Two-day strike called as Romec cancels negotiations

[fishtank]

Two-day strike called as Romec cancels negotiations

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7th July 2011

The dispute at engineering and facilities company Romec is escalating as CWU today (Thursday) calls for a 48 hour walkout following management refusal to negotiate and continuing bullying behaviour towards staff.

The Communication Workers Union has given notice for a 48 hour strike starting at 23.59 on Wednesday, 20th July and concluding at 23.59 on Friday, 22nd July. In addition, the callout ban which started on 27th May is being extended for a further six weeks from 11th July to 22nd August. The action will be taken by over 550 engineers nationwide.

CWU national official Ray Ellis said: "We will not allow the situation in Romec to drift further. Our members are suffering daily attacks in the form of withholding pay, changing their hours, suspending annual leave, unacceptable use of surveillance equipment and threats.

"The company is continuing to break agreements and abuse procedures in the pursuit of cost savings and in the attempt to reduce headcount without following legal redundancy arrangements. Our members will not be bullied and are prepared to take further strike action to defend their employment rights.

"We're bitterly disappointed with the behaviour of senior management and their failure to take action to resolve this dispute. We want to negotiate a solution to the serious problems facing staff. However, a scheduled meeting was cancelled at short notice last week leaving us with no option other than to set further strike dates. We remain ready and willing to enter meaningful talks with the company but strike action will go ahead unless progress is made."

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "Staff in Romec are being treated appallingly. We have written to Romec managing director Stewart Davies and Chairman Gary Simpson seeking a meeting and have made it clear that the union remains committed to reaching a negotiated settlement.

"We are also now in correspondence with Royal Mail Group HR Director John Duncan seeking the intervention of Romec's chief shareholder. It's crucial that negotiations are held to address the concerns of workers. That is the only way that this dispute will be resolved."

[Lincox]

So Ward can get involved with bullying and harrassment in ROMEC but he can,t get out of bed to address the bullying and harrasment that had gone on in Royal Mail for years and continues to get worse day by day.

[fishtank]

No. 638/2011
Ref: PTC/RE/dj/312
Date: 19th July 2011



TO ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS




Dear Colleague


RE: Romec Engineering Dispute - Industrial Action Suspended: Talks to resume



Following a meeting on the evening of Monday 18th July between Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Dave Ward, Assistant Secretary Ray Ellis and Romec Managing Director Stewart Davies, facilitated by ACAS, it has been agreed to resume talks, assisted by ACAS, with the aim of resolving all matters associated with the current dispute, and to conclude agreement on the 2011 pay claim, to conclude by 19th August. The attached Joint Statement was agreed.


In order to create the appropriate climate for talks Romec will suspend the practice of abating pay linked to the individual monitoring of employees and abatements already made will be reimbursed (other than for strike days). Romec has lifted its embargo on annual leave applications. The PEC has agreed to withdraw the notice of strike action planned for the Thursday and Friday 21 and 22 July and suspend the callout and overtime ban for the duration of the talks. The ban will be lifted with effect from 4pm Wednesday, 20th July.


I would like to thank branches for the many expressions of support for the members in dispute in Romec. Talks will reconvene tomorrow, 20th July.


Further communications will be issued direct to members next week.
Any enquiries should be addressed to Ray Ellis’s department, quoting reference PTC/RE/dj/312.
Email address: rellis@cwu.org



Yours sincerely







Ray Ellis, Dave Ward
Assistant Secretary Deputy General Secretary (P)