Royal Mail workers to go on strike in November

[TrueBlueTerrier]

its a stronger mandate than this Prime Minister got at the GE.

True but that's not the point. A GE is totally different to a strike ballot and can't be used a comparator for the low positive ballot result. An increasing proportion of the electorate have no faith or interest in politics and think that it has no bearing on their lives. Are we saying that posties feel the same about the CWU, the strike and their pay and t&cs?

Yes, only a naive and sycophantic supporter of the Union would say that there no posties out there that are who are not disappointed with the Union, or who feel disenfranchised with the CWU. Only a fool would think the Union does not have serious faults that need addressing, and whilst I accept that this has affected the result some what, because I accept that, I also realise that the turnout and positive vote is impressive exactly because of that.

[Brain Fury]

its a stronger mandate than this Prime Minister got at the GE.

True but that's not the point. A GE is totally different to a strike ballot and can't be used a comparator for the low positive ballot result. An increasing proportion of the electorate have no faith or interest in politics and think that it has no bearing on their lives. Are we saying that posties feel the same about the CWU, the strike and their pay and t&cs?

Yes, only a naive and sycophantic supporter of the Union would say that there no posties out there that are who are not disappointed with the Union, or who feel disenfranchised with the CWU. Only a fool would think the Union does not have serious faults that need addressing, and whilst I accept that this has affected the result some what, because I accept that, I also realise that the turnout and positive vote is impressive exactly because of that.

I can see how someone could say "I'm not interested in politics" but not that anyone would say "I'm not interested in my own pay and conditions". In the end I suppose how you view the ballot result is all about expectation. I genuinely expected more.

[UnhappyGremlin]

I was worried that the turnout and result would have been considerably less.
It's all good from where I'm sitting.

Just wait to see if Unite ballot the managers (though I doubt it, think RM will buy them off), and what that result would be.

[Brain Fury]

I was worried that the turnout and result would have been considerably less.
It's all good from where I'm sitting.

Just wait to see if Unite ballot the managers (though I doubt it, think RM will buy them off), and what that result would be.

What would Unite ballot managers on? The pension changes perhaps but I think that ship has sailed along with privatisation? Not much chance of being bought off or of RM needing to. Posties are complaining that their pay rise is 6 months late, we didn't get the 2012 rise until this June but I don't recall much coming from Unite.

[Shambles]

I was worried that the turnout and result would have been considerably less.
It's all good from where I'm sitting.

Just wait to see if Unite ballot the managers (though I doubt it, think RM will buy them off), and what that result would be.

What would Unite ballot managers on? The pension changes perhaps but I think that ship has sailed along with privatisation? Not much chance of being bought off or of RM needing to. Posties are complaining that their pay rise is 6 months late, we didn't get the 2012 rise until this June but I don't recall much coming from Unite.

But you would have got 2x£1500 Bonuses...so no need to worry about the other pennies, was there? After all, they were a dead cert!

[Brain Fury]

I was worried that the turnout and result would have been considerably less.
It's all good from where I'm sitting.

Just wait to see if Unite ballot the managers (though I doubt it, think RM will buy them off), and what that result would be.

What would Unite ballot managers on? The pension changes perhaps but I think that ship has sailed along with privatisation? Not much chance of being bought off or of RM needing to. Posties are complaining that their pay rise is 6 months late, we didn't get the 2012 rise until this June but I don't recall much coming from Unite.

But you would have got 2x£1500 Bonuses...so no need to worry about the other pennies, was there? After all, they were a dead cert!

£1,500?

[UnhappyGremlin]

I was worried that the turnout and result would have been considerably less.
It's all good from where I'm sitting.

Just wait to see if Unite ballot the managers (though I doubt it, think RM will buy them off), and what that result would be.

What would Unite ballot managers on? The pension changes perhaps but I think that ship has sailed along with privatisation? Not much chance of being bought off or of RM needing to. Posties are complaining that their pay rise is 6 months late, we didn't get the 2012 rise until this June but I don't recall much coming from Unite.

Pensions and this years pay rise.
This info is from a press release from Unite, about two weeks ago.

[UnhappyGremlin]

Here you go, Brain Fury.

UNITE letter to all managers

Twyford
Reading
Berks
RG10 9JD

CMA Section

All Unite members,
Royal Mail, (not Parcelforce)

3rd October 2013


Dear Member

Royal Mail – Pay, Pensions and related issues

I wanted to give you the full picture in respect of what is happening and not allow you to be swayed by the glossy and one sided propaganda that is in the letter today from the Chief Executive.

Pay – The truth here is that despite the Royal Mail commitment from last year to conclude negotiations early the team that undertake these responsibilities have not been given a pay mandate and therefore they have no authority to negotiate on pay. We have met on a couple of occasions, at our insistence, and we have set out what we are looking for. In effect we have tabled a number of demands but Royal Mail has brought nothing to the discussion.

I have been suggesting for a few weeks now that our members, their managers’, deserve an update and, in this respect, over two weeks ago, I drafted the basis of a joint statement which Royal Mail have been considering. I was advised 15 minutes before I received a copy of the CEO’s letter that they were unable to commit to the joint statement that they had previously wanted to issue.

