Strike 16/17 February called off

[geordieboy123]

…following a legal challenge

Ricky Says

CWU call off strike action after another legal error
Last week the CWU announced further damaging industrial action from 12.30pm on 16 February-12.30pm on 17 February.

The CWU has today been forced to u-turn on that strike action after making another legal error in their strike notification.

Legally, unions can only call their members out to strike on the specific issues that their members voted on in the ballot. This is a well-known and basic requirement for all trade unions.

In this case, when notifying us of strike action the CWU referenced the implementation of revisions as the reason to strike. But this was not covered under the change ballot last year - in fact this item in dispute didn’t even exist at the time of that second ballot.

The CWU has made mistakes multiple times over recent years - in 2017, twice in 2019 and most recently in 2022 - with six days of rolling strike days cancelled in October 2022. This will be the seventh day of strike action that the CWU have had to cancel in the current dispute. These repeated errors demonstrate that they do not have a clear plan to secure a pay rise, bring the dispute to end and secure jobs.

We have also informed the CWU that we are placing both the new issues they have raised (revisions) and our best and final offer into our mutually agreed Dispute Resolution Process (DRP). The DRP lasts for a calendar month - or longer if both parties agree – and we have suggested meetings this week.

We welcome the fact that the strike action has been called off. It will be a relief to our customers and we intend to use this time and space for further discussions to try to agree a deal.

[yellowbelly]

Confirmation of cancellation with announcement of 'Get the Vote Out Day' link to the official CWU announcement here:

https://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/ ... embers.pdf

NATIONAL-GET-THE-VOTE-OUT-DAY-A-Message-to-all-CWU-Members.pdf

[trev69]

Wow !!

[Acca Dacca]

Someone put on Facebook that this was inevitable and should have been double checked before being announced and CWU admin/Chris Webb replied something like “remember what country we live in” as if we all lived in a different country before the strikes were announced or something. We already knew too well what the laws are like here - how is that an excuse?

[heraldmoth]

Where do you even start

[Spartacus]

You'd think that as we're under one of the most sustained anti union attacks British workers have seen for a generation that the union would make sure that they have got things cast iron legally correct, it really does seem like amateur hour at Wimbledon.

[Dorset Plodder]

It was always going to be a Hail Mary Pass calling a strike just in the dying minutes of a ballot.

No harm done at least the Hardliner Strike Breakers will stop moaning about losing more money (I don't know WHY they moan because they never go on strike)

[SpacePhoenix]

What did the union screw up with the notification?

[toonshola]

Royal Mail have said on workplace that the reason was because the union referenced the revisions when serving notice and this wasn’t something we were originally balloted on. So another cock up by this pathetic union, I can’t even wrap my head around how they could be so inept when serving notice to not have it completely watertight. Make no mistake Royal Mail will challenge this new ballot result next week, does anyone have any faith that Ward and co will have done their homework? I’m completely embarrassed to be paying money each week to these amateurs.

[deadbox]

It would be interesting to know if any of the other striking unions have had their ballots challenged in the courts. If it’s only the CWU that have problems then it may be prudent to change the legal team who’s responsibility for the legal implications of said ballot/ strikes

[drfeelgood]

The CWU are amateur at best, and totally incompetent at worst, how many more times is this going to happen, did they not learn their lesson the last time they had to call off a strike due to a ‘legal challenge’. Totally embarrassing, and a gift to the Royal Mail hierarchy!! I will never cross a picket line but come on CWU this is not good enough!!

[daveyeff]

ffs...how can it be illegal....its the last day of a legal ballot.

[sixfoottwo]

I'll always back the union 100% but it's pi*s poor again this

[toonshola]

ffs...how can it be illegal....its the last day of a legal ballot.

It’s because they are so incompetent they couldn’t even get the language right when serving notice, referenced revisions which we were not balloted on. Now the Cwu are crying on Facebook saying the country’s laws are against them. Absolutely shameless they have let us all down again.

[sixfoottwo]

ffs...how can it be illegal....its the last day of a legal ballot.

It’s because they are so incompetent they couldn’t even get the language right when serving notice, referenced revisions which we were not balloted on. Now the Cwu are crying on Facebook saying the country’s laws are against them. Absolutely shameless they have let us all down again.

Pretty sure they were part of the ballot were they not amongst all the other shi**