Postal Services Bill completes passage through Commons

[dvbuk55]

Whoever does come forward to buy Royal Mail,i would like to think our Union would talk to them first and to spell out quite clearly just what the score is,and what the situation is within the company from the Unions point of view. . Also to spell out that any attack on our terms and conditions will be met by industrial action. So,at least whoever does buy us ,they will be going in with their eyes wide open.

And if the buyer doesn't recognise the union? However the more likely scenario would be the union approaching the buyer offering cooperation for due consideration for the CWU.........and if there is anything they would like the workforce to do..............well it would be a done deal.

Just as a matter of interest was there anything in the bill to protect the unions interest..........or the workforce for that matter.

[smokerjim]

Whoever does come forward to buy Royal Mail,i would like to think our Union would talk to them first and to spell out quite clearly just what the score is,and what the situation is within the company from the Unions point of view. . Also to spell out that any attack on our terms and conditions will be met by industrial action. So,at least whoever does buy us ,they will be going in with their eyes wide open.

And if the buyer doesn't recognise the union? However the more likely scenario would be the union approaching the buyer offering cooperation for due consideration for the CWU.........and if there is anything they would like the workforce to do..............well it would be a done deal.

Just as a matter of interest was there anything in the bill to protect the unions interest..........or the workforce for that matter.

I think we both know the answer from Rm, Cameron & our future Lords & Masters to that.....

I'd like to know the answer from Billy & Dave ( probably ....... )

[fishtank]

And if the buyer doesn't recognise the union? However the more likely scenario would be the union approaching the buyer offering cooperation for due consideration for the CWU.........and if there is anything they would like the workforce to do..............well it would be a done deal.

Just as a matter of interest was there anything in the bill to protect the unions interest..........or the workforce for that matter.

If any future employer wished to destabilise the union they would only need to withdraw the system that automatically pays your subs from your wages...that is the unseen tether that links the two.
How many would go to the trouble of setting up a direct debit and how many just wouldn't bother?
Of course you're right dvb....a compliant union is better than no union.

[subbie]

Union recognition cannot be refused (by law) by the new owner/owners.

What you guys should be doing is stop behaving like yesterdays Scargill Man, and start to think how you will deal with the future.

Negotiating for a greater share offer within the new company would be a could start, and then exploring ways in which you all, by using the wealth of your Union which is vast, could buy up a bigger stake in the company, and then exercise your "shareholder" powers over the company.

If you all really believe you are not going to stop this sell off, then wake up and smell the coffee, fight for a stake in the business that employs you and take some control.

Subbie

[smokerjim]

Union recognition cannot be refused (by law) by the new owner/owners.

What you guys should be doing is stop behaving like yesterdays Scargill Man, and start to think how you will deal with the future.

Negotiating for a greater share offer within the new company would be a could start, and then exploring ways in which you all, by using the wealth of your Union which is vast, could buy up a bigger stake in the company, and then exercise your "shareholder" powers over the company.

If you all really believe you are not going to stop this sell off, then wake up and smell the coffee, fight for a stake in the business that employs you and take some control.

Subbie

I like your thinking subbie ( I became very dismayed with the speed it took the media's reporting of our share to change from "10% & the probability of more" to no more than "10% & be glad we don't give you a damn good thrashing that oiks like you deserve!" ), but on recent results can you see the union's negotiating team walking out with a better offer? They need to go in and make unreasonable demands ( say 75% ), so that they can walk out with something close to Cable's pre-election vision ( Lib Dems wanted 100% employee ownership, and imho 50% minimum would seem close for starters ), but they've always gone in with reasonable demands, and then been negotiated and browbeaten down to RM's unreasonable demands, and we've been tricked and demoralised into accepting them....RM have been given kid glove treatment, and we've been given the stick, and as long as that continues, we'll be lucky to get more than 0.5% share, even with Govt. / Civil Service incompetence

Mind you, get RM's negotiators to join us and take the lead, and Billy could be PM with Dave in the Treasurery

[dvbuk55]

You are right to say that they cannot de-recognise and perhaps I should have said won't negotiate. We have already seen evidence of that and the resulting 2010 agreement just to stay in the game.

[barbario]

Not a bad idea there Subbie. I believe thats what the Irish postal Union did when they were privatised.

[POSTMAN]

Leighton offerd us 20% of the company.

[fishtank]

by using the wealth of your Union which is vast, could buy up a bigger stake in the company, and then exercise your "shareholder" powers over the company.

I almost choked on my coffee when i read that subbie.
The union is unfortunately anything but wealthy.
At last count it held less than £5million in cash at the bank and was running at a loss of between £1-2million per annum...you do the maths.
It has considerable fixed assets but they are hardly easily saleable and the most valuable....HQ is currently guaranteeing the UCW pension deficit.
Even if they did have a huge secret stash of cash,the CWU represents members in many different companies from BT right through to your own Post Office.
How could you justify spending their money on shares in Royal Mail.
The truth is if staff do end up with 10% of Royal Mail,that value at least on paper could buy and sell the CWU.

[fishtank]

Leighton offerd us 20% of the company.

Leighton actually wanted us to have a controlling 51% stake.

[dvbuk55]

by using the wealth of your Union which is vast, could buy up a bigger stake in the company, and then exercise your "shareholder" powers over the company.

I almost choked on my coffee when i read that subbie.
The union is unfortunately anything but wealthy.
At last count it held less than £5million in cash at the bank and was running at a loss of between £1-2million per annum...you do the maths.
It has considerable fixed assets but they are hardly easily saleable and the most valuable....HQ is currently guaranteeing the UCW pension deficit.
Even if they did have a huge secret stash of cash,the CWU represents members in many different companies from BT right through to your own Post Office.
How could you justify spending their money on shares in Royal Mail.
The truth is if staff do end up with 10% of Royal Mail,that value at least on paper could buy and sell the CWU.

Maybe subbie hasn't read the "Taking the Union Forward" missive..........maybe they could have been a little more innovative with the title........how about "Tripping the Light Fantastic".................that could easily be shortened