Say no to Royal Mail's no strike deal in ballot

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://socialistworker.co.uk/art/37135/ ... +in+ballot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

by Annette Mackin
CWU union reps were meeting across Britain to discuss the post-privatisation deal that the union negotiated with Royal Mail as Socialist Worker went to press.

The deal says workers now have five years protection on pay and job security, and a 9.06 percent pay deal over three years. Workers also received £200 over Christmas.

The union’s postal executive is arguing to recommend the deal in a ballot due to take place between Wednesday of next week and 29 January.

However workers should reject the deal.

The agreement talks of building a “can-do culture” and “improving efficiency”. This will mean increased workloads and stress.

As workloads pile up, bullying by management will increase.

And worryingly the deal states that Royal Mail can withdraw the agreement under what it calls “exceptional circumstances”. One of these is if the union calls a national strike.

The agreement will be reviewed in 2019, so this is effectively a no-strike deal for five years. This would be disastrous for the union.

Paul Garraway is a post worker in Oxford. He said, “The deal means even local disputes will be drawn out over tedious mediation sessions for so long that you’ll forget what you balloted for in the first place.”

Strikes win 'progress' in Crown Post Offices
The CWU union says it has made progress in talks with Crown Post Office (CPO) bosses.

Workers in CPOs struck for 13 full days last year and held regional half day strikes in December.

The action by some 4,000 workers was against plans to close and franchise offices and cut jobs.

The union called off strikes on 20 December.

Union members were meeting to hear further details as Socialist Worker went to press.

Gary Watt, CWU area rep for East Finchley in London told Socialist Worker, “Strikes brought the Post Office to the negotiating table. They kept saying they wouldn’t negotiate, but strikes in the run-up to Christmas hit them hard.”

[visigoth]

Just out of curiosity, has SW ever suggested workers should accept a deal?

[fishtank]

Just out of curiosity, has SW ever suggested workers should accept a deal?

No but they're often proved right although as the saying goes even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[doorstepped]

we all know that the deal will go through.

Delivery guys and gals will most probably be against it but all other staff will see the £££ and vote yes.

happened with D2D and will happen again now :(

[aiden01]

we all know that the deal will go through.

Delivery guys and gals will most probably be against it but all other staff will see the £££ and vote yes.

happened with D2D and will happen again now :(

remember delivery staff have 82pc of the vote so if they are all against it will be a big fat NO. what did other staff get out of d2d

[monkeyhanger1]

TOTALLY AGREE,WE GOT COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF WITH D2D,ALL THE INDOOR STAFF SAW A CHANCE FOR XTRA CASH FOR SOMETHING THEY WERENT GETTING,WHILE POOR POSTIES DO ALL THE SLOG AS USUAL!!!!!!!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

TOTALLY AGREE,WE GOT COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF WITH D2D,ALL THE INDOOR STAFF SAW A CHANCE FOR XTRA CASH FOR SOMETHING THEY WERENT GETTING,WHILE POOR POSTIES DO ALL THE SLOG AS USUAL!!!!!!!

if 82% of the membership are in deliveries then for your post to make any sense, in that indoor staff were the deciding factor we would have to have 3 indoor staff for every 5 out on delivery. Is your unit really like that.

[spen]

It will be voted in cause most posties cant see past the back dated pay

[chrisj]

I think the poster meant indoor staff within the delivery offices. To be honest, there are not that many primarily indoor staff. The biggest issue is not even the payment but the lack of time given to complete what is now part of the workload.

Having 5d2ds and 2d2ds makes a big difference especially to a floater that has to complete 1/6th every day. At least when it was piece rate, you could do them whenever you liked even if they take you over the time.

The problem with such a deal is more about perception and fairness. They could have totally said, this is a delivery supplement and nothing to do with D2Ds. Then people will probably have been up in arms about losing the D2Ds payment but RM/CWU deliberately confused the issues and then later promoted the deal by saying that we get paid the same whether we deliver 1 or 7 or even when on holidays... Bingo!

[britwrit]

We like to keep it quiet but under an agreement from the 1990s, mail centre staff get five votes apiece.

London staff get six.

[tasam]

we all know that the deal will go through.

Delivery guys and gals will most probably be against it but all other staff will see the £££ and vote yes.

happened with D2D and will happen again now :(

A lot of delivery staff will not bother to read the 'small print' of the agreement and will just vote on the cash aspect.
Some union reps do not keep members informed regarding pros and cons of agreements.
Some delivery indoor staff actually talk to each other about excessive workloads faced by all delivery staff as well as the agreement.
Unless a large percentage of the union membership actually bother to come to an informed decision and then vote accordingly we'll just be the victims of acute apathy.

Time will tell....

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I think the poster meant indoor staff within the delivery offices.

I didn't make it clear sorry, but thats what I meant in my reply as well.

[chrisj]

I think the poster meant indoor staff within the delivery offices.

I didn't make it clear sorry, but thats what I meant in my reply as well.

I think we responded about the same time... I did get your point: I went for providing info and better understanding and you went for something ironic and funny? IMO, some people genuinely do not understand the D2D part of the last agreement because it was cunningly presented...

And Britwrit - a bit cheeky New Year and we shall try not to rise to the MC v Delivery thing