If we are unable to make progress soon we will have no alternative than to ballot for Industrial Action on the issue of pay.

Pension – We are currently preparing for a consultative ballot on the Royal Mail pension proposal, as we promised previously. It is important that members have the final say on what is being put forward. In the covering letter we will say “Should members vote to accept the changes we will advise the company accordingly and look to finalise an agreement as soon as possible. Should members reject the Royal Mail decision then we will advise the company and seek to re-engage and establish fresh negotiations. In the absence of any positive response from Royal Mail we will have to seriously consider a ballot for Industrial Action in opposition to the proposed pension changes being imposed.”

Privatisation – Unite has had a long history of opposition to the privatisation of Royal Mail and this continues and was indeed re-affirmed at the recent consultative ballot.

Our opposition is not for purely ideological or political reasons but that is part of it. We consider that based on the examples and experience of other “utility” sell offs that this will lead to job losses, outsourcing of activities, downsizing and an attack on terms and conditions of employment. A scenario where a Mail Centre or a Delivery Office is franchised and run by another organisation, even a competitor to Royal Mail, may be an alien concept but is likely to be a fact and a consequence of privatisation.

We do not consider that it is appropriate to sell off Royal Mail and it is a short term expediency that will satisfy government and the Treasury and, I suspect, provide an exceptional pay day for those senior executive who deliver on the policy.

We have also complained to Royal Mail last week on the issue of our members being used as propagandists for the sell off and that this approach will have an irreparable negative impact in the workplace. No response has been received to our message.

Industrial Action – It is very likely that our colleagues in the CWU will get a clear and unequivocal mandate for strike action in their ballot. Unite will support any and all trade unions who are engaged in a legitimate trade dispute with their employer, as we would expect them to support Unite, and we will be urging our members not to undertake the work and responsibilities of those who are on strike. We will be encouraging members to work normally and will support any member who is bullied, threatened or intimidated in to doing other work. There is no place in the workplace for provocation and we will not stand by and let it happen.

Legally Binding Agreement – The CEO says that the issues covered by the legally binding agreement it has offered to the CWU, and which have not been accepted, are covered by employment and industrial relations law in the UK. We do believe this to be the case but we also consider that the legal agreement that is being discussed is based on the labour contract principles that apply in North America and have conditions in them that make it impossible during the period of the agreement to take strike action, for example.

Conclusion – The letter from the Chief Executive is looking for managers’ support in a fight with the CWU that Royal Mail has failed to resolve. Let me ask you to ask yourself if you are as important as the CEO now suggests, why is it that the employer has been bombarding the OPG audience with privatisation propaganda and has left the managers to learn what is going on through the process of osmosis. Little, if any, communications have been aimed at, or addressed directly to, the management population.

We have some way to go to make progress but we remain open to do so. For this to happen positive action is required from Royal Mail and that is unlikely given their past performance.

Should we continue to be subjected to this type of treatment then we will have, as suggested above, no alternative than to seek a mandate for Industrial action on the issues of pay, pensions, job security and future terms and conditions of employment. We have not done this since 1997 but we will if we have to.

In the meantime thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely

Brian Scott
Unite CMA Officer

Apparently this is what Unite have suggested they may ballot on.

[Shambles]

Nice one Grem

[Brain Fury]

Thanks UG - interesting. While I expect few will agree on this board there is a long history of RM taking managers for granted. The problem is now a chicken and egg one in that historically the CMA was so lacklustre in it's responses that many (including myself) ceased their membership. If they had taken this sort of line before and carried in through then I might have been persuaded to rejoin.

[borders]

come on , lets hold hands together

[Brain Fury]

come on , lets hold hands together

[borders]

on the picket line, of course ......

[UnhappyGremlin]

Thanks UG - interesting. While I expect few will agree on this board there is a long history of RM taking managers for granted. The problem is now a chicken and egg one in that historically the CMA was so lacklustre in it's responses that many (including myself) ceased their membership. If they had taken this sort of line before and carried in through then I might have been persuaded to rejoin.

I think there are many current and ex-CWU members that have similar feelings about our union. I know a few that cancelled their memberships after BT2010, for example.
I do agree that managers have been taken for granted, and so have posties. The board/senior management have been treating all front line staff in an indignant and unsatisfactory manner for some time.
As they say, the s**t rolls down hill, and I have long held the belief that those of us in frontline positions, whether line managers, DOM's or posties would be better served in the long term by working and sticking together.
Unfortunately, we always seem to be at odds, which is presumably purposely created by said senior managers and the board etc.

[Sausage70]

My first post and ive worked for RM as a postie for 30 years and ive got no faith anymore in our union anymore as i think all this was left 6 months to late by them,our office used to be solid when it came to strikes etc but with many EVR's over the years our office is now prob 40% AG's.Going of talking to many full timers over the last week id say at least 25% of the staff will be breaking the picket line and many for the first time due to lack of faith in the union and many think this will be a long haul strike ending up in an all out job.