SOCIALIST WORKER
Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the civil service workers' PCS union, electrified a postal workers' rally in London last week with a call for unity in action against the government.
He said, "If unions stand together they have a much better chance of success.
"We will be writing to other unions to see if there is a chance of coordinating our efforts.
"If post offices are shutting and job centres are shutting, if you're facing privatisation and we're facing privatisation, if your pay is held down and our pay is restricted, then it is time we thought how to work together effectively around these issues.
"I hope you get a good settlement, but if you do not and have to strike then we will do whatever we can to support you."
There was strong support for Mark's speech at the rally, and a good mood for action.
The union's deputy general secretary Dave Ward said that he had gone to a mail centre to do a meeting about the ballot.
The manager had said he would have to consult Allan Leighton to see if this was acceptable – and then had reported back to say it was not.
Ward coolly said that was his choice and that he would be holding the meeting in the car park – at which point the entire workforce walked out to hear him!
CWU general secretary Billy Hayes pointed out that although Royal Mail's competitors had grabbed a number of big contracts, 99 percent off all mail was still delivered by Royal Mail workers.
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