My previous post didn't make clear what bits were new so I have cut and pasted the bits where I reply to Lovejoy's post:
"I thought you were going to answer the questions. Are you a politician?"
No - and I have no position in the union - whereas you are clearly very involved in CWU politics and the questions you ask avoid other questions like why did Ward lead the strike so badly? You have a lot of respect on this site for being a source of reliable information - but why did we have to rely on the drips you were willing to feed us, why didn't Ward tell us what was going on. Why were we kept in the dark about the deal when the PEC
knew about it? The ordinary menbers were treated with contempt by the union!
"Are members prepared for more action? - You don't say yes but you tell us the unofficial action would have spreasd. I don't think so. Even amongst the most millitant reps there is a reluctance to enter into unofficial IA and members across the Country are weary. Remember of 8th Oct only parts of London and Liverpool went over later starts. THIS ISSUE AFFFECTED ALL DELIVERY STAFF IN A MAJOR WAY so if there was to be a mass unofficial walkout it would have happen then!"
What I pointed towas that the unofficial was spreading - large parts of Londion came out on the Friday and more importantly once the official action had just been declared unlawful it seemed likely that there would be unofficial walk outs in reponse. Of course speculation has it that the whole point of the injunction hours before the deal was to help Ward to get us back to work!
Of course we are no longer where we were. The situation has changed and it is the union that has done its best to turn off the anger and fighting mood. So now we have to prepare for new battles for example over pensions and against the implementation of this deal.
"Could we have moved Royal Mail - Yes you say Liverpool showed us the way - The way to what, going out on your own and your colleagues standing and watching from the rest of the Country. I 100% respect the way Liverpool acted but the rest of the UK and majority of members aren't interested in unofficial action"
We saw in the 2003 strike that unofficial action works when reps have thje balls to spread it.
"I do 100% agree with you that the Labour Gov is a joke and must be thrown out. "
Thrown out - how? The way I'd want this government defeated is by mass action. When we were on strike we were in a conflict with this government but our leaders would not carry that fight through. Why because they are supporters of that government!
"What is palatable... er, urm, er ....come on cut to the chase what do you want in the agreement that is different. "
No strings! No roll over on pensions. (I know the pensions bit has been decoupled for the moment, but we know from the PEC documents that hayes and ward are ready to do a dirty deal)
"You deny change is coming and attack anyone who dares to step forward and embrace it! - "
You sound like Tony Blair.
Yes you who I Ipresume are a full time union official dare embrace the worsening of my working conditions - what a brave fellow you are!
"This is the sadest point of all. through no fault of our own "
But through the labour party's efforts a party which Ward and hayes support.
"the market has been liberilised and competition is here. I personally think we will beat off competition "
the whole point about the postcomm regulator like previous regulators bringing in competition, is to break the monopoly. Also when you say 'we' that shows you identify with the business - with RM. Well I am not in a 'we' with RM management - RM management are my exploiters - I am in a 'we' with other workers against their bosses.
"but one thing their presence means is that the postal market is changing - FACT"
this 'FACT' has been politically created and could be changed if we fought hard enough but people like Hayes with a bad case of borowntongue will never fight hard except for their careers.
"To deny and hide from change is cowardly."
To accept the logic of the market as you do, is to accept that all we as workers can be is an exploitable resource to be used to make a profit.
"This is our only chance to shape it - If we dont Royal Mail will!"
You are arguing for the union working together with RM to respond to the competition - this boils down to one thing - ordinary posties will be required to work more for less.
[/quote]
Of course what matters is not what way we vote but what we are ready to do. You may be right that not enough posites were up for the kind of fight that could really have pushed RM and the government back. But the union by its demoralising way of conducting the strike and doing the deal has hampered such a fight. Voting no is a way of letting ward and hayes know we are pissed off and will maybe make them think twice before agreeing the trashing of our pensions.[/quote]
