Strike Cancelled 9/9

[monkleigh]

Very sad news, really makes you think about the last 50 years or so and what is really important, and how you should live your life.
So I’ve had a good few cans and most of a bottle ofred, thinking,reflecting, … knowing that I only have to stand on the picket line tomorrow. Then I look on here and hear that we’re supposed now to go to work in the morning. 13 miles etc tomorrow after a good few cans and most of a bottle of red , however, is not doable for my 60 year old self, so it’s a no from me. I’ll spend the day thinking if only our bosses could have just an iota of the decency that our Queen possessed we would be in a much better place. Thank you QE2 and long live the King.

[k979aaa]

well i just as well thought why not make some of these punks doing our jobs earn it.

[Lockardian]

The support we have from the public would be lost if we continue to strike tomorrow.

I think you need to start worrying about the support you've just lost from the membership.

Tomorrow will be a s**t show with two days mail because mailcentres network and distribution will now be working tonight.

Members won't forget, the PEC has just undermined the entire dispute.
All you had to do was stand down the picket lines, the public would not have even given a thought to whether they got their mail tomorrow.

Huge mistake made tonight.

Surely anyone that was due to work tonight will still go ahead with strike action as it will be the first of the two strike days for them and only the second day of strike action has been cancelled?

I’ve only found out about the strike being cancelled a few minutes ago. So Thursday’s night shift staff may not have heard in time to attend, or interpreted the message literally (and I assume correctly) that only tomorrow’s (0400 Friday to 0400 Saturday) strike action is called off.

I’d be surprised if many drivers and mail centre sorting people turned up at work Thursday night. Those due to start at 0400 or later might do, but there will still be severe disruption with mail where it shouldn’t be or sitting unsorted in Yorkies.

I assume my interpretation that the strike continues until 0400 Friday is correct?

[CABANA83]

The support we have from the public would be lost if we continue to strike tomorrow.

I think you need to start worrying about the support you've just lost from the membership.

Tomorrow will be a s**t show with two days mail because mailcentres network and distribution will now be working tonight.

Members won't forget, the PEC has just undermined the entire dispute.
All you had to do was stand down the picket lines, the public would not have even given a thought to whether they got their mail tomorrow.

Huge mistake made tonight.

Surely anyone that was due to work tonight will still go ahead with strike action as it will be the first of the two strike days for them and only the second day of strike action has been cancelled?

I’ve only found out about the strike being cancelled a few minutes ago. So Thursday’s night shift staff may not have heard in time to attend, or interpreted the message literally (and I assume correctly) that only tomorrow’s (0400 Friday to 0400 Saturday) strike action is called off.

I’d be surprised if many drivers and mail centre sorting people turned up at work Thursday night. Those due to start at 0400 or later might do, but there will still be severe disruption with mail where it shouldn’t be or sitting unsorted in Yorkies.

I assume my interpretation that the strike continues until 0400 Friday is correct?

Night staff due in tonight stay off (continue to strike), we return Friday night.

[needadvice]

Just imagine all the agency workers getting cancelled last minute. Not good rapport building when RM will need them to fill in the future strike dates

[Woody Guthrie]

Just imagine all the agency workers getting cancelled last minute. Not good rapport building when RM will need them to fill in the future strike dates

They won't stand them down.
They're going to need them tomorrow.
They've already asked non ops managers to continue with IA recovery.

[Woody Guthrie]

This places the union in a very tricky position.
How long is the period of mourning for a Queen who's sat on the throne for 70 years?

When does striking stop being disrespectful exactly? , If it's when the Daily Mail decides we really are screwed.

The strikes at the end of the month are only 3 weeks away, that may only be a week after the funeral so they have to be at risk of being cancelled.

A lot of momentum will have been lost.
What then exactly?

What's apparent on all forms of social media tonight not just here and through my personal contact is that this decision has split the membership and lost us a lot of goodwill with those members, not because they're disrespectful, anti-Royalist or simply wanting the day off but because they believe this is playing right into Royal Mail's hands and will be exploited.

This has been backed up and reinforced by the pretty disgusting comms put out by the business and the sheer glee that managers are taking in contacting members to tell them they're working, a lack of respect does not seem to worry them. That goodwill will have to be won back and it won't be easy.

The question is was that a reasonable price to pay in an attempt to keep the right wing newspapers on side?

Those getting their knickers in a twist about respect are kind of losing touch with the reality of what we're fighting against here and the dangers we will face long after this "unprecedented event" is over.

I'll mourn for the Queen in my own personal way but it can't come at the cost of my terms and conditions because that's what keeps us and our families safe and it is more important, no disrespect meant.

[cynophobia]

I have never posted on here before, I have only ever used this site to gain information in the past but tonight I feel it only appropriate to add my opinion... I have just sent an email to the CWU stating that I no longer wish to be a member of the union because like the majority of royal mail employees who usually remain silent I think is is important to say that I now think the union is an absolute joke! I agree that it would not have been appropriate to picket outside offices at this point in time but to cancel a strike when we are facing working Sundays, losing sick pay, annualised hours, later start and finish times and a 2% pay rise is ridiculous!

