More than 100,000 Royal Mail workers to vote on strikes in war over job security

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 22 Aug 2019, 17:06

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/more-100 ... s-18985629" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will vote from September 24 - with the strikes likely to take place in October

More than 100,000 Royal Mail workers are to be balloted for strikes over issues including job security and terms and conditions of employment.

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will vote from September 24, with the result due in the first week of October.

The dispute has flared over implementation of a so-called Four Pillars Agreement reached last year between the union and Royal Mail.

These include working hours, the use of technology to monitor efficiency and its parcel sorting systems.

“Although they are talking as if they are acting within that agreement I don’t believe there’s any true spirit and intent with them to support that agreement and that’s extremely concerning," Communication Workers Union deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger, said.

Royal Mail, however, insisted: “We are committed to open and constructive engagement with the CWU.

"We all want a successful and sustainable company that provides good quality jobs, fairness in workloads, and continues delivering."

The union said in a statement: "In setting this timetable we clearly believe that the business, in spite of their own media campaign, are not working within the spirit and intent of our national agreements and are following their own agenda that will have long-term detrimental effects on our members' terms and conditions of employment, job security and the future of Royal Mail Group as a whole."

The union has claimed that a culture of bullying in the workplace had not been tackled, with local CWU officers being disciplined.

Pullinger told a CWU meeting that members should get ready for the "fight of your lives".

Yamr1 · Post by **Yamr1** » 22 Aug 2019, 17:11

All out massive yes vote

Disgusting behaviour from royalmail

bowie · Post by **bowie** » 22 Aug 2019, 18:43

All out we stick together and we win,support the c.w.u

UNION JACK · Post by **UNION JACK** » 22 Aug 2019, 19:50

bowie wrote:All out we stick together and we win,support the c.w.u

Well said i'm with you and the CWU,when i first started we had 1 dom and 1 lino now we have 1 dom 5 linos and a couple of performance coaches all on way over 30 grand ,call me stupid but i can see where the savings can come from. Ive been with Royal Mail for 18 years and not 1 manager has ever asked about my life ,we are just s**t on there shoes.They must start to understand its the workers that make their profits not managers or coaches,a strong company goes forward with its workforce ,ignore them and you are finished.

scoobydo79 · Post by **scoobydo79** » 22 Aug 2019, 20:48

The company has been trashed so it’s new boss can fill His boots with cheap shares and now the posties will be treated like dirt to push the share value back up.Dispicable treatment

Post by **postareale** » 22 Aug 2019, 23:28

A similar article in the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ers-rights

Royal Mail union to launch strike ballot over workers' rights
More than 100,000 staff given vote on strike over job security and ‘culture of bullying’

Rob Davies

@ByRobDavies

The CWU said Royal Mail bosses were ‘following their own agenda that will have long-term detrimental effects on members’ job security and the future of Royal Mail’

More than 100,000 Royal Mail workers are expected to vote on whether to strike over grievances about job security, an alleged culture of bullying, and the terms and conditions of their employment.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) will begin balloting its members from 24 September unless an agreement can be reached before then, with the result expected in early October.

Relations between Royal Mail and the union have deteriorated amid disagreement over the implementation of the four pillars agreement, a deal reached between the two parties last year.

The union has said a culture of bullying in the workplace had not been tackled since the agreement, with local CWU officers being disciplined.

The deputy general secretary, Terry Pullinger, told a CWU meeting that members should get ready for the “fight of your lives”.

The CWU said Royal Mail bosses were “following their own agenda that will have long-term detrimental effects on our members’ terms and conditions of employment, job security and the future of Royal Mail Group as a whole.”

The four pillars agreement was one of the final acts of the former chief executive, Moya Greene, covering pay rises, pension proposals and moves to reduce working hours from 39 to 35 a week by 2022, subject to productivity improvements.

The CWU said that labour relations have worsened since Greene was succeeded by Rico Back, who courted controversy when he picked up a £6m “golden hello” for taking over at the company.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We have not received formal notification of a ballot from CWU. We are disappointed that they have set out a ballot timetable while discussions are ongoing.

“We are committed to open and constructive engagement with the CWU. We all want a successful and sustainable company that provides good quality jobs, fairness in workloads, and continues delivering the universal service.”

Royal Mail executives are understood to be hopeful that they can coax the CWU back into talks aimed at averting a strike.

In the meantime, walkouts are now running at more than one a week, including small, rural offices not noted for militancy, a CWU source said.

The union has also voiced concern about the company’s decision to move its Parcelforce business to a separate legal entity.

Parcelforce has previously attracted criticism over the employment conditions faced by drivers, some of whom claimed they were charged £250 a day if they were off sick.

