Response to the new Joint Statement and ballot - Postal Workers Say Vote No

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Response to the new Joint Statement and ballot
Postal Workers Say Vote No
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After another month of secret talks, CWU leaders have finally presented yet another joint statement on quality of service, USO and revisions. This is the third agreement with Royal Mail on this subject.

We will be doing a closer analysis of this new “2.5”, but members will be right to be skeptical after the old section 2.5 in the new agreement proved to be empty words, just as the 2nd March Joint Statement did, which promised an end to executive action.

They want to stuff our mouths with gold but a one-off lump sum won’t cover the prices that remain high next year. It’s pro-rata for part timers, but they don’t feed their kids or pay bills pro rata!

What remains are massive revisions (#1 gone, #2 coming), a big workload hike for deliveries (indoor hours trial to cut this in August) plus the two tier workforce, cuts to sick pay/attendance procedure/ill health retirement and data-for-coaching/gross misconduct – and 100s of suspended or dismissed reps who may or may not be reinstated.

All that makes it a terrible deal, one that lasts less than two years. In terms of finish times, it’s not clear how set in stone these estimates are, many are still not family friendly, and flexing and possibly seasonal variation will extend these, as well as hiking the outdoor span for delivery workers.

ITS ALL THANKS TO THE NO VOTE WAVE

We should remember the only reason they have renegotiated these extras – if they prove to be real – is due to the mass rejection of the deal by CWU members, and due to the workplace reps who voiced their opposition in meetings with local officials and national leadership.

This has been supported and helped along by the public campaign Postal Workers Say Vote No that has provided an analysis of the worse aspects of the deal and given the rejection an organised form.

To look at it from the other side, the CWU leadership wanted us to accept £500 and let the revisions continue, much as they did since the 2nd March Joint Statement. They would have put the deal to ballot as is, it was massive anger that forced them to renegotiate.

So at the very least the no vote wave has helped get posties at least another £900, even if it is not yet a done deal (it depends on the future valuation of the escrow account), and shouldn’t that money have been put into our pension scheme? This issue will no doubt get analysed in more detail, but either way it has cost Royal Mail very little to make this concession.

ROBIN HOOD IN REVERSE

We respect the fact that some CWU members will vote for this deal, believing it is the best we can get, or at least get under the current leadership after the experience of the last year. We understand that many of us, hit by the cost of living and 18 days lost pay, are desperate for that money. However we still believe that the best response to this agreement is to vote no.

Even with these “improvements” (if they come off), the deal sells our terms and conditions, unsustainably hikes the workload of the majority of CWU and weakens the union hugely, all in order to restore profitability to Royal Mail, in other words to its millionaire shareholders. It’s Robin Hood in reverse.

If the deal goes through, it does not mean a secure or sustainable job. In terms of mail centres and distribution, all Royal Mail will say is they have “no plans” to break up the company, sell off bits, close mail centres. The CWU is making these out to be guarantees. They’re not.

And the clock is ticking till Spring 2025 when Royal Mail will come back pushing to cut the USO – something that Dave Ward already says we might have to accept. In the meantime the union will have helped them construct a detachable parcel service, ready to be hived off into a separate company and handed to IDS.

They think they can buy us with another £900. We think postal workers and the postal service are worth more than that. We will continue to press for a no vote on this deal, rejecting the two tier workforce and T&C cuts and other unacceptable concessions. The mantra of Terry Pullinger and Dave Ward was “don’t settle for less” – let’s not!

#VoteNo

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