Last-ditch talks to avoid Post Office Christmas strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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"Next week, POL management will have a last chance to avoid a pre-Christmas strike and I strongly urge them to seize it," CWU national officer Andy Furey said this morning (Friday), after feedback from yesterday's national reps' briefing indicated mounting anger among Admin and Supply Chain members over pay.
There will be three days of negotiations between the respective CWU and POL senior teams, Andy told the meeting in Manchester, which was attended by around 50 union reps from workplace units across the country, from where reports indicate growing support for industrial action.

"Unless management put forward a serious and acceptable pay offer during next week's talks, a formal industrial action ballot leading towards a pre-Christmas strike will become inevitable."
Andy Furey, CWU national officer

Admin and Supply Chain workers have still not received their 2014 pay rise, which was scheduled for April 1st, and feelings of frustration are mounting among staff, who are facing increasing workloads and rising pressures every day.

These grades deliver essential cash and equipment to every one of the UK's 11,500 post offices and also to many of the largest high-street retail giants, and their efforts made a major contribution to the record profits of £107 million that POL posted last year.

"We know they've got the money, they can pay our members a fair deal, and we intend to ensure that they do," explained Andy.

Strike & march 17 July Last autumn, blundering POL bosses provoked a strike by Admin and Supply Chain staff by telling them that they would not be receiving any pay rise at all this year, but after just one day of action red-faced company chiefs backed down and promised formal pay negotiations for 2014.

"This was due to have been settled by April, but the company refused to even table a pay offer until the late summer - and when that came, it was completely unacceptable to our members, who rejected it by a massive 90 per cent majority - with many units now calling for a full strike ballot."

Unit reps are now worried that the company is going to adopt the same delaying tactic as last year - making promises to get past the busy festive season and then refusing to settle afterwards.

And Leeds unit rep Scott Slater summed up the feelings of many present when he suggested that action should be taken before Christmas unless the company make an acceptable pay offer while Birmingham's Kevin Griech reported that his members were "angry and frustrated and ready to walk out."

Kevin Wood, from Sheffield and Newcastle's Keith Gibson also forecast majority support for action, while London East unit rep Denis Shanahan reported that his "will be solid" and area distribution rep Tony Westgate predicted that his members in Edinburgh would return "a strong Yes" in any potential strike ballot, and explained: "They're unimpressed with the business."

From the west country, unit reps Steve Davies and Steve Richards, from Newton Abbot and Poole respectively, said that their members would support strike action over pay - "everyone's fed up, they'll vote 100 per cent for action," predicted Mr Richards, while Mr Davies said that "a quick snap poll" among his members had also indicated backing for a strike.

Lynn Simpson represents Admin grades workers at a large Swindon site, the Swindon Stores, where members took their first-ever industrial action last November. "It was solidly supported and it gave them direct experience of the effectiveness of action and the importance of the work they do," the territorial rep said, adding: "They're all very angry about the current pay offer, they're not happy at all."

Birmingham 20.11.13 "Our Crown members demonstrated last year what can be achieved when you have unity. Equally our Admin and Supply Chain members will stick together and show determination," she added.

Reflecting on the feedback from the briefing, Andy Furey said: "The feeling that people are fast reaching the end of their patience and the calls for action were far stronger than even I had expected.

Andy Furey "Unless management put forward a serious and acceptable pay offer during next week's talks, a formal industrial action ballot, leading towards a pre-Christmas strike will become inevitable.

"The business must take a reality check, stop playing tactical games and approach next week's talks in good faith and in the right frame of mind," he urged.

[Red Robbo]

What do theses members do ?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

What do theses members do ?

it said in the Ltb

These grades deliver essential cash and equipment to every one of the UK's 11,500 post offices and also to many of the largest high-street retail giants, and their efforts made a major contribution to the record profits of £107 million that POL posted last year.

[Red Robbo]

Thank you TBT , so a strike would hit pensioners wanting their Xmas pensions & mothers with their child benefit ???

[Lounge Lizard]

Thank you TBT , so a strike would hit pensioners wanting their Xmas pensions & mothers with their child benefit ???

So this is one strike that really could be effective.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thank you TBT , so a strike would hit pensioners wanting their Xmas pensions & mothers with their child benefit ???

I've asked my Subbie - they don't think there will be hardly any impact on customers at the counter,pensions etc - they can plan them in advance or use any reserves they may have. Its more likely to hit the businesses or cash point machines, even so talk is in emergency cases they could use the 9am or 1pm specials as a way to get cash.

[Lounge Lizard]

Thank you TBT , so a strike would hit pensioners wanting their Xmas pensions & mothers with their child benefit ???

I've asked my Subbie - they don't think there will be hardly any impact on customers at the counter,pensions etc - they can plan them in advance or use any reserves they may have. Its more likely to hit the businesses or cash point machines, even so talk is in emergency cases they could use the 9am or 1pm specials as a way to get cash.

So more 1pm specials, and even 9am specials, in the run up to Christmas. It's US that's going to be hit hardest.

[subbie]

Special D's aren't allowed to contain that much cash to do us much good, we also need stock especially stamps, supply chain disruption would most definitely have a significant impact on the network's ability to maintain service during the Xmas busy period, anyone who thinks that disruption by supply chain would not be noticed by the agency network is a prat.

Subbie