ROYAL MAIL'S APPROACH TO PENSIONS IS INTELLECTUALLY BORING, MORALLY SICKENING AND AN INSULT TO ITS EMPLOYEES SAYS CWU

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.cwu.org/media/press-releases ... -says-cwu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Deputy General Secretary (Postal), Terry Pullinger said: “Royal Mail have released a Press Statement today which is both premature and arrogant. It is an example of the closed-minded, idea redundant mentality that the CWU are up against. It beggars belief that the company really do consider that this mutant Defined Contribution proposal is in any way an adequate response to the work and imagination that the Union have put into our Wage in Retirement Scheme proposal.

“The CWU have pragmatically responded to the pension challenges of our time and do not believe that the concept of a wage in retirement Defined Benefit arrangement is dead. We have been growing intellectual and moral support for our efforts and we will not be deterred in our campaign to ensure dignity and security in retirement for our members. In the face of conventional wisdom, dogma and shareholder self-interest, we become more resolute and this negotiation is far from over.”

[slinder123]

dont fk about with them lets get the strike going

[westham000]

I have been saving £100 a month into my own strike fund since I heard about Royal mail pension closure. As well as a nice little strike fund I have also cancelled my holiday abroad last year and this week. So, I can afford to have at least a month on the cobbles so to speak. Our union have given Royal Mail until August to settle or accept their pension proposal . So any strike should take place through their busiest and most profitable quarter. Quite looking forward to a week at home over Christmas ! I strongly suggest you all start up a strike fund , and be prepared for a major winter of discontent.

[k979aaa]

If you seek peace prepare for war But we are only asking for fairness in the workplace well your going to have to fight for it every inch of it so get ready for it! Do you want some pension fund in Thailand dictate your pension when you retire your benefits after all your contributions after they purchased some shares in royalmail! Well listen up Shares can go up and down we need a collective effort in squeezing the margin of the investors in our once proud service that time will come but till then nothing will be solved till that time!

[nataddick]

Good to see that the CWU have kicked the counter proposal into touch !

What we need to see is the 'technical' argument from First Actuarial to support the CWU's original proposal. CWU get your act together and publicise the response in the media and get the message across to ALL members.

The CWU really need to raise their game. I have yet to see a petition in my unit to sign up to the Four Pillars and the local CWU seem to have no comprehension of the issues at stake for the 600 plus members they are supposed to represent.

I have not seen a CWU rep on the floor in the last 7 days, I work at a major Hub !!!!!! So not a lot happening around here !

The latest Securing Our Future release is so full of bullshit and I have only read to page 5 so far. Still. The Pensions Review etc, announced is a very 'early compromise' without even a ballot for industrial action to play out, so we have a long way to go. Stand Firm and support the CWU - concessions will inevitably be won - no matter how small. IF only the local reps would support the CWU, they purport to represent !

The RM document heaps the blame on us - decent hard working people - trying to earn a reasonable living and yet fails to recognise a failure in RM's strategy to counter all the issues that they have raised in this latest propaganda release.

It beggars belief that RM think that employee's are so gullible to believe the dogma presented 'as fact' but then they are playing to the weakness of the CWU to galvanise support for their cause.

[jetblack]

IF only the local reps would support the CWU, they purport to represent !

The pensions issue is a complex one Nat - as you well know. Its quite possible that a lot of reps don't fully understand the ramifications of the various proposals. If you do then this is your time to stand up and be counted.

Democracy shouldn't be a way of abdicating personal responsibilty.

[nataddick]

Jet - I agree and I have always tried to use my pensions knowledge and experience to help my fellow colleagues and will of course, continue to do so both in the workplace and on here. It gives me no comfort but I did predict on this site where we would end up on the current pensions issue, long before it was actually announced by RM.

The Pensions Review is one of the key issues in the current campaign but it is not the only one and I would expect my local reps to be better informed than their members on at least 3 of the 4 issues (Pillars of Security). There have been National Briefings and a CWU Conference and yet there is no 'engagement' locally on any of the issues. They rely on Area/National to take the lead.

Rest assured, I will be taking the Lead rep to task when I can nail him to wall! Pensions are complex but come on, is it really acceptable that the majority of CWU reps abdicate responsibility and claim a guilt free 'exemption' for pensions issues. I think not.