The Queen was very important but not as important to me as my family and my ability to provide for them!

[tinkerdil]

Absolutely the correct decision by the CWU. What is right and proper overrides anything and the union have not failed here in response to the sad death of the much loved Queen.

[Walter sobchak]

I have never posted on here before, I have only ever used this site to gain information in the past but tonight I feel it only appropriate to add my opinion... I have just sent an email to the CWU stating that I no longer wish to be a member of the union because like the majority of royal mail employees who usually remain silent I think is is important to say that I now think the union is an absolute joke! I agree that it would not have been appropriate to picket outside offices at this point in time but to cancel a strike when we are facing working Sundays, losing sick pay, annualised hours, later start and finish times and a 2% pay rise is ridiculous!

The Queen was very important but not as important to me as my family and my ability to provide for them!

So basically you are willing to take what Royal Mail will force onto you all because you disagree with the cwu on its stance on the death of the queen?

Sounds to me like you and many others on here are just using this as an out and an excuse to cross the picket line.

[Lockardian]

According to the Royal Mail site, CWU members are on strike 30th September and 1st October. First I’ve heard about it:

https://www.royalmail.com/latest-news?c ... 61c111c151

[DirtyHarry]

This places the union in a very tricky position.
How long is the period of mourning for a Queen who's sat on the throne for 70 years?

When does striking stop being disrespectful exactly? , If it's when the Daily Mail decides we really are screwed.

The strikes at the end of the month are only 3 weeks away, that may only be a week after the funeral so they have to be at risk of being cancelled.

A lot of momentum will have been lost.
What then exactly?

What's apparent on all forms of social media tonight not just here and through my personal contact is that this decision has split the membership and lost us a lot of goodwill with those members, not because they're disrespectful, anti-Royalist or simply wanting the day off but because they believe this is playing right into Royal Mail's hands and will be exploited.

This has been backed up and reinforced by the pretty disgusting comms put out by the business and the sheer glee that managers are taking in contacting members to tell them they're working, a lack of respect does not seem to worry them. That goodwill will have to be won back and it won't be easy.

The question is was that a reasonable price to pay in an attempt to keep the right wing newspapers on side?

Those getting their knickers in a twist about respect are kind of losing touch with the reality of what we're fighting against here and the dangers we will face long after this "unprecedented event" is over.

I'll mourn for the Queen in my own personal way but it can't come at the cost of my terms and conditions because that's what keeps us and our families safe and it is more important, no disrespect meant.

Couldn't agree more.

[Martin Walsh]

If you were on a picket line after the announcement that the Queen had died you would have witnessed a change in the public behaviour. We had so much support earlier but then had a number of public saying show some respect. It would be far worse tomorrow.

Those who argue we should have simply stood down picket lines are wrong for a number of reasons. A strike is only effective if we ensure one we make the public aware of our dispute and two we get a withdrawal of Labour. A silent strike does neither and we would be attacked in the media in a massive way potentially losing public support.

The other angle is the short notice of the decision. Well the official announcement of the Queens death was 18:36. We made the decision by 19:30 and had discussions with Royal Mail that given the short notice of the decision that individuals who could make it into work would not be taken down any formal procedures and would simply lose the days pay as if they were striking.

I understand fully that a number of individuals would have not arranged child care or may not be able to get into work tomorrow but talks are on going to try and get the opportunity to potentially have different options such as either annual leave or make up time which has happened previously when a strike has been called off at short notice.

Remember a situation like this has not happened in 70 years the UK will be in a state of mourning , we will need public support if we are going to win this dispute and especially if a potential take over by a European investment bank and you don’t win public support carrying on with strike action the day after the Head of State has died what ever your views on the monarch.

This dispute has not finished. We are still in the fight of our lives but we need public support to win and you will lose it by simply carrying on striking because it is to short notice or you have made plans.

Standing down picket lines may boost some peoples Egos but Royal Mail and the media with demonise us ahead of our next strike.

Sometimes unprecedented events happened and you have to make the right decision for the best outcome for the future instead of a knee jerk decision which says let’s ignore the Head of states Death and carry on with either a silent strike ( what is a point of that ? ) or carry on with the strike if nothing has happened.

Surely everyone can see the bigger picture and understand that the best thing to do to go on and win the dispute was to suspended todays action and to show a mark of respect at the death of the Queen as an head of state. Now Royal Mail must show some respect by stopping executive action.

[Frankie15]

Fair play mate. Can't argue with that

[Caesar]

Having had time to think about this I do think that those of us who are partly on the fence regarding strike action will have had confirmation that RM really don’t care about us.
It would have been easy for RM to allow us to tear the union apart with in fighting but they couldn’t help themselves in getting managers to text and Ricky’s statement. It shows that RM’s contingency plans are not working.
I think that it proves to the doubters(like myself) that IA is working and that Royal Mai really don’t care about the “Royal” part it their name.
I’ve always thought that RM’s original intentions where to crush the Union and this proves just are low their prepared to go to achieve this.