WHATEVER HAPPENS NOW WE CAN BE PROUD

[lovejoy]

It looks likely that the PEC will endorse the proposed settlement tomorrow and then it will go out to membership vote.

I have read all sorts of things on here about rejecting the deal if its not good enough but the reality is that if the Way Forward can get in then this agreement will sail through. Pockets across the country will campaign against it but the average postal worker usually supports the reccomendations of CWU HQ.

I myself will vote no if I feel that agreement does not tick the right boxes - protected pensions, no to their idea of flexibilty and a decent pay rise but for everyone of us doing this there will be 5 just glad that the dispute is coming to an end! This is a bi-product of the Margaret Thatcher think now, think number one ethos.

I would just like to remind everyone though that whatever is in the agreement we can all be very proud.

The massive support nationwide has rocked Leighton and Crozier. Lets be very clear. This dispute was never about pay, pensions or flexibility. For Royal Mail it was about ridding the business of the union.

Seeing Crozier humilated into attending negotiations by media pressure and see Royal Mail scamper to the law courts because they knew support was growing not dropping was/is inspirational!

We are now seeing the last weeks/months of messers Crozier and Leighton! They will take a few months to go so that it does not damage their CVs but I am sure they are selling themselves to other organisations deperation for some bulls**t management as we speak.

After the PEC meeting there will of course be a briefing of all senior reps. Then branch/divisional reccomendations will be made.

Each individual will make a judgement for themselves and that is fair enough. Branches though need to see the bigger picture. That bigger picture is that because of membership support this union has fought off the most vicious Government/employer attack since the miners.

THE ODDS WERE STACKED AGAINST US AND IT WAS DAVID AND GOLIATH STUFF BUT WE'RE STILL HERE AND READY FOR SOME MORE IF NEEDED.

I back calls for a new national bank holiday. VP day - Victory for posties day

[strangler]

Great stuff Lovejoy, word for word.
Reckon you`re right about the deal. Apart from the many I`ve heard moaning about the strikes (but it must be said sticking with it) there are also those (including one or two on here) that didn`t seem to suss that they were voting for I/A to be used if necessary in the original ballot

[IWW Fellow Worker]

That's a great post lovejoy. Even if a crap deal gets voted in, the struggle will carry on for better conditions. 100 years ago, the bosses were telling dock workers that strikes were a thing of the past and many union leaders went along with that. Along come people like Bill Haywood Jim Larkin, Lucy Parsons and Tom Mann to prove them wrong. We won't go away. We're their constant nightmare. La Lucha Continua!

[Edward Hunter]

Good post Lovejoy
And many thanks for your posts during the dispute (SO FAR ) All very informative and bang on the money.
I`m actually suprised you dont already know whats on offer? Come on let the lads and lasses on RMC know the score

[lovejoy]

if i knew i'd post it mate, i've actually tried to take some time out to reintroduce myself to family this weekend!

I'm making a few calls early tom. Will post as soon as I do! The PEC members will know pre 2pm because they are given documents prior to the meeting

[k979aaa]

Well said lovejoy i hope the asperations of the membership are met but the most important thing is we all stuck together as one, If there is one thing in this agreement i would like to see is full protection of MTSF it is vital to everyone's future in royalmail.

[HootyMacBoob]

It isnt crapier and lapdog who are out to break the union its Stevie Cameron, the fife posties have 1st class experiences of Mr Cameron's style of management/bullying, he first tried out total flexibility in dunfermline D.O. and we were out on strike 1 week after he was appointed as manager, so as long as this clown has any sort of power in RM we will always have serious IR problems.

[baldrick]

We did throw out the Employee Agenda which the CWU recommended in 1996, because Branch Committees and activists led a campaign against it, so don't assume it's a foregone conclusion.
But whatever emerges tomorrow and in the subsequent ballot I agree that we can be proud of what we have achieved. We stood together against the attempt to destroy our Union by a ruthless Management, backed (and put up to it) by the New Labour/Big Business Government.
I am proud of every one of my fellow workers in my Mail Centre, and across the land who stood and fought together.
Whatever the outcome, I know we will continue to stand up for dignity and justice in our workplaces. Stay strong.
:lfo :cfo

[haveagojoe]

Lovejoy from Liverpool great post m8

[postworker.org.uk]

We did throw out the Employee Agenda which the CWU recommended in 1996, because Branch Committees and activists led a campaign against it, so don't assume it's a foregone conclusion.

