Meeting this Saturday to organise for a no vote

rathbonepostie · Post by **rathbonepostie** » 24 Oct 2007, 16:45

reject the deal

An open meeting to discuss a campaign to win a No vote in the CWU ballot

Saturday 27 October 2.30pm

Vernon Square campus of SOAS, Penton Rise, London WC1X, Just off Kingâ€™s Cross Road,
nearest tube, Kingâ€™s Cross

â€œWe, the undersigned, call upon CWU postal branches, CWU representatives, and ordinary CWU members to sponsor, support and attend an Open Special Conference to organise the maximum No vote in the forthcoming ballot. We would like to remind you just why this deal should be rejected.

lFlexible workingâ€”potentially every day

lPensions destroyed in the futureâ€”working until 65

lContinued threats to mail centres

lUncertainty over continued payments for Door to Door

lA pathetically below-inflation pay deal

lAgreement to changes in start times which were initially imposed

lLong days and short days agreedâ€”for example the possibility of a nine-hour Friday

lPotential working in neighbouring offices and work outside normal duties

lNo amnesty for sacked reps

The conference will be held in London on Saturday 27 October and we urge the maximum attendance. Initial signatories to this appeal include:
Dave Warren PEC member
Angela Mulcahy Area processing rep East London postal
Paul Turnbull Area processing rep Eastern NO4 branch
Dave Chapple vice-chair Bristol & district amal
Pete Firmin vice-chair London West End amal
Geoff Breeze Southampton CWU member
Merlin Reader Local rep, Mount Pleasant
Presley Antoine Delivery unit rep WEDO
Paul Garraway political officer South Central No1
All names in a personal capacity

DanteSH · Post by **DanteSH** » 24 Oct 2007, 17:43

Everyone get to it if you can!

rebel · Post by **rebel** » 25 Oct 2007, 21:44

I will attempt to get there but nobody wants to know in my office. Too worried about Christmas around the corner. They cannot see that Christmas is the time when we can be powerful. How can nec even consider this crap??? Why did we strike anyway? we've lost nothing.

lovejoy · Post by **lovejoy** » 25 Oct 2007, 22:20

The conference will be held in London on Saturday 27 October and we urge the maximum attendance. Initial signatories to this appeal include:
Dave Warren PEC member
Angela Mulcahy Area processing rep East London postal
Paul Turnbull Area processing rep Eastern NO4 branch
Dave Chapple vice-chair Bristol & district amal
Pete Firmin vice-chair London West End amal
Geoff Breeze Southampton CWU member
Merlin Reader Local rep, Mount Pleasant
Presley Antoine Delivery unit rep WEDO
Paul Garraway political officer South Central No1
All names in a personal capacity

IF THIS LOT TOLD ME CHRISTMAS WAS ON THE 25TH DECEMBER I'D TAKE A LOOK AT THE DIARY!! Knowing that these people are against the agreement then without any other reason i'd vote YES

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » 25 Oct 2007, 22:25

The conference will be held in London on Saturday 27 October and we urge the maximum attendance. Initial signatories to this appeal include:

Dave Warren PEC member
Angela Mulcahy Area processing rep East London postal
Paul Turnbull Area processing rep Eastern NO4 branch
Dave Chapple vice-chair Bristol & district amal
Pete Firmin vice-chair London West End amal
Geoff Breeze Southampton CWU member
Merlin Reader Local rep, Mount Pleasant
Presley Antoine Delivery unit rep WEDO
Paul Garraway political officer South Central No1
All names in a personal capacity

IF THIS LOT TOLD ME CHRISTMAS WAS ON THE 25TH DECEMBER I'D TAKE A LOOK AT THE DIARY!! Knowing that these people are against the agreement then without any other reason i'd vote YES

Am very torn on this subject at the moment, but i agree with your comment on those have meet on that list

DanteSH · Post by **DanteSH** » 26 Oct 2007, 08:57

Whatever peoples opinions about the names on that list, this is a chance for a largely rank and file meeting of posties to get off the ground and begin to organise something - the names in support thing is only there to show that it has some momentum, the real victory can only be scored by posties organising together. Hayes and Ward have blown in, who will organise the struggle now?

