Letter from a rep

[rathbonepostie]

CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes and Deputy General Secretary have signed up to an appalling agreement that surrenders our aspirations for decent pensions, pay, the right to perform overtime and decent conditions.

They have done this under heavy political pressure from the Labour Government, including Gordon Brown himself, a Government that was anxious about a General Election and the success of our strikes in harming business. One result of this dispute should be that we sever all links with the Labour Party immediately.

Our Bristol Branch last Monday, with 30 reps present, voted unanimously to recommend a ‘NO’ vote. Now we, the members, must all vote No to this deal, and talk to our colleagues about doing the same. The popular Internet Website ‘RoyalMailChat’, which has 3,000 subscribers, currently has 80% against the deal. 20 Branches besides ours have recommended NO, and there is a vigorous national campaign to get the deal kicked out. It is likely that ballot papers will be sent out next week.

You have been told, and will be told again, in letters from Billy Hayes and Dave ward, that pension protection is a separate deal. That is lie. There is already a ‘Joint Statement’ signed by CWU and Royal Mail, that gives away everything. We will have to work to 65, or leave at 60 with thousands of pounds taken from our current entitlement: money that we have paid in. Further, I have a signed copy of a letter from Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, who brokered this sell-out, stating that the Pensions Deal and the main deal cannot be separated.

For many reasons, the deal may well get voted in. If it does, that is not because anyone thinks it is any good for us. A YES vote will be a serious setback, but we must all realise that Royal Mail will still have to implement their crazy flexibility ideas locally. That will not be easy for them. For a start, all those who come in early, race around to get their job and finish, and generally help to ruin the job, will now do the job properly: if they don’t, then they will be the first to be asked to stay on everyday for nothing.

So Royal Mail’s flexibility ideas will unite us. Managers will be tearing their hair out because if jobs are cut they will be the only ones to finish the jobs we leave when we break off. There will be perhaps a year or more of chaos caused entirely by this deal.

We must all think about setting up our own fightback organisation within our union that will help to make sure that this sell-out never happens again. So if it’s a NO vote, get ready to force Hayes and Ward to recall strike action. If it’s a YES vote, keep our resolve, DO NOT RESIGN, let’s change our union so this never happens again.
Dave Chapple.

[EJL]

"The popular Internet Website ‘RoyalMailChat’, which has 3,000 subscribers, currently has 80% against the deal."

4,033 members, but only 501 can be bothered to vote no and 111 yes.

A total of 612, unbelievable?

[sol]

EJL - the fact that only 501 "can be bothered to vote" shouldn't be misread. I'm not a CWU member so I haven't voted. If you want the non-posties who visit the site to vote I'll be happy but it would give a false impression as to the opinion of CWU members.

I wonder if the site moderators know how many of the 4,000 are post workers and CWU members?

[EJL]

"If you want the non-posties who visit the site to vote I'll be happy but it would give a false impression as to the opinion of CWU members."

We don't know that all those that have voted are CWU members and there is no way of knowing, but I'm sure that there is a lot more CWU in here than the 15% that have voted.

[k979aaa]

EJL - the fact that only 501 "can be bothered to vote" shouldn't be misread. I'm not a CWU member so I haven't voted. If you want the non-posties who visit the site to vote I'll be happy but it would give a false impression as to the opinion of CWU members.

I wonder if the site moderators know how many of the 4,000 are post workers and CWU members?

Or are manager's thus do not have an opinion of their own.

[dvbuk55]

That is not the only statistic that is open to interpretation. Those on this and other forums are obviously of a like mind and there is a bias toward one inclination or t'other. We, on this forum, have a tendency to be anti RM and pro union, despite the disparaging remarks over this deal, the other forum has a predominantly pro RM anti union stance. Therefore the views are going to reflect that. As I am banned from the other site does anyone know if there is a pro/anti deal poll on there

[k979aaa]

Have never visted nor intend to for this site is the best.

[EJL]

Pro Union or Pro RM, I find it sad that 85% of the people on this site can't be bothered to vote on such an emotive subject.

[Carnoustie]

Pro Union or Pro RM, I find it sad that 85% of the people on this site can't be bothered to vote on such an emotive subject.

And that is exactly how the Way Forward and other lame deals have got voted in.

When it comes to the REAL ballot, there will be far too many people who don't bother to vote at all !!!!

I confidently predict that, as has happened on many previous occasions, the percentage of members who actually vote 'Yes' will be vastly outnumbered by those not in favour of the deal. But because a large chunk of the latter group cannot be @rsed to take two minutes to complete a ballot paper and post it, the actual votes cast will show a straight majority in favour of the agreement. Since that is all that is required for the deal to be deemed as accepted, we all get screwed-over yet again.

Whichever way this goes, anyone who does not use their vote is a fool of the highest order, in my opinion. Why on earth anyone would lose 8 days pay to try to win a better deal, and then not use their vote and so let others decide their fate ?

[k979aaa]

Pro Union or Pro RM, I find it sad that 85% of the people on this site can't be bothered to vote on such an emotive subject.

And that is exactly how the Way Forward and other lame deals have got voted in.

When it comes to the REAL ballot, there will be far too many people who don't bother to vote at all !!!!

I confidently predict that, as has happened on many previous occasions, the percentage of members who actually vote 'Yes' will be vastly outnumbered by those not in favour of the deal. But because a large chunk of the latter group cannot be @rsed to take two minutes to complete a ballot paper and post it, the actual votes cast will show a straight majority in favour of the agreement. Since that is all that is required for the deal to be deemed as accepted, we all get screwed-over yet again.

Whichever way this goes, anyone who does not use their vote is a fool of the highest order, in my opinion. Why on earth anyone would lose 8 days pay to try to win a better deal, and then not use their vote and so let others decide their fate ?

Maybe royalmail might decide to make it compulsory like have your say form's filled in the canteen!.

[baldrick]

Hope they do - it would probably mean a massive NO vote.

[drb]

Just so you know.If this deal get's a yes.Than i cannot begin to tell you the bonus's that our line managers will
get.Not to mention those above them.All bonuses's to managers are pensionable.It is in their interest to get this deal through

[luckyllama]

The good news is that if its a yes we get the £175 and the pay arrears too, and the money will certainly be useful

[bigsharkboy]

The good news is that if its a yes we get the £175 and the pay arrears too, and the money will certainly be useful

read the deal you dont get any arrears

NO BACK PAY

[waterpistol]

The good news is that if its a yes we get the £175 and the pay arrears too, and the money will certainly be useful

If it wasn't so sad he would be quite funny