CWU issues notice for Royal Mail strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cwu.org.uk/news.asp?step=3&NID=2114

The Communication Workers Union has today (Tuesday) issued notice for three days of national strike action next week for over 800 technical workers in Royal Mail in a dispute over draconian changes to attendance patterns.

The staff, employed by Romec, work in technical grades which include electronic security and buildings maintenance engineers. Strike action will cover all duties starting on or after 6am Tuesday 23rd September and finishing 6am, Friday 26th September, inclusive.

Dave Ward, deputy general secretary, said: �Romec are taking a draconian and completely unreasonable attitude towards changing attendance patterns for technical staff. This is yet another example of perverse management attitude in the business. Despite talks at ACAS last week, Romec still wish to give managers the ability to compel individuals to attend at unsocial hours and on Saturdays.

�This dispute could have a massive impact on the rest of the mail network next week as Royal Mail sites depend on these workers to maintain machinery and buildings. We hope that Romec will change their attitude and engage in genuine talks which address the concerns of the workforce.�

Ray Ellis, CWU lead negotiator, said: �We are very disappointed that talks broke down last week. Taking three days of strike action clearly reflects staff�s strength of feeling on this issue which threatens their social and family lives and earnings.

�The CWU remains committed to obtaining an agreement which meets genuine customer requirements and gives members maximum flexibility. This must include proper reward for working weekends and unsocial hours and must have at its heart the voluntary principle: those who do not wish to commit to these hours must be properly protected.�

CWU remains committed to achieving a negotiated agreement but has not ruled out further strike action at this stage.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB 706/08 Romec Engineers: Industrial Action - 06.00 Tuesday 23rd September to 05.59 Friday 26th September

To: All Branches



Dear Colleague



Romec Engineers: Industrial Action � 06.00 Tuesday, 23rd September to 05.59 Friday, 26th September



Romec engineers (excluding those working in Manufacturing Services Division) will be taking official industrial action commencing at 06.00 on Tuesday, 23rd September and concluding at 05.59 on Friday, 26th September.



The action is in response to an attempt by Romec to introduce a 06.00 to 22.00 hours Monday to Saturday attendance pattern without negotiation with the CWU. Following an overwhelming vote in favour of industrial action (98.3% in favour on a 74% turnout) Romec finally agreed to talks. However, these broke up without agreement at the end of last week.



Romec�s plans are a threat to all Romec engineers, other than those in MSD who already work an agreed shift pattern. I attach for the information of branches a copy of the individual letter which has been sent to Romec engineers being called upon to take action.



Romec admin, print & reprographic and cleaning grades (and engineers working in MSD, which already has an agreed system) are not part of the official dispute. The same is the case for all CWU members in RMG and Quadrant. These members have not been balloted for industrial action and there is no trade dispute involving Romec admin, print & reprographic and cleaning grades, or members working in RMG or Quadrant. Therefore these members should report for work as normal and any industrial action on the part of any of this group of employees would be deemed unofficial.



Whilst understanding the complexities and anxieties of the situation our official advice to all branches is that any picket lines should stand aside and invite our cleaning, print & reprographics and administrative grade members and those working for Royal Mail and Quadrant, to go into work. It is important for all of us to remain organised and disciplined throughout this dispute and for our members to respect the position of their colleagues and understand it will be very difficult circumstances for all of them.



Royal Mail engineers have been written to separately, and a copy of that letter is attached. These members are not part of the dispute involving Romec Engineers and should therefore work normally. However, there is a danger that attempts will be made to put pressure on Royal Mail engineers to carry out work normally carried out by Romec engineers on building maintenance work in Mail Centres which Romec is contracted to perform. Such work does not fall within the job description of processing engineers and our advice to these members is to refuse to undertake work proper to colleagues in Romec who are participating in industrial action. Clearly, working normally requires our members to carry out their own job in the normal way: it does not require them to carry out work outside their job description proper to striking colleagues in another company.



