Liverpool Recruitment Agency Brings in Students as strike breakers

Mr. B · Post by **Mr. B** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:07

Have just read an article in the liverpool Echo telling me that The Workbank have being providing scab labour to break the heroic 'unofficial' strike in liverpool. Obviously this is pretty standard, but I was shocked as Workbank's liverpool branch is based inside my student union at John Moores Uni, as far as I see it unless this bunch of scumbags are run out of the union building, this amounts to my student union endorsing scabbing, and thats f***ing disgusting.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... -19944762/

As i said, i've only just found this out and am at a bit of a loss over what to do... any ideas?

Post by **POSTMAN** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:10

Forward it to CWU HQ for starters.

catch · Post by **catch** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:16

We made a bilingual leaflet to hand out to agency workers. Dunno if it's applicable enough to students although the wording was designed to be as broad as possible.

Student Unions/NUS activists are usually well dodgy, wannabe politicians all of them.

Post by **mailjock** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:22

If they are being driven in in the back of vans then they ain't insured and RM are breaking the law.

This company will stop at nothing to try and destroy this union and this is just another example.

Post by **mailjock** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:24

Some of the Liverpool pickets should constact the local universities National Union of Students officials and get invited to speak to the students to put their case - also alert media as good move for publicity.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:30

Just a quick one I know its illegal to hire agencies workers during an official strike, but not sure it applies for wild cat/unofficial action. Morally its completely wrong but then we know the only morals at RM HQ are in the dictionaries.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:32

My lad is at Liverpool University. I'll ask him if he's heard anything. There's no way he would scab. He's been brought up properly.

Mr. B · Post by **Mr. B** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:34

are there any liverpool posties who would be up for speaking at a meeting at LJMU? I'll do what i can to organise something/advertises and flyer for a meeting if anybody is up for it.

Post by **POSTMAN** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:38

Mr. B wrote:are there any liverpool posties who would be up for speaking at a meeting at LJMU? I'll do what i can to organise something/advertises and flyer for a meeting if anybody is up for it.

Ask in some of the Liverpool threads in this 'NEWS' forum.

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/vi ... php?t=6444

LondonUNISON · Post by **LondonUNISON** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:39

Just a quick one I know its illegal to hire agencies workers during an official strike, but not sure it applies for wild cat/unofficial action. Morally its completely wrong but then we know the only morals at RM HQ are in the dictionaries.

You're right about it being illegal to hire temps during an official strike (although employers often try to do it anyway), but yeah I should imagine they could get around it if it's a wildcat action.

The Sarge · Post by **The Sarge** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:40

Just put a load of traffic cones on the picket, that'll stop any student crossing the line.

LondonUNISON · Post by **LondonUNISON** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:42

Just put a load of traffic cones on the picket, that'll stop any student crossing the line.

Post by **ade@cambs** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:47

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:Just a quick one I know its illegal to hire agencies workers during an official strike, but not sure it applies for wild cat/unofficial action. Morally its completely wrong but then we know the only morals at RM HQ are in the dictionaries.

I'm afraid it's perfectly legal during wild cat strikes but where the strikebreakers are coming from leaves a lot to be desired.

Funked! · Post by **Funked!** » 15 Oct 2007, 17:47

We had wildcat strikes last year in our office & they can use casual labour whilst they are going on. When our strike went official they couldn't & didn't (as they had stopped using them some weeks previous) & it effected them more as they were reliant on us. Mind you the casuals & managers did very little in reality & were on a bit of a jolly it seemed. We were all more pissed off about Postmen from an office out of the county(who were mates of the manager) coming over & doing overtime when we were not allowed to.

Stockport · Post by **Stockport** » 15 Oct 2007, 18:55

Use the leaflet on libcom or one here as a guide and get to talk to the students- some of em may just be ignorant. If not then they are scum and we should organise demos and pickets against them with local NUS support if poss.

Text of leaflet from aegncy workers' network

Don't Cross The Picket Line!
One Out, All Out!

The government is determined to smash the postal service. Why? To
ripen it up for profits.
This will mean worse conditions for all workers. Liverpool post workers have stood up to
managmeent bullying. They deserve the support of all workers.

'Flexibility' means that the bosses- and soon they could be the same
bosses who rake it in off the hard work of agency workers- can make
workers start at any time, finish any time and soon there'll be a
race to the bottom. While their profits soar, our wages and work
will become lower and more insecure.

We Know You Need The Money

That's what the government and privateers are depending on. Some
people are desperate to work. But we as agency workers ourselves
know you don't want to work against a strike that could win better
conditions for all. We refuse to be used against our fellow workers-
we know that it is in joint action and joint organising with the
workers on full contracts that we can win better rights for us as
agency workers.

If the CWU win the strike then all workers are better off. If they lose then,
in the long run, all workers will be worse off.

Don't let the governemnt and the bosses smash militant trade unionism.
Don't let down your fellow workers.

Who Are We?

We are a group of agency workers, some of whom have won better rights
and sometimes contracts for agency workers by organising alongside
other workers. We believe that unity is strength- one for all, all
for one. One out- all out.

Don't Cross Picket lines- the first law of working class solidarity
Join the Strike
Join the CWU's campaign for agency workers' rights
http://www.cwu.org/default.asp?step=8&CamID=22

Join our campaign http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/agencyworkers/

ROYALMAILCHAT

Liverpool Recruitment Agency Brings in Students as strike breakers

Liverpool Recruitment Agency Brings in Students as strike breakers

Breaking the law

Scab Students

student strike breakers

Re: student strike breakers