CWU reps to decide on Royal Mail strike ballot

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Union reps from Royal Mail workplaces across the UK will meet next week to decide on actions to protect postal jobs and services, including whether to hold a national strike ballot of all Royal Mail workers.

The two-day policy forum takes place at Logan Hall, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL on Wednesday 31 July and Thursday 1 August. The strike ballot debate will be heard from 9:30 on Thursday morning. If passed, the CWU will then set out a timetable to hold a ballot of 115,000 members across Royal Mail Group (excludes Parcelforce and the Post Office). Around 500 reps will debate a range of issues, including securing job protections in Royal Mail, alternative business models to privatisation, changes to pensions, and workplace pressure.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: "UK postal services are facing unprecedented change and threats. We will always embrace innovation and changes in the industry, but only on terms which maintain decent jobs and protect quality services. This policy forum is all about anticipating what may lie around the corner and how CWU can react to protect the interests of our members and customers they serve in the increasingly changing world of postal services."

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "We want to secure the best possible protections for our members' jobs and we will stop at nothing to ensure that their future, and that of the UK's postal services, are protected.

"The offer on job protection made by Royal Mail earlier this month wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Patience is wearing thin and unless we can secure robust protections for jobs, pay and terms and conditions soon we are asking our reps to endorse a policy of holding a national industrial action ballot no later than September."

Agenda for the policy forum:
Logan Hall, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL

Policy Forum Day 1: Wednesday 31st July 2013
1200 - 1300 Registration
1300 - 1600 Pensions
1600 - 1800 Taking the Consultative Ballot Forward


Policy Forum Day 2: Thursday 1st August 2013

0930 - 1200 Taking National Talks Forward - decision on whether to hold a strike ballot
1200 - 1300 Lunch
1300 - 1430 CWU Alternative Business Model
1430 - 1600 Save our Royal Mail Campaign

Some sessions will be closed but media is welcome to attend the Forum. The Thursday morning session and vote on whether to hold a national strike ballot will be open to journalists.

[DirtyHarry]

Deja vu, anybody?

[UnhappyGremlin]

Deja vu, anybody?

Dave ja vu?

[Cut Off King]

Deja vu, anybody?

Dave ja vu?

I don't think it'll be so easy to get a yes vote this time..... not after last time ... Remember BT2010 ?

[borders]

the key quote is from Dave Ward -- "The offer on job protection made by Royal Mail earlier this month wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Patience is wearing thin and unless we can secure robust protections for jobs, pay and terms and conditions soon ".
I think the CWU know deep down the game is up and this is the olive branch that is being offered to the RM , hence the delays. give the posties some longer and reasonable protections and I think that will be accepted. typical RM though , like to play hardball and always take it to the wire !!

[ronpetetrevchris]

Deja vu, anybody?

Dave ja vu?

I don't think it'll be so easy to get a yes vote this time..... not after last time ... Remember BT2010 ?

I think it will be easier this time. OPG's that have P&L know just how much we have been shafted and the mood is there for a fight, especially when you see the lino's sitting on their arses getting massive bonuses for bullying and harrassing us into completing.

I agree, people for various reasons seem up for it this time

[UnhappyGremlin]

Deja vu, anybody?

Dave ja vu?

I don't think it'll be so easy to get a yes vote this time..... not after last time ... Remember BT2010 ?

Part of me agrees. Many were and are still very unhappy with that agreement and it's resultant mess, that continues to be a pain for most now, not to mention the fact that many have also yet to receive the agreed payments from the deal. That was then, and now is a vastly different prospect, we have much more to lose, and will if we don't fight. It won't be easy, in some areas people will just vote en mass, as they are more militant in general, in other areas it will be more difficult, which is why I'm surprised the CWU haven't started getting more info and a strong message out to the membership. A major campaign needs to start now, especially as RM's propaganda machine has been running in overdrive, though they have promoted the good, and left the consequences out of paperwork.

If people don't vote for IA, they'll be quick to whinge afterwards about getting shafted, because it will pretty much allow RM carte blanche to do what they want in the future, especially after privatisation, as they will figure we, the union, aren't up for a fight, and aren't willing to defend ourselves, our jobs, our pay, T&C's, and our working conditions, which, whilst most think they are bad now, and I and most others posties think they are, it will be nothing compared to what they will become if we just roll over and accept RM's proposals.

The biggest thing for me isn't even a pay rise. It's my pension. I would probably accept a much lower rise, or not get one, IF RM agreed to redirect the money that we would get into the pension pot. And, at 8.6%, it would more than cover the £300m yearly deficit they have claimed/predicted (think it would total between £400m and £600m or maybe more).

That only leaves privatisation as the other major worry, and the effects it would have on jobs/pay etc., which we can only speculate about now, but the track record in other industries and comparisons of jobs/working conditions and pay before and after privatisation, does not look good at all. It makes for very poor prospects indeed. And the attempts to buy us off with shares, which will work with short sighted people, is the usual management tactic to avoid IA. Bribe now, screw later.

