Strikes Cancelled - Did you agree or not with the decision

[Clappedoutpostie]

3.) Those loudly voicing their displeasure at the decision on social media may wish to consider whether their own actions are harming the overall cause.

A united union is a formidable force - indeed as many have commented moment was growing.

One that visibly show’s fractures and divisions looks weak.

You may wish to vent - but if ST is seeing your tweets slagging of the CWU he’s rubbing his hands (and maybe even something else).

You make a fair point but it’s the silent majority RM need to worry about. Every office has the loud vocal ones, social media is dominated by them so don’t read too much into what’s posted on there. I have noticed with this dispute unlike any others in the past what the quiet ones are upto. When u speak to them on their own they are all united in their disgust about RM’s treatment of the workforce, they are nearly all also united in coming in on time, taking breaks and clearing off home on time and handing back which they haven’t been at our office in past disputes.

We will rally and go again when these few weeks have passed.

[R5001]

I feel like this site is probably a little more loaded with the more "proactive" type, so the very close votes (46% yes, 47% no as I post) should say a lot.

I too feel like we'd have passed by with no-picket-no-work, but I don't think it was a bad decision, especially one made so late in the day and one that was hard to effectively communicate in time.

[guardianangel]

I have seen nothing in the media praising the posties for not striking,personally i see it as a missed opportunity,all London posties on strike walking down the mall with flowers would have been a better picture in the press,or posties around the country coming together outside public buildings,a knee jerk reaction by our union leaders would of seemed to do more damage than good,i get the feeling they are losing the dressing room and will have to work hard to get the numbers on the next strike,maybe a lesson to be learnt the union is the members not the leaders.

[DirtyHarry]

Didn't agree with the decision, still don't, but it's not the end of the world.

[iHateD2Ds]

It’s an hard call and I understand why the strike was called off.
It’s call respect and dignity.

Our strike needs public support and the Tories propaganda machine would slate us in the press calling us “out of control far left militants”.

I think it was the right decision.

[Hamish118]

We are a union. We pay a fee. We vote democratically to strike. As is our right. We have weakened our position. Liked the Queen not a fan of hereditary Monarchy. Half of them don't even like each other! Can't remember seeing any of them on a picket line.

[Acca Dacca]

It’s an hard call and I understand why the strike was called off.
It’s call respect and dignity.

Our strike needs public support and the Tories propaganda machine would slate us in the press calling us “out of control far left militants”.

I think it was the right decision.

They already call us that

[datasaint]

This was a wrong decision. The momentum for the strike has been lost.

As has been stated by others, the pickets could have been called off but the strike remained as scheduled. That way we are showing respect, but not seen to be bowing down to the overlords.

I honestly don't hold high hopes for the strike going in the Union's favour, it's already been shown there is not the appetite and determination to win it. It should be strike action occuring every week until it's resolved. Royal Mail are easily coping with the odd couple of days here and there.

[Woody Guthrie]

The truth is no-one can claim to know whether it was the right or wrong decision to make, not us, not Martin and not the Postal Executive, it's all just opinion.

RMT and Aslef did call off their strikes although that was a different scenario, those strikes were not until next week giving their members plenty of notice and they made it clear the strikes were suspended not cancelled. Those strikes would also have directly affected transportation during the period of mourning which would genuinely have brought down the wrath of both the right wing press and the public in general.

Interestingly the barristers have continued their action although they have stood down any protests, the Dailly Mail who would normally use any excuse to attack the judiciary has barely mentioned it, as expected they are too busy slagging off Megan and Harry to be interested.

It was definitely divisive amongst the members as witnessed on here, on social media in general and in the workplace however that isn't to say that making the call differently wouldn't also have been divisive.

I will say though, it does feel like the call off has caused a swing in momentum towards the employer, it seems to have given them a boost just when they appeared to be on the ropes.

If the idea of cancelling the strikes was to make political capital not only would that be distasteful it would also be pointless because at this time nobody in the press is interested in anything other than the Royal family itself.

This dispute is more important to us than the Queen dying, that sounds harsh but it is the reality of the situation, talk of respect and winning the public support is I'm afraid a little bit naive, She was 96 after all and although it is sad for the family it is not a national tragedy as some people are making out, she lived a long and happy life and death is not something any of us will get to avoid.

The Royal family will move on as we all have to when a loved one dies but we will still be facing the same attacks on our terms and conditions.

The question is can the union now regain that lost momentum?

[jessicarabbit]

Well summarised as always good sir. Like I told my members who complained about those who pretended they couldn't be contacted or who choose to work extra yesterday. This is just a pause and a another reason to not let the business try and divide us. We will have to go again on Sep 30th and Oct 1st so let's do what ever is necessary to build bridges and talk to any that might be wavering. As unfortunate as anyone dying is, it has no bearing on our dispute.

[k979aaa]

This situation is unprecedented yet entirely predictable in the sense of the dispute has dragged on for sometime we could have just carried on with the action and not had pickets and build the backlog but would the press which most don't see now see it portray it another way? But most people younger than me don't read news of yesterday but find out the facts and view news live or research it themselves and since the whole news is the queen has died long live the king why would a strike be covered in the media? We can only assume that people who are in charge of the union have an eye on a knighthood CBE as most of these people at the top have moved on to government or even big business and high honorers await them if they don't ruffle the feathers of government/establishment so much. It really gets me as just a humble postman of 25 years plus that people above us don't really care about us but I never thought they would abandon revolutionary ideals and become a reactionary force in my life time. But don't give up on OUR union we just need better leadership and people with idealism and the courage to make it happen and not bend to the forces of capitalism in all it's forms and machinations. Viva la Revolution

[Dorset Plodder]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I appreciate that the CWU was attempting damage limitation with their Public Relations. They were worried the press would slag us off, and we would lose the Public's support.

However have the press demonised Royal Mail for expecting all it's staff to return to work the day after the Death of The Queen? And only being able to do this because their Employees Union called of their strike.

In my heart I feel calling off the strike was the wrong thing to do, sending the wrong message to RM, but my head understands why they did it. I would have liked to see Royal Mail accept that the strike had been called off, as a mark of Respect, and announce a Non-Service day as a sign of their Respect.

[manchesterpunk]

I have seen nothing in the media praising the posties for not striking,personally i see it as a missed opportunity,all London posties on strike walking down the mall with flowers would have been a better picture in the press,or posties around the country coming together outside public buildings,a knee jerk reaction by our union leaders would of seemed to do more damage than good,i get the feeling they are losing the dressing room and will have to work hard to get the numbers on the next strike,maybe a lesson to be learnt the union is the members not the leaders.

This morning on BBC News they were praising postmen cancelling strikes which meant a 100 year old lady still received her telegram from The Queen posthumously.