Tony Garrick strike ballot Duns (Dave Ward Letter)

[fishtank]

Dear colleague



Tony Garrick



The purpose of this letter is to explain the reasons why it is essential you vote yes in the Industrial Action ballot taking place in support of your colleague Tony Garrick.



Firstly, based on an analysis of all the evidence there is no doubt that the decision to terminate Tony’s employment is directly linked to his role as a local CWU Representative. This amounts to a form of discrimination which is illegal under UK Employment Law.



Secondly, the sequence of events clearly demonstrate that Royal Mail managers deliberately colluded to manufacture a situation whereby they could claim that Tony’s employment was ceased due to performance issues. The truth is these minor performance issues took place in the first couple of weeks of Tony’s employment and were not seen at that stage as serious. Indeed they did not prevent Tony subsequently being given an extended contract.



Thirdly, throughout his employment at no stage was Tony given any conduct reprimands of formal counselling over performance.



It is also important that you are fully aware of what the National Industrial Relations Manager Peter Walls has said on record about this case.



- Mr Walls said that he accepted the performance issues raised were minor and would not normally result in a contract being terminated.

- Mr Walls said that your manager had acted naively and was clearly out of his depth.

- Mr Walls said that the real reason that Royal Mail terminated Tony’s contract was due to a breakdown in relationships.



It is crystal clear that the managers in your area, including the DSM, have got together to ensure that Tony’s contract was terminated. This is one of the most blatant cases of discrimination that the Union has ever seen and what has happened to Tony is a major injustice by any standards. Tony deserves the full support of his colleagues and the Union.

What will happen when a yes vote is returned?



We are still hopeful that when you return a yes vote this case can be resolved without the need for Industrial Action. When the result is announced the Union will approach the Chief Executive of the company seeking a further review of the case. The outcome of this approach will be reported to the membership before any decision is taken on Industrial Action.

There are times in our working lives when we have to stand up and be counted in order to reverse an injustice. The case of Tony Garrick is one of those times and we would urge you to show your support by voting yes.



Yours sincerely





Dave Ward

Deputy General Secretary (P)

[Wessex]

[osgoody1970]

HOPE HE GETS A 100% YES VOTE ON A 100% TURNOUT!!!!!!

[General Mannerheim]

So if this is such a bad case of discrimination ...is it going to the law courts then?

[chickenwittle]

Whats the big deal with this fella that has made the union wake up and take notice,there have been loads unfairly dismissed in the past and i cant remember them doing to much to help them.

[fishtank]

Whats the big deal with this fella that has made the union wake up and take notice,there have been loads unfairly dismissed in the past and i cant remember them doing to much to help them.

He's a rep who has been sacked for being a rep.
Rep's don't have any special privileges,they can get sacked for all the same things an ordinary member can get sacked for but the one thing they should never be sacked for is being a rep.

If you're a decent rep you will make enemies within management,no manager likes to be questioned,no manager likes to have their authority undermined,all managers have long memories when it comes to bearing a grudge.

If reps are sacked for standing up to management you will be left with reps who do everything managers want them to or no reps at all.
If the union and members stand by and let it happen there will be no union.

[Lincox]

Is this a nationwide ballot or local to Duns staff?

[fishtank]

Is this a nationwide ballot or local to Duns staff?

Local at the moment,moving to Branch wide if no progress is made.
After that...who knows?
Do you want some?

[hans solo]

i would

[Lincox]

If one colleague is treated like this, then we all could be. We are either all in it together or not at all as far as I am concerned.

[k979aaa]

Everyone should VOTE YES as united you stand and divided you will fall part of being in a union is collective responsibility for all.

[LinChong]

A strike over principle would make a change from a strike over pay and we could get the message across about why local reps are important. It is vital that any bargaining is done through one elected spokesperson or management will pick on small groups of vulnerable people or favourites to agree the changes they want on a small scale and then spread these changes using the 'custom and practise' argument.

With industrial action you get a short time in the media to put forward the argument. Saturday's Post Office strike should have concentrated on the franchising issue and highlighted the fact that the CWU does not believe Crown Offices should be taken out of 100% public ownership. Turning the Post Office into a Mutual is not just a distraction, it is wrong. A public service exists to serve everyone equally and profit should not come into it. A lot of Crown Post Offices are accessible to disabled people and this is a requirement of the Universal Service Obligation. It is the cost of providing this sort of access that means Crowns can't make a profit and they shouldn't have to if it would mean depriving disabled people access to postal services.

[Sergeant Blast]

Count me in. I've worked at a branch where the dom was a bully and nobody was brave enough to be the rep. It was a nightmare!

[Lincox]

Dave Ward should circulate all members of the CWU and stress in great detail the reason for supporting this action, followed by a ballot of all members.

[parcelboy]

The Managers up to and including appeals manager colluded and lied upto and including ET.I felt that the cwu let me down big time.Been to CAB advice they gave me was inteteresting from looking into my case ,They suggested going to Police as they say in (there opinion) RM have committed two criminal acts.