Post Office workers set for pay strike ballot

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/post-of ... allot.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some 2,000 Post Office workers will be receiving their strike ballot papers next Saturday (8th November) following the breakdown of last-ditch pay talks between the CWU and company chiefs.

The union's executive is recommending a 'Yes' vote and if members back the call, strikes could start in December.

Employees working in Post Office Admin and Supply Chain grades are furious that, some seven months after the April 1st settlement date, Post Office bosses have consistently refused to meet their claim for a wage increase that keeps pace with the cost of living and rewards their contribution to the company's success.

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

After initially refusing to consider a pay rise for staff at all this year, a one-day strike brought a promise by the company to enter into talks but the first offer made by the business was rejected as "derisory" by CWU negotiators and rejected by a massive 90 per cent majority by members in a ballot in September.
Andy Furey Following the rejection, the company asked for further negotiations this month, but, according to CWU national officer Andy Furey, "To say we are disappointed would be an understatement.

"Whilst a revised offer has been made this was rejected as being completely inadequate and it excludes our Admin members, which is disgraceful," he explained, and added that the offer for Supply Chain members carried a "sting in the tail" of some 200 job losses attached to the rise.

"In view of the attitude of the Post Office, we have been left with no choice other than to ballot for industrial action, and I've written to their chief executive Paula Vennells to make this clear," Andy continued. ‎

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


Voting begins on Saturday 8th November and the ballot closes on Tuesday 18th November.

[Red Robbo]

What happened to the "no strike" deal ??

[TrueBlueTerrier]

What happened to the "no strike" deal ??

Wrong section

The no strike is for us in Royal Mail letters, all other CWU members in other businesses aren't covered by the AFG2014 deal.

[Red Robbo]

[aiden01]

What happened to the "no strike" deal ??

Wrong section

The no strike is for us in Royal Mail letters, all other CWU members in other businesses aren't covered by the AFG2014 deal.

has there not been strikes in bridgewater and Portsmouth recentley unofficially or officially a strike is a strike surely. or is a walkout treated differently.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

What happened to the "no strike" deal ??

Wrong section

The no strike is for us in Royal Mail letters, all other CWU members in other businesses aren't covered by the AFG2014 deal.

has there not been strikes in bridgewater and Portsmouth recentley unofficially or officially a strike is a strike surely. or is a walkout treated differently.

You can't legislate in agreements for unofficial action - which in these 3 cases thats exactly what they were. In fact in my opinion wild cats are more likely because of the hoops you have to jump through now to get official action authorised. Certainly unofficial action is more likely to happen if local members want mediation quicker than the AFG2014 allows for.

As to official strikes, you can still get them at the local level, as long as you follow the correct procedures, but National Strikes or strikes in strategically important areas of the business - (make of that what you will) cannot be sanctioned NATIONALLY by the CWU as then Royal Mail will withdraw from AFG2014 as stipulated in it.