yes or no in ballot

[CRIBMAD]

WE NEED THIS READ OUT IN EVERY OFFICE IN THE UK TOMORROW MORNING
NATIONAL GET THE VOTE OUT DAY
A Message to all CWU Members
Dear Members,
There is no doubt this has been the most bitter and complex dispute in our history. 3 ballots, 18 days of strike action and we have stood up against the most brutal attack on workers in the UK for many decades.
The ongoing ballot is the most important vote of your working lives. If we are able to deliver a massive yes vote and turnout, then we will go on to win this dispute – this has to be our absolute focus.
Over the weekend we received correspondence from Royal Mail Group’s legal representatives challenging the strike action we have called across the 16th/17th February. Having discussed this with our lawyers they have advised that we could defend our position in court.
However, they have also advised that given the laws in this country are heavily weighted against working people, the risks of losing in court may potentially impact on the re-ballot – we simply cannot allow this happen.
On this basis the Postal Executive do not believe it is worth risking the status of the new ballot to defend a ballot mandate that expires on 17th February. Instead, we have agreed the following steps:
• We will not be taking strike action on 16th / 17th February
• The focus of the whole union must remain on winning the ballot
• We will re-enter negotiations with Royal Mail Group this week
• If talks fail, we will significantly step up the programme of strike action
• The union will shortly announce details of a formal strike fund
This rush to the courts by Royal Mail Group is the latest in a long list of deliberate, sustained and coordinated attacks on you:
• Executive action in the workplace
• Suspension and dismissal of CWU representatives and members
• Relentless goading and intimidation online
You have risen above every single one of these actions and we know you will do the same now. We cannot allow Royal Mail Group’s blatant efforts to demoralise you and discredit the union, to distract us from the reality that the resolution to this long-running dispute will be determined and settled by the outcome of the current vote.
Voting for and taking strike action is never easy but we have to be crystal clear. If you do not vote in this ballot, then Royal Mail Group count you as on their side. This means they see you as endorsing a strategy which includes:
• The removal of the right to negotiate at local level – executive action is being taken across the UK. If we do not win this ballot, it will become standard practise
• Later starts in every function and business
• Open attacks, suspensions, and dismissals of CWU members and representatives
• Total flexibility – not knowing what you are doing on a daily basis
• Outsourcing – this has already started in Fleet and will not stop there
• Bringing back managers who received 2 years redundancy pay and handing them £40,000 for a 9-month contract
• A senior management team assembled from union busting backgrounds
• A company happy to openly mislead Parliament
You are better than this.
It is the duty of every single CWU member in the UK to vote yes and spend the next week encouraging every single colleague in the UK to do the same.
Win the ballot, win the dispute.
Solidarity,
Dave Ward
General Secretary
Andy Furey

[walthmstowman]

Ive not voted yet, leaving it last min, was a bit dissapointed in cwu during last round of strikes, considering how much money us members have lost to these strikes how many saturdays did we strike? what did we have 18 to 20 days of strikes, i can only think of 1 or 2 saturdays max we striked, you would think if cwu valued and listened to their members they would put in more saturdays as strike days give the guys a weekend off to spend to go see a football match or whatever, was a lot of wednesday, thursday, fridays, go on union give us some saturdays off least u can do

Thats the view of a lot of guys in my office including me.

If you vote No or we end up losing this dispute at least you know what's coming . Just don't blame the union .

So if we do lose this dispute who do we blame .

Ok then , vote No then you can blame who you like . That's in answer to Aiden, not thefox

[aiden01]

The threat alone would push many people into breaking picket lines.

Why? You wouldn't lose any more pay than a day here and two days there.

A lot of people can cope with 1 or 2day but a hellva lot more could'nt cope with a full week out just my opinion.

[aiden01]

Ive not voted yet, leaving it last min, was a bit dissapointed in cwu during last round of strikes, considering how much money us members have lost to these strikes how many saturdays did we strike? what did we have 18 to 20 days of strikes, i can only think of 1 or 2 saturdays max we striked, you would think if cwu valued and listened to their members they would put in more saturdays as strike days give the guys a weekend off to spend to go see a football match or whatever, was a lot of wednesday, thursday, fridays, go on union give us some saturdays off least u can do

Thats the view of a lot of guys in my office including me.

