Postal workers push ahead with strike plans over pay and con

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postal workers push ahead with strike plans over pay and conditions

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Each postal worker is around £800 richer on paper after Friday's privatisation but the union says its concerns are longer term


Royal Mail staff are pushing ahead with plans for strikes in the run up to Christmas as the battle over privatisation intensifies.

The renewed threat of strikes looms despite the company's 150,000 workers making instant paper profits of at least £800 on the free shares they were given as part of Friday's privatisation.

Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said the 38% gains staff made on the £2,200 worth of shares they were granted last week will not make "one scintilla of difference" to employees, who are expected to vote for strike action on Wednesday.

The union is planning a nationwide strike as early as 23 October – before balloting for further strikes in the run up to Christmas.

"It is likely to be an all out strike first, then rolling strikes in the run up to Christmas," a union source told the Guardian.

The union, which represents more than 100,000 postmen and women, had wanted to hold the strike – the first since 2009 – before the privatisation but the government started the sell off sooner than expected. More than 95% of Royal Mail staff were opposed to the privatisation in a consultative ballot earlier this year.

In an attempt to placate staff, who are officially balloting over pay and conditions, the government granted employees 10% of Royal Mail's shares for free.

The shares, which were worth about £2,200 at the government's 330p flotation price, were worth more than £3,000 by the close of the markets on Friday. Staff are prevented from selling their shares for three years.

Thousands of Royal Mail employees are sitting on even greater gains because all staff applications to buy up to £10,000 of extra shares were granted by the government. It means some staff who had £12,200 of shares on Friday morning had almost £17,000 worth on Friday afternoon.

Hayes said: "Shares will make no scintilla of difference to postal workers who are far more concerned about their jobs. We expect our members will vote to protect their terms and conditions in our strike ballot next week.

"It's more important than ever to get protections for job security and terms and conditions under privatisation. CWU won't stand idly by; whoever owns the company will have to deal with us and the workforce."

The value of the shares is expected to rise even higher on Tuesday, when most of the 690,000 people who bought £750 worth of shares are officially allowed to start selling their stakes.

Bookmaker Paddy Power said the favourite peak share price range on Tuesday was 501p-550p at 15/8, with 451-500p next in the betting at 5/2.

Michael Fallon, the business minister in charge of the privatisation, has attacked the union for pressing ahead with plans for strike action when staff have been offered a 8.6% pay rise over three years. "Teachers and nurses are only getting 1%," he said.

The union dismissed the pay offer as a "misleading and unacceptable" sweetener designed to win support for the privatisation.

Royal Mail said it was "very disappointed" that the CWU is pushing ahead with the strike ballot. The company said an Ipsos Mori survey it commissioned found 78% of Britons think the company's pay offer is fair or very fair, and 72% of the 1,468 people polled said the union should accept it and call off the strike.

[aiden01]

there we go again rm asking their managers opinions in a survey about postie t,cs.

[k979aaa]

Has FALLON voted on his 15% pay rise yet they keep that one undercover don't they all.

[Red Robbo]

At last, I've been saying on these strands for ages, an all out strike is the only way we can win, no good pussyfooting around one day strikes.

[windermeredave]

At last, I've been saying on these strands for ages, an all out strike is the only way we can win, no good pussyfooting around one day strikes.

It`s the only way to lose support more likely , once people see how much they are losing they will become disenchanted, an all out strike would be a very bad move, once we get to December we have them by the balls if it goes on that long!

[k979aaa]

I think rolling strikes with the very odd one off thrown in would well feck the system we had them by the balls last time and it all went wrong I wonder why!

[viking1488]

At last, I've been saying on these strands for ages, an all out strike is the only way we can win, no good pussyfooting around one day strikes.

It`s the only way to lose support more likely , once people see how much they are losing they will become disenchanted, an all out strike would be a very bad move, once we get to December we have them by the balls if it goes on that long!

why would it be wrong we have f**k all to lose grow some balls man

[biscuit1957]

At last, I've been saying on these strands for ages, an all out strike is the only way we can win, no good pussyfooting around one day strikes.

It`s the only way to lose support more likely , once people see how much they are losing they will become disenchanted, an all out strike would be a very bad move, once we get to December we have them by the balls if it goes on that long!

why would it be wrong we have f**k all to lose grow some balls man

The strike, if the vote was yes, was supposed to be Friday 18th October,but the union put the ballot back a week and the strike 2 weeks,I wonder why????????

[Pinky 1]

Well i'm not worried whether it's a total all out strike or rolling days off.
I'm not even too bothered on the pay front either. What i want to see is an improvement in our working conditions. I am sick of the daily bullying that our part timers are telling me that they are getting. The constant threats that their contracts will not be renewed if they don't complete the deliveries....... and they're doing it without payment. This is absolute bollocks, and no amount of grievances seem to make any difference.

I'm looking forward to a bit of quality time on the gate with my mates.

[k979aaa]

Well i'm not worried whether it's a total all out strike or rolling days off.
I'm not even too bothered on the pay front either. What i want to see is an improvement in our working conditions. I am sick of the daily bullying that our part timers are telling me that they are getting. The constant threats that their contracts will not be renewed if they don't complete the deliveries....... and they're doing it without payment. This is absolute bollocks, and no amount of grievances seem to make any difference.

I'm looking forward to a bit of quality time on the gate with my mates.

While I agree 100% with you I know some of my fellow workers and mates will suffer and I would at some point too but I agree we need action and NOW!

[viking1488]

At last, I've been saying on these strands for ages, an all out strike is the only way we can win, no good pussyfooting around one day strikes.

It`s the only way to lose support more likely , once people see how much they are losing they will become disenchanted, an all out strike would be a very bad move, once we get to December we have them by the balls if it goes on that long!

why would it be wrong we have f**k all to lose grow some balls man

The strike, if the vote was yes, was supposed to be Friday 18th October,but the union put the ballot back a week and the strike 2 weeks,I wonder why????????

another one grow some balls stop trying to find a way out it

[Surreypostie]

Idealy I'd like a work to rule and overtime ban. I know many, mostly part timers that won't strike as they already earn a pittance but would support that. The thing is the part timers don't start early, its full time idiots that do that and rush about, and these same idiots willingly strike but refuse to stop carving it up.

[Chelseablue]

The part timers don't start early !,, they certainly do in my office some by a cpl hours

[UnhappyGremlin]

Each postal worker is around £800 richer on paper after Friday's privatisation but the union says its concerns are longer term

Not really.
First off, it would all be profit.
Second, this is only relevant IF the shares do not drop in value in 3 (or 5) years time.
No one can predict what the price will be when we get to cash them in.

This is a lame attempt at making us look greedy and uncooperative.

[biscuit1957]

Well i'm not worried whether it's a total all out strike or rolling days off.
I'm not even too bothered on the pay front either. What i want to see is an improvement in our working conditions. I am sick of the daily bullying that our part timers are telling me that they are getting. The constant threats that their contracts will not be renewed if they don't complete the deliveries....... and they're doing it without payment. This is absolute bollocks, and no amount of grievances seem to make any difference.

I'm looking forward to a bit of quality time on the gate with my mates.

I keep hearing about bullying,what the f**k is the union rep doing in the office,and why are postman putting up with it,for f**k sake get your rep and stand up to them

Im looking forward to Kevs BBQ on the gate