[aiden01]

IF only the local reps would support the CWU, they purport to represent !

The pensions issue is a complex one Nat - as you well know. Its quite possible that a lot of reps don't fully understand the ramifications of the various proposals. If you do then this is your time to stand up and be counted.

Democracy shouldn't be a way of abdicating personal responsibilty.

If reps don't know what chance have we the postmen& postwomen got RM as usual well ahead of cwu on propaganda front.

[jetblack]

"From each according to their ability, to each according to their need"

Re. your local workplace. I have no idea whats going on with your local branch. But one thing I do know - it wasn't the CWU, wether at local or national level, that have made the decision to abolish decent pension provision for the people that produce the profits for this company ie. you and I.

Instead of "nailing" the rep, how about talking to him/her. He/she would probably be glad of the input/support from someone that can explain the issues. A rep gives up his/her time voluntarily - that they aren't trained actuaries/accountants isn't really a stick that should be used with which to beat them IMO. They are not the enemy.

If reps don't know what chance have we the postmen& postwomen got RM as usual well ahead of cwu on propaganda front.

Well of course they are - always have been, always will be. They have the resources at their disposal (you paid for that propoganda BTW).

To be honest - how much education does it need to know that you'll be worse off under the RM proposals ? Not very much I wouldn't have thought. Its no use blaming the union - how obvious does it need to be for you to bring it home ?

You are the union.

Unfortunately it sounds very much to me like you are a hairs breadth away from rolling over - because, well, cos it was all someone elses fault

[aiden01]

"From each according to their ability, to each according to their need"

Re. your local workplace. I have no idea whats going on with your local branch. But one thing I do know - it wasn't the CWU, wether at local or national level, that have made the decision to abolish decent pension provision for the people that produce the profits for this company ie. you and I.

Instead of "nailing" the rep, how about talking to him/her. He/she would probably be glad of the input/support from someone that can explain the issues. A rep gives up his/her time voluntarily - that they aren't trained actuaries/accountants isn't really a stick that should be used with which to beat them IMO. They are not the enemy.

If reps don't know what chance have we the postmen& postwomen got RM as usual well ahead of cwu on propaganda front.

Well of course they are - always have been, always will be. They have the resources at their disposal (you paid for that propoganda BTW).

To be honest - how much education does it need to know that you'll be worse off under the RM proposals ? Not very much I wouldn't have thought. Its no use blaming the union - how obvious does it need to be for you to bring it home ?

You are the union.

Unfortunately it sounds very much to me like you are a hairs breadth away from rolling over - because, well, cos it was all someone elses fault

Were have I blamed union?? all I have asked is we need more communication from cwu HQ so reps are better informed to explain to the members who pay their dues every week.

[nataddick]

Jet - as you well know, the senior CWU officials at local and branch level are on Full-Time release so, as a paying union member, at the-least, I expect them to be 'up to speed' on all current developments and take a lead in cascading relevant 'news' to members in their 'own' unit. Pensions are complex but the CWU should,by now, have provided all reps with at least a basic level of understanding on the pensions topic so that they could,try to convey the CWU's national briefing on the Four Pillars to their local membership on what are now, critical negotiations on our future. No meetings, No petition and no engagement at a major site. Very worrying.

You have misinterpreted my use of the term 'nailing the lead rep'.I get on well with all my reps even though we often disagree. What I implied was that the lead rep has been invisible during a critical time for members and I aim to pin him down and challenge the void in his strategy for 'engaging' the local membership.Yes,some reps are volunteers and I appreciate it is not an easy role to undertake but many in our unit abuse that privilege and sit on their arses in the CWU office and fail to engage with members.

Let's be frank, if it were not for Dingo, most of us on here wouldn't have a clue what is going on. I mentioned the terms of the current CWU 'rejected' proposal to reps and members and they were clueless as to what is going on. I echo Aidan's point that if the CWU are not 'on the case' as the RM propaganda machine spouts out their unchallenged view of the future what hope Is there of countering their vision. RM are, yet again, testing members resolve and their support for the CWU.

So, we are set up to lose UNLESS the CWU fight for support and we collectively change the status quo.