jemima wrote:From
http://postcom.org/public/2007/Executive%20Brief.pdf
and see also
http://www.europe-economics.com/profile/post.htm for the author's background.
"In this Executive Brief, David Stubbs, who has commented extensively on the
recent postal strike in the UK for BBC and ITV news and for the Daily Telegraph
and Sunday Times, considers its causes and impact"
This is quite a long article so I won't post it all. It's worth reading, if you want to see what economic analysts have made of the dispute.
This is the kind of opinion that will be getting read by advisors to Gordon Brown.
It would be nice to see the CWU website have a page of easily accessible information about the history of Royal Mail's problems, and the background to the current dispute. Including the information that it's not all over yet and that there will be output from ongoing discussions even if there's no more strike action after the ballot. They could have a list of people who would be interested to read it, including Europe Economics and similar companies, and email them when the information is updated. Then people like David Stubbs won't get all their information from Royal Mail management's perspective.
That article is a lot fairer and objective in it's anyalsis than the usual right wing rabble rousing rants .
However Lord Sawyer suggested Courts or panels to deal with problems , they could keep things out of ET's or keep staff out of the car park.
My problem is that New Liebour Blairite ,Stephen Byers purposefully appointed Leighton with his US Walmart style union busting style and the failed free-market Tory Ideologues from Postcon . That's typical New Liebour "reform" with more stick than carrot and mixed messages & agendas .
It makes too much of L&C and his hostile Senior "Managers " most of it's hype and spin , the Emperor's new clothes, who aren't that good, pouring petrol on the flames . Sorry that articles conclusions begs more questions than answers .
Crozier wanted a strike , RM have as always, one idea , move forward ?! -what's that all about .Sorry but that article is too vague & wooly.
I believe L&C were spoiling for a showdown with the CWU in 2003 and there's a lot of bad feeling left over . The Slash and burn and trying to break the back of the union didn't surprise me ; it wasn't a case of if , it was when .
When somebody from the T&G posts on here saying he wouldn't touch the CWU with a barge pole as it's too humoungous , that it is interesting!>