Post by **Paul Turnbull** » 26 Oct 2007, 20:58

Thanks DanteSH.

We hope to build a campaign for a NO vote because we believe postal workers expect more.

Personal comments about people who are actually prepared to actually do something are not helpful.

This is a serious campaign.

luckyllama · Post by **luckyllama** » 26 Oct 2007, 21:03

not that serious

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 26 Oct 2007, 21:03

Paul Turnbull wrote:Thanks DanteSH.

We hope to build a campaign for a NO vote because we believe postal workers expect more.

Personal comments about people who are actually prepared to actually do something are not helpful.

This is a serious campaign.

I'm a bit concerned about who 'we' are here. I'm all for a rank and file movement, and if it connects with rank and file movements in other unions, so much the better. I'm wondering if a rank and file movement might become a front for a political party few of us are members of and whose aims we don't share. If that's the case, it's doomed. On the other hand, a genuine rank and file movement with the aim of forming a united militant front with no party political affiliations could be a good thing.

Post by **Paul Turnbull** » 26 Oct 2007, 21:21

IWW why not come along and you will be one of the we.

All postal workers are invited who oppose the deal.

Membership ( or not ) of a political party is not relevant and I believe that there will be members of various political parties present.

I will repeat the meeting has ONE AIM to organise for a no vote and I also repeat you are welcome if you are a postal worker.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 26 Oct 2007, 21:27

Paul Turnbull wrote:IWW why not come along and you will be one of the we.

All postal workers are invited who oppose the deal.

Membership ( or not ) of a political party is not relevant and I believe that there will be members of various political parties present.

I will repeat the meeting has ONE AIM to organise for a no vote and I also repeat you are welcome if you are a postal worker.

I'll have my work cut out to get down to London for 2.30 mate. As long as this isn't another Trot front group, I wish you well with it

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 26 Oct 2007, 21:44

A most wellcome development. Unfortunately like many others it will be physically impossible for me to attend.I am sure though that one of the resolutions of this meeting will be to broaden the campaign and make it more accessible with regional meetings set up very quickly

L Tommo · Post by **L Tommo** » 26 Oct 2007, 21:51

Hold the phone......

If people want to back the NO vote then i feel as many that can get there is a step in the right direction... I feel we all should be pro-active and MAKE A STAND SOME HOW...

If you dont agree with the people on that list... Put yourselves up and make a show In your own way.... But lets all pull in the same direction....

POLITICS IS NOT ALWAYS THE ISSUE...

OUT

DanteSH · Post by **DanteSH** » 26 Oct 2007, 22:49

As long as this isn't another Trot front group, I wish you well with it

Of course Trotskyists will be there (along with syndicalists and whoever else), and there will be a political debate, but if it becomes a front group for anyone it will be useless - the only way to make sure that no one group dominates it is for as many posties as possible to go (or if you cannot go just get involved in some way with the campaign). The bigger this is the more successful it will be.

It's not just need a no vote, what is needed is a huge no vote, and then, to be honest we need more strike action - preferably starting with the 48 hour rolling strikes which got cancelled by the courts last time and then a rapid escalation. If the Exec tries to organise another ballot or stifle the action again then the no vote campaign needs to be used to campaign for the kind of I/A which will work.

Otherwise people can say hello to sweatshop conditions in RM and privatisation, and the end of the postal service.

rathbonepostie · Post by **rathbonepostie** » 27 Oct 2007, 04:34

I don't think comments about individuals on that list would be helpful on a site where management have access - management are already aware what is going on, don't give them more ammunition.
I would endorse what others have said - the meeting is solely to organise to win rejection of the deal. All postal workers, of whatever political affiliation, or none, are more thsan welcome on that basis.
The more the better, we need a massice campaign. Don't forget both Royal Mail and the union machine (and the media) will go into overdrive to get this through, let's not create divisions before we even get started.

DEFEAT THE DEAL!