**New video**: CWU Royal Mail ballot

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/cwu-roy ... ss.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CWU's consultative ballot of Royal Mail workers opened on Wednesday 22nd May. The union has sent ballot papers to 112,000 postal workers in Royal Mail (not the Post Office or Parcelforce) and is asking members to vote yes to four questions covering privatisation, a mail boycott, pay, and workplace issues. The result will be announced on 19th June.

CWU deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, said: "This ballot is about protecting the interests of our members and the future of the UK postal service. It is time to challenge Royal Mail and send a strong message to the government and regulator. The consultative ballot deals with the complex issues facing our members and the postal industry. We're asking postal workers to support the union or they will allow Royal Mail and the government a free hand to determine their future - there is no fence to sit on.

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"Securing a yes vote in this consultative ballot will give us the invaluable backing of the membership when in talks with Royal Mail over pay and the unacceptable management culture of relentless budget cuts and unachievable performance targets.

"Having the weight of the membership behind us will send a strong message to the government and regulator on the need to take action to end unfair competition. Support for the union's stance against privatisation will significantly strengthen the growing campaign against the sale of the business and protect the jobs of a loyal workforce as well as the services of a beloved British institution.

"A yes vote is the only way to protect the interests of our members and the future of the UK postal service."

The ballot

The ballot will include all CWU members employed directly by Royal Mail, including all Admin workers. CWU members who work for Parcelforce, Post Office Limited, Romec (engineers and cleaners) and Quadrant (catering) are not included in the ballot. The ballot is being independently counted and verified by Popularis.

Timetable:

Ballot Opens: 22nd May 2013
Ballot Closes: 18th June 2013
Result Announced: 19th June 2013

The questions:

Q1: Do you support the CWU Pay claim?

A pay rise for members was due on the 1st April 2013 but Royal Mail is holding back. The CWU has set out clearly what we want - an above-inflation two-year pay deal to ensure the workforce is fairly rewarded for their hard work.

Q2: Do you oppose the privatisation of Royal Mail?
Royal Mail's thinking on privatisation is short term and benefits vested interests. We don't need the type of investment that takes more out than it puts in. The debate is not over and with the membership's support our campaign can still stop the sale.

Q3: Do you support the boycott of competitors' mail?
The company and the Regulator have no strategy for dealing with end to end competition. Any profit on downstream access (DSA) will be wiped out when TNT switch to their own delivery network. Unfair competition has undermined the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and the jobs of our members. Endorsing and implementing the boycott policy will create publicity and place pressure on the government and the regulator to intervene.

Q4: Do you support the policy of non-cooperation?

There is a massive disconnect between what the company says about parcel/packet growth and their relentless pursuit of budget/performance demands which in too many locations is making daily workload unbearable. The CWU policy of non-cooperation will bring these things to a head and help us achieve agreements on all workplace issues.

For more information and to download the latest resources visit Consultative Workplace Ballot. http://www.cwu.org/consultative-workplace-ballot.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[pants123]

making........ workload unbearable........ thats an understatement... more like workload is suicidal...

[pokos27]

dsa should have been boycotted as soon as it was permitted, things will only get worse.

[falkor]

I don't understand the boycotting of customers mail stance, if it goes ahead I would imagine that Dsa customers lawyers will be swarming all over the Cwu.

[worktotime]

I totally agree don't delivery it and watch all them all come crawling back for royal mail to sort it and deliver it .

[UnhappyGremlin]

I don't understand the boycotting of customers mail stance, if it goes ahead I would imagine that Dsa customers lawyers will be swarming all over the Cwu.

DSA customers lawyers would be all over RM for failing to ensure delivery of the mail. If anybody, it will be RM's lawyers that go after the CWU.

[falkor]

"

DSA customers lawyers would be all over RM for failing to ensure delivery of the mail. If anybody, it will be RM's lawyers that go after the CWU."

Point taken, when RM is privatised in all probability there will be mass redundancies which will hit the Cwu with regards to less union fees fewer members and reduced bargaining power,
just seems like desperation to me.

[UnhappyGremlin]

"

DSA customers lawyers would be all over RM for failing to ensure delivery of the mail. If anybody, it will be RM's lawyers that go after the CWU."

Point taken, when RM is privatised in all probability there will be mass redundancies which will hit the Cwu with regards to less union fees fewer members and reduced bargaining power,
just seems like desperation to me.

It is unlikely much will change for at least a year. After all, they will need our cooperation to make sure the business continues running relatively smoothly, before any major change occurs. But if we are privatised, I agree there will be job cuts, not to mention everything else.

[marleybear]

HI
I AM ON LONG TERM SICK LEAVE THROUGH ACCIDENT AT WORK HAVE NOT RECEIVED BALLOT TO VOTE FORMS, WOULD THAT HAVE COME DIRECT TO ME FROM CWU OR FROM MY DELIVERY OFFICE UNION REP

[fishtank]

HI
I AM ON LONG TERM SICK LEAVE THROUGH ACCIDENT AT WORK HAVE NOT RECEIVED BALLOT TO VOTE FORMS, WOULD THAT HAVE COME DIRECT TO ME FROM CWU OR FROM MY DELIVERY OFFICE UNION REP

Branch.
What was supposed to happen was a bod from branch would come out to your DO grab everyone who was there,give them a rousing man the barricades speech and give them their ballot,cross their names out and send everyone else theirs through the post.
Most branches I believe have managed this relatively simple task,some have made a complete balls up of it.

[123456]

the dusty old union against dusty old royal mail..who shakes themselves first wins.