UNION JACK · Post by **UNION JACK** » 23 Aug 2019, 06:48

Will ROYAL MAIL stop playing games and get off your ass and do what is right not just for your top bosses and managers,but for the majority of us who actually do the hard work,p____d off we always have to go down this route to obtain decent working conditions.YOU ROYAL MAIL should be ashamed and i hope the public see you for what you are,hopefully a downturn in revenue will focus shareholders ,and bosses minds that you cant treat your workers like dirt.

bowie · Post by **bowie** » 24 Aug 2019, 11:17

Big yes vote needed high 90s please

Chelseablue · Post by **Chelseablue** » 25 Aug 2019, 11:48

The guys at the top are in that position of wealth and power bcause they do not give a toss about the paupers at the bottom . We need everyone in the union now even the greedy ppl who want all the benefits of the union but not paying for it .

loyalsnail · Post by **loyalsnail** » 26 Aug 2019, 13:24

UNION JACK wrote:Will ROYAL MAIL stop playing games and get off your ass and do what is right not just for your top bosses and managers,but for the majority of us who actually do the hard work,p____d off we always have to go down this route to obtain decent working conditions.YOU ROYAL MAIL should be ashamed and i hope the public see you for what you are,hopefully a downturn in revenue will focus shareholders ,and bosses minds that you cant treat your workers like dirt.

Employer attempts economy drive to improve efficiency of organisation. Overstates job losses.

Union counter with demands for status quo in terms and conditions (but with a pay demand).

Negotiations ensue.

Employer gets efficiency savings on a scale they were probably more realistically hoping for in the first instance.

Union announce latest 'victory' in protecting jobs and T&Cs.

Rinse. Repeat.

hero22 · Post by **hero22** » 26 Aug 2019, 15:45

loyalsnail wrote:
UNION JACK wrote:Will ROYAL MAIL stop playing games and get off your ass and do what is right not just for your top bosses and managers,but for the majority of us who actually do the hard work,p____d off we always have to go down this route to obtain decent working conditions.YOU ROYAL MAIL should be ashamed and i hope the public see you for what you are,hopefully a downturn in revenue will focus shareholders ,and bosses minds that you cant treat your workers like dirt.
Employer attempts economy drive to improve efficiency of organisation. Overstates job losses.

Union counter with demands for status quo in terms and conditions (but with a pay demand).

Negotiations ensue.

Employer gets efficiency savings on a scale they were probably more realistically hoping for in the first instance.

Union announce latest 'victory' in protecting jobs and T&Cs.

Rinse. Repeat.

hope so but thinks its different this time

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 26 Aug 2019, 20:08

Presuming what Martin Walsh has told us is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, it would seem Rico Black has had a Pol Pot moment and we are heading for year zero.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 31 Aug 2019, 05:04

Everyone wants to point the finger yet someone who got a £12 million pound pay off welcome and will not give a postman an hour off the working week which was agreed in the last pay deal and is abrogating that deal is someone who is a champion of the service sector of our nation and possibly does not pay 1p in tax in this nation well if he benefits this nation so much let's see his P60!

Post by **cantonkid1955** » 10 Sep 2019, 11:10

postareale wrote:A similar article in the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ers-rights

Royal Mail union to launch strike ballot over workers' rights
More than 100,000 staff given vote on strike over job security and ‘culture of bullying’

Rob Davies

@ByRobDavies

The CWU said Royal Mail bosses were ‘following their own agenda that will have long-term detrimental effects on members’ job security and the future of Royal Mail’

More than 100,000 Royal Mail workers are expected to vote on whether to strike over grievances about job security, an alleged culture of bullying, and the terms and conditions of their employment.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) will begin balloting its members from 24 September unless an agreement can be reached before then, with the result expected in early October.

Relations between Royal Mail and the union have deteriorated amid disagreement over the implementation of the four pillars agreement, a deal reached between the two parties last year.

The union has said a culture of bullying in the workplace had not been tackled since the agreement, with local CWU officers being disciplined.

The deputy general secretary, Terry Pullinger, told a CWU meeting that members should get ready for the “fight of your lives”.

The CWU said Royal Mail bosses were “following their own agenda that will have long-term detrimental effects on our members’ terms and conditions of employment, job security and the future of Royal Mail Group as a whole.”

The four pillars agreement was one of the final acts of the former chief executive, Moya Greene, covering pay rises, pension proposals and moves to reduce working hours from 39 to 35 a week by 2022, subject to productivity improvements.

The CWU said that labour relations have worsened since Greene was succeeded by Rico Back, who courted controversy when he picked up a £6m “golden hello” for taking over at the company.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We have not received formal notification of a ballot from CWU. We are disappointed that they have set out a ballot timetable while discussions are ongoing.

“We are committed to open and constructive engagement with the CWU. We all want a successful and sustainable company that provides good quality jobs, fairness in workloads, and continues delivering the universal service.”

Royal Mail executives are understood to be hopeful that they can coax the CWU back into talks aimed at averting a strike.

In the meantime, walkouts are now running at more than one a week, including small, rural offices not noted for militancy, a CWU source said.

The union has also voiced concern about the company’s decision to move its Parcelforce business to a separate legal entity.

Parcelforce has previously attracted criticism over the employment conditions faced by drivers, some of whom claimed they were charged £250 a day if they were off sick.

The statement that PF has attracted criticism over its drivers being charged if they were sick is not strictly true..Those drivers were contract drivers and were working for Parcelforce under contract, and it clearly stated in the contract that should the contracted driver not be able to fulfil his contract,then it is the drivers responsibility to supply a cover driver or the company would do so and charge the driver.,that contract was signed by both Parcelforce and the driver.