And the Way Forward first version was voted out in 2000, then had to be improved before being accepted, as I remember.

[evilc]

Great post lovejoy, one other fundamental point we should not overlook is that when the dispute started l & c were refusing to negotiate with " our union " but in the end had to eat his words and come to a agreement, there will probably be things we will not like as is it not possible to please everybody, but however we can all hold our heads up high knowing that all the crap we took from managers during this dispute we supported our colleagues and along the way made new friends with the help of this site. :lfo :cfo

[prowler]

All good stuff, but this isn't going to go away.
Crozier and Leighton leaving?I'll believe it when I see it.
The agenda will still be there whether they are at the helm or not.
Let's wait for details of the agreement before we all jump to conclusions.
Everyone has a vote, so I hope they use it.
Seems to me there is now a lot of pressure on us to accept this deal
whether its good or not.
Everybody in the union now has to raise their game and get more invovled
at local level.

[weetrogg]

I totally agree with lovejoy, this was an all out attack on trade unionism, its gives me a great sense of pride. that no matter whats in the agreement, we stood firm and f**cked twit :lfo and :cfo off, im sure they will come for us again soon but it was our unity that made them break!!! Due to sites like this and the way the mismanagement have behaved during this i believe the union is stronger than ever, we need to capitalize on this by promoting this site so we get the number registered above the 20,000 mark and remember if your reps lets you down during this dispute( very small minority) elections are soon here be a man/woman an stand against them!!!! There are lots off ways we can improve are union but at grass roots level we were fantastic and hopefully through are actions we will have encouraged other unions that the days of industrial are not over, and we have definatley shown that unions are not a thing of the past

Well done and thank you to those who stood strong
and to those that scabbed, SHAME ON YOU, DIRTY BASTARDS!!!

[barkersboy]

Thanks Lovejoy. Great to have you back.

I am concerned about the reply posts by everyone. There sems to be an air of resignation and we will have to accept pEC recommendation.
Whatever the deal, I will be looking for some detail on RMs proposals on IR (CWU) representation in the workplace. This was in the prpoposed RM original offer. If we accept the agreement will we still have the ability to effectively challenge management in all units. If not RM will just ignore the bits they dont like as they did in the Way Forward agrrement.

[Macca]

[quote="lovejoy"]It looks likely that the PEC will endorse the proposed settlement tomorrow and then it will go out to membership vote.

I have read all sorts of things on here about rejecting the deal if its not good enough but the reality is that if the Way Forward can get in then this agreement will sail through. Pockets across the country will campaign against it but the average postal worker usually supports the reccomendations of CWU HQ.

The Way Forward came in because, delivery postman saw their pay rise from about £218 to £235 and didnt take into account the other strings, and delivery postman make up the larger section of the union, so have a larger vote. This current dispute directly affects the postmen, in pay, later start times and flexibility, flexibility is not really an issue within mail centres/distribution hubs because most work to their times, as they have timed despatches, and because the dispute has mainly focused on deliveries, thats where i believe this vote will determine whether it comes in or not.



The massive support nationwide has rocked Leighton and Crozier. Lets be very clear. This dispute was never about pay, pensions or flexibility. For Royal Mail it was about ridding the business of the union.

Your right, since they both began in Royal Mail, that has been their sole intention, 2003 when we voted against industrial action, they thought they could do as they pleased (our world had changed 'Leighton'), but wildcat strikes in London, bs, co, da, ig, me, mk, ox, po, ss, st and sn postcodes (hope i havent missed any) soon had them on a backfoot and round 1 went to us, they have chipped away at the union ever since, more so at local level and now they tried it again at national level but we have prevailed something i am very proud of being apart of.