I haven't always agreed with the union, because I think there have been times when they have taken the piss and asked too much, but then, I think the company has probably pushed them into it. But on this I am with them, I will walk out, and would and will encourage everybody to do the same.

[worktotime]

i feel the same its not all about the pay rise which i tell people on my round , privatization , s**t shares, its all the extra outdoor work ie walk lapsing , weve collapsed 24 duties in our office this week which is a total joke. we started in jan and we finished the end of nov last year so its save save at all costs even when they no you don't have the time to do your own never mind extra, more b&h of the dims. etc. rolling strike will cripple the clowns in charge. im up for it now.

[whatamess!!]

I'm concerned!!!

I have been told by a Divisional rep that a deal is close, mail centres sorted, deliveries sorted - the only hold up is guarantees on terms and conditions, they feel an agreement is immanent and next week is only the extra pressure on royal mail to get the agreement they want. BT2010 all over again?? I hope not, that could be the straw that broke the camels back! Royal mail are running riot in Delivery offices, local reps are doing their best, but it seems other need to be questioned!

Someone in the know please tell me this is bullshit!!!!

[malcolm3011]

I'm concerned!!!

I have been told by a Divisional rep that a deal is close, mail centres sorted, deliveries sorted - the only hold up is guarantees on terms and conditions, they feel an agreement is immanent and next week is only the extra pressure on royal mail to get the agreement they want. BT2010 all over again?? I hope not, that could be the straw that broke the camels back! Royal mail are running riot in Delivery offices, local reps are doing their best, but it seems other need to be questioned!

Someone in the know please tell me this is bullshit!!!!

We still have a final say on whether to accept it or not

[UnhappyGremlin]

I'm concerned!!!

I have been told by a Divisional rep that a deal is close, mail centres sorted, deliveries sorted - the only hold up is guarantees on terms and conditions, they feel an agreement is immanent and next week is only the extra pressure on royal mail to get the agreement they want. BT2010 all over again?? I hope not, that could be the straw that broke the camels back! Royal mail are running riot in Delivery offices, local reps are doing their best, but it seems other need to be questioned!

Someone in the know please tell me this is bullshit!!!!

If it is true, then the company had backed down in a massive way.
I wouldn't object to a deal being agreed, BUT only if we (CWU) haven't backed down and compromised to the point that RM are getting the vast majority of what they proposed in the deal that was rejected. I wouldn't mind an amount of compromise from our side, but as far as I'm concerned RM should be the side that has made the bigger concession(s).
If the only hold up is T&C's, by which I'm assuming it's the agreement not to attack pay etc. for an agreed period (they offered 3 years, union wanted 10 years), then I can only assume that both sides have agreed to de-couple pensions again, as they did in 2010. But, I can't see that, as we could still strike over that issue, and think we would and will.

If RM has climbed down from their position, it would be a massive victory. If the union has, it will have hung itself with the membership, as many members still haven't forgiven the BT2010 agreement/debacle.

Hear all, trust nothing. Until a formal announcement/offer is made, I won't be panicking/stressing over it.

And, as pointed out above, we have final say, it would have to be voted in, and if we've been shafted, we vote it out.
The only concern would be if an offer is made with gaining enough votes from a particular group in mind, to ensure it's voted in. Which would be delivery staff, currently the most disillusioned and unhappy section of employees.

[R@YAL F@IL]

The last strike was a total waste of time and money lost, look at the extra work postmen/women do, add to that the loss of money on D2D opposed to indoor staff, senior employees still get driving allowances and D2D payments even though they do not do D2D. I for one will NOT be going on strike for the Union end of.

[fishtank]

I have been told by a Divisional rep that a deal is close.

As far as I'm aware there is no chance of a deal at the moment.
This is around the time I would expect Royal Mail to wade in with a big offer but can they decouple pensions and privatisation from the deal and allow the union to continue to fight those?

I can't see Royal Mail agreeing to a deal that doesn't remove the threat of Industrial Action completely and I can't see the union agreeing to a deal that basically accepts pension changes and privatisation so I think some kind of conflict is inevitable,no matter what the pay element of the talks offer up..

[colintres]

I think the real issue the CWU has to address here is the way we were abandoned during the BT2010 shambles. Lots of us went on strike and lost pay only to have the CWU back down and actively sell the agreement to staff. I understand the serious situation that is ahead of us with pensions and privatisation, but we need to know that the CWU big guns aren't going to roll over again.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The last strike was a total waste of time and money lost, look at the extra work postmen/women do, add to that the loss of money on D2D opposed to indoor staff, senior employees still get driving allowances and D2D payments even though they do not do D2D. I for one will NOT be going on strike for the Union end of.

Despite being on the picket line of every strike since I joined Royal Mail - I have never been on strike for the Union.