If you vote No or we end up losing this dispute at least you know what's coming . Just don't blame the union .

So if we do lose this dispute who do we blame .

Ok then , vote No then you can blame who you like . That's in answer to Aiden, not thefox

Although none of your business how i vote i will let you know that i voted yes. Altho after reading cwu messed it up yet again sorry i didnt vote no f--king shambles.

[arsenalbob]

I don’t get this is up for debate. We are the union. We do not vote against the union. We vote yes.

[Binsey]

We didn’t in 2003….

[enskied]

Maybe you're so rich that a day or two won't matter to you, but I work on a 28-hour contract, my girlfriend on 15, we have to spend more time with our child because of her speech problems.
For me personally, further strikes don't make sense because the family is the most important thing and the cost of living is rising
I've been fighting with you guys, all year, but I'm tired of ridiculous 2-day strikes and then making up for these days, with staff shortages with pay for 3 days of work.
As a reserve, I am also mentally burdened.

I'm PT too. It is hard, but we have to fight or our conditions will become unbearable.
Can not back down to bullies.

[Splappy_McSplap]

The threat alone would push many people into breaking picket lines.

Why? You wouldn't lose any more pay than a day here and two days there.

A lot of people can cope with 1 or 2day but a hellva lot more could'nt cope with a full week out just my opinion.

If they announced a one week strike in two weeks time, and it actually happened, they leave the next one for four or five weeks, say, announce it two weeks after the first, etc. etc.

Same money lost as the previous strike pattern, but RM has to deal with a one week backlog each time.

[Halfhappy]

If you have NO union you are just a slave!!!

Getting £400+ a week for 37 hrs is hardly comparable to the slave trade.

You seriously think you'd remain on £400+ a week for 37hrs, when there's no union?

[stan_lers]

It's too late to vote no.

Anything but a yes and the union is dead to RM. The entire purpose of Simon Thompson is to break the union and give the company a blank cheque to turn us into Hermes 2.0.

It's not an exaggeration - if you vote no, or don't vote at all, then the company will push through whatever they like, knowing that we will never stand up again. It's not the union's fault that it's got to this stage, it's the company's, and quitting now is telling RM that you side with them over us.

[49erman]

It's too late to vote no.

Anything but a yes and the union is dead to RM. The entire purpose of Simon Thompson is to break the union and give the company a blank cheque to turn us into Hermes 2.0.

It's not an exaggeration - if you vote no, or don't vote at all, then the company will push through whatever they like, knowing that we will never stand up again. It's not the union's fault that it's got to this stage, it's the company's, and quitting now is telling RM that you side with them over us.

[Jen1]

voting no is agreeing with simons vision for royal mail the majority of us accept their has to be change but the proposals in which he wants to get on board with are laughable, seven walks to be lapsed with seven packet duties to be created starting at 11 oclock but any spare vans to be removed from our office, so the packet men have to wait until the delivery staff return from their duty as i said to our manager is this a wind up, no was his reply i have to try and put in place what i am told. their will be 78 of us voting yes and 1 no.

Totally agree billycat, Thompsons proposals are just idiotic, they’ve increased lapse at our office and we got yelled at everyday for not being able to complete and told we’re all lazy bastards

We had to stream even on the quietest days to have a chance of completing

But since it got pointed out to our union we no longer have to stream and now we’re allowed to work over to complete our rounds

Think it’s only a matter of time before everyone realises that Thompsons plans are not achievable in the real world

It’s a definite yes vote from me

[thefox]

If you have NO union you are just a slave!!!

Getting £400+ a week for 37 hrs is hardly comparable to the slave trade.

You seriously think you'd remain on £400+ a week for 37hrs, when there's no union?
A good point whats to stop them giving us a wage cut when the union are no more,sorry team but if we don't cut wages it will have to be compulsory redundancies if you dont like it you know where the door is.

[Andyh335]

If you have NO union you are just a slave!!!

Getting £400+ a week for 37 hrs is hardly comparable to the slave trade.

It will feel like that in a few years time with 8-10% inflation and only 2% pay increases.

[Woody Guthrie]

Even if you disagree with the union you should vote yes

Why?
Because if you don't you're letting them off the hook and allowing them to blame the membership for not getting a deal.

We do our part, we give them all the support we can.

Then it's on the leadership to do their part.

I'm not giving them a get out of jail card at this stage.