only proves to me that their immediate concern is not the members but themselves. It's time the gravy train was called to a halt.............especially the nigh on 30k bung which could be salted away in ISAs.

[Nikellie]

mm....brick walls.....

Response from Hayes......."The CWU is a democratic organisation is answers to it's membership.
We do not respond to anonymous circulars,the purpose of such communications seems to be to promote cynicism.
I will answer specific questions,if you put them to me in writing or via email.The response will be through your Branch Secretary
I trust this deals with points you raise.
I will in due course provide you with a response in writing containing your emails to me.
The correspondence will also be sent to your Branch Secretary
Your Sincerely
Billy Hayes"

Andy Kerr....."I believe the GS has replied to you on this subject so I have no more to add". I would request that you now take me off your email list as I would like to spend my time securing good terms and conditions for both my current and potential members"

Tony Kearns........."Like Andy I too had a busy day at a number of meetings both inside and outside of CWU HQ aimed at ensuring the Union is organised properly in order that we can provide the representation and services our members need.
The General Secretary has responded to you and as such the matter can be dealt with as he has suggested.
Again, like Andy given the response you have received from the GS there is nothing further for me to add."
Yours sincerely
Tony

It's a bit rich of Hayes (£30,000 richer ) to suggest the PDF "promotes cynicism". I don't know where this should go next, I'm utterly disgusted with such flagrant abuses of union funds yet there seems to be almost resignation, acceptance and apathy amongst the rank and file. Perhaps I'm too naive in that I still believe we can change things.

I'll await Hayes written response and report back.

[fishtank]

I'm utterly disgusted with such flagrant abuses of union funds yet there seems to be almost resignation, acceptance and apathy amongst the rank and file. Perhaps I'm too naive in that I still believe we can change things.

The resignation, acceptance and apathy amongst the rank and file is real and no accident,it has been bred and nurtured in my opinion by deliberate disengagement to protect and secure the positions of those already in post.
The number of activists in the union is declining rapidly,this would normally terrify a union but HQ shows no real interest in it's activists.
If you want a model for the future just take a look at BT where what membership that is left is just milked for subs and fed rubber stamped employer initiatives.
Of course the postal side could have an even bleaker future,at some point Royal Mail may tire of the game completely and if it can turn WCM into an employee driven staff association which already seems to be happening in some areas,it may just walk away from the union entirely and move down the route of regional agreements and pay bargaining.
It will be little comfort to see that resignation, acceptance and apathy come back to bite HQ on the arse because by then it won't just be HQ in deep trouble..it will be the entire union.

I find the tone of all three "excerpts" from your replies to be arrogant and dismissive,especially Andy Kerr's although i do appreciate that those are not the full documents.
Asking to be taken off your email list is very childish.
Unfortunately i can't say i'm that surprised though.

[Nikellie]

Lets resurrect an old thread!!

I received a reply from Mr Hayes the other day regarding the payment of £30,000. He states that after tax and NI the actual amount was £17,298.54 which went into his coffers, plenty more than the average ANNUAL take home pay for a postie!. He then states he "is the sole wage earner and has a partner and two children to support".

Apparently he did not take a pay rise in 2004 and as such his pay has been reduced in real terms by £6,255 over the past eight years. Quite apart from the nigh on £750,0000 he has received for the 8 years in salary, so he has actually lost around 0.8% of his total salary for the 8 year period - what a "sacrifice".

There is a long winded explanation of the historic rules regarding leave, accrual, compensation - all of which were in place when Hayes took office. Furthermore, apparently, Hayes did the job of two employees when the Senior Deputy General Secretary was off sick for three and a half months in 2005. Also that Hayes did not take leave during three periods of "national disputes". Quite how this justifies a payment for EIGHTY SEVEN days is totally beyond me.

He then goes on to say the Senior Deputy General Secretary has begun looking at contracts of employment to ensure no more than seven days can be carried over in order that "the CWU accrues no further financial liability". Thus Hayes has effectively ensured he got his payment before the employment contracts are changed - that's closing the stable door after the horse has bolted!!

Quite frankly this man is a joke in attempting to justify the payment, how on earth Hayes (and his cronies) remain in charge in the current climate is beyond me.

[dvbuk55]

Well that totally justifies it in my eyes