Branches are required as a matter of urgency to give this LTB the widest possible circulation within their branch, in particular units that may be involved in the dispute.



We have also attached CWU guidelines for picketing (please download LTB to get this) and would appreciate the widest possible circulation within the branch.



Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be directed to Ray Ellis� department.



Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis

ASSISTANT SECRETARY

[TrueBlueTerrier]

To : All Processing Engineers in Royal Mail



Dear Colleague

RE: STRIKE ACTION IN ROMEC

I am writing to advise you that Romec Engineers will be taking 3 days of strike action, commencing at 06.00 hours on Tuesday, 23rd September and concluding at 05.59 hours on Friday, 26th September.

The action is in response to an attempt by Romec to significantly change existing attendance patterns, moving away from a Monday to Friday straight day attendance to what amounts to a double day type attendance span Monday to Saturday. Romec initially attempted to drive through this major change without negotiation with the union. Only after Romec engineers produced a 98.3% vote in favour of strike action (on a 74% turnout) did Romec enter into talks.

These talks broke down without agreement: Romec was not prepared to change its position, which is to introduce a radically different attendance pattern without adequate unsocial hours / weekend working payment and without protection for engineers who typically have only ever worked days, Monday to Friday.

As you know, Royal Mail decided more than 10 years ago to establish a clear demarcation between processing engineering work and buildings maintenance work, with the latter becoming the exclusive province of Romec.

It is important that Royal Mail engineers support their Romec colleagues by not undertaking any work which is proper to Romec and outside your job description. Romec is now a separate legal entity from Royal Mail and the current dispute only involves Romec engineers. The only union members being called to participate in the strike action are those Romec engineers who have been balloted – it is important that Royal Mail engineers continue to work normally. However, working normally means not undertaking any work which is proper to be performed by your colleagues who are taking industrial action.

If you are put under any pressure to carry out work normally done by Romec engineers you should decline to do so and contact your union representative immediately. If your representative cannot be contacted, then please contact CWU head office.

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis
ASSISTANT SECRETARY

[TrueBlueTerrier]

TO: All Romec Engineers

Dear Colleague,

ATTENDANCE PATTERNS: STRIKE ACTION

Following consultation with Romec Regional Representatives, the CWU has notified Romec of 3 days of strike action involving all engineers (except those in MSD) commencing at the start of duties beginning on or after 06.00 am on Tuesday, 23rd September and concluding at 06.00 am on Friday, 26th September.

Talks took place throughout last week on Romec’s plans to introduce a 06.00 to 22.00 hours Monday to Saturday attendance pattern but ended without agreement on Friday. Romec still wish to give managers the ability to compel individuals to attend at unsocial hours and on Saturdays. The company’s position on unsocial hours payments is far short of anything which would be remotely acceptable to CWU members.

The union remains committed to obtaining an agreement which meets genuine customer requirements and gives members maximum flexibility. This must include proper reward for working weekends/unsocial hours and must have at its heart the voluntary principle: those who do not wish to commit to weekends / unsocial hours working must be properly protected.

The union has 28 days from the result of the strike ballot to take action – action must therefore be taken by Wednesday 24th September or it will not be possible to take action at all. In view of the seriousness of the situation we have, after discussion with our Regional Reps, notified Romec of 3 days of strike action – this is the clearest way of demonstrating to Romec the strength of feeling on an issue which threatens our members’ social and family lives and earnings.

The alternative to strike action is to accept the company’s plans in full. You have already told Romec very clearly that its plans are totally unacceptable by voting overwhelmingly to strike if necessary. It is now necessary to back that up with action if we are to achieve a satisfactory resolution by agreement. Romec’s plans are a threat to everyone.

Standing together and supporting the action is the only way forward.

Yours sincerely

Ray Ellis
ASSISTANT SECRETARY

[banditman]

I wish them well. They're up against Royal Mail and the loonies running the CWU.

No Were up against Romec and the looneys from Balfor Beattie who are behind these changes. Royal mail and the cwu are not tring to impose these outragious attendance patterns.