Meanwhile, in Liverpool.........

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 04 Jul 2007, 21:59

Posted: Tue, 03/07/2007 - 22:02
I got this from our comrade up on Merseyside:

I'm writing a small account of the first one day strike on Merseyside where I was one of the pickets. Also, contained in this report are some of the discussions I had with perhaps only 4 pickets. Also contained are some of my comments which are obviously coloured by my political involvement with the ICC. Naturally, comrades can accept or reject these comments but I hope I have conveyed an idea of where this strike is currently at. This strike is only in its first days but there needs to be a deepening of its demands and methods of striking

The one day posties strike in Royal Mail was solid in Merseyside. I was told that only 6 workers actually crossed picket lines that day throughout Merseyside. The pickets ( 6 to a picket being a 'legal' requirement) was hugely bolstered by the majority of my office's 40 posties at 5.30 am. Right away this turnout was of immense moral advantage, all posties in our office are incredibly angry at the Royal Mail offer and want to show this. This of course is only part of the story. There was a marked reluctance to travel to other pickets (in my office even the suggestion made by myself that we go to the picket at the Crown Post Office in the centre of town was meet by a "Yeah but maybe later!" ) and the essential feeling engendered was that each office should keep to their own 'turf'.
There is a huge danger in this, because if it is allowed to stand it will mean that nationally the CWU union machine can keep control of the struggle through localising the movement Our CWU rep talked to us and asked that the picket be 'low key' he also volunteered other information which turned out to be incorrect ( that there was another strike planned for the following Tuesday) an hour later we had a visit from the police, twice once from the uniforms and another from the jacks. The Sergent saluted us on showing our solidarity but having shown it said that maybe we should go to the pub a little later at 9.00 when the earliest of the local alehouses open up.This was ignored not for the whole day but thankfully at least for the life of the picket. Later, we had a rare occasion to socialise together.The posties understanding the 'legal situation' went and had a game of football at the riverpoint until the police hopped it and as one postie put it.... "Can they really arrest 40 posties?" - a moot point ! they really can make that many arrests but only when the struggle gets more serious and at this point the CWU and the police want it 'low key'.

I intervened with the ICC leaflet and this took most of my fellow workers by suprise. " We had an idea that you was a 'red' but not this organised!" To be honest I didn't have a great deal of discussion but the discussions that I had were important.
1st. discussion: The unions (CWU) want to 'sell us out'
There was a deal of cynicism particularly from the posties who were involved in the '96 strike but this only regarding the 'leadership' there still is a lot of faith in the union machine at the local branch level but particularly in the office 'reps' whom it must be said are sincere in their support for this strike.
2nd discussion: Taking the fight to other workers: Any attempt to move the fight forward even slightly out of the union framework at this point in time (for example going to other sectors such as hospital workers as pointed out in the ICC leaflet) was considered to be the domain of the CWU and other unions.This being said there was an agreement that other public sector workers were under the cosh and that there is a need for support. How, this will take place? again the union will decide. Here, all of the pickets I discussed with supported this framework.
Above all, and taking into account the fact that this strike is in its earliest days the lack of
information from the CWU executive was not considered to be worrying. I have no doubt that this will change as the strike continues.
3rd discussion: Royal Mail will capitulate to negotiation with the CWU when they see the strength of the movement.
This was a line that was pushed particularly by the CWU, and it is a line which is being torn to shreds today. Royal Mail are taking an intransigent line and want to implement its 'plan'. Also, this labour government needs to attack and keep down wages in the public sector. In all likelihood this is going to be a long drawn-out rolling strike.At this moment in time this fact is beginning to sink in
The strike is going forward! postal workers need to draw out lessons of past strikes (Belfast and Exeter) This being said it would seem that whilst we have seen many militant struggles at the local level at this point in time the CWU have a control of the strike.

In the immediate future a rally is being planned for Merseyside we need to organise for this. Above all, postal workers need to extend their struggle.

I don't know what this ICC leaflet says, but if I get hold of one, I'll put the contents on here.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 04 Jul 2007, 22:03

Bingo!

http://en.internationalism.org/files/en ... eaflet.pdf

Spartacus · Post by **Spartacus** » 05 Jul 2007, 18:55

Good stuff from the scouse,makes some good points particularly about keeping control of things at a local level.

Syndicalismo

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 06 Jul 2007, 16:23

Spartacus wrote:Good stuff from the scouse,makes some good points particularly about keeping control of things at a local level.

Syndicalismo

Oh yes!

You can't beat a bit of IWW/OBU, CNT-AIT. Bosses need you! You don't need bosses!

BB brother · Post by **BB brother** » 07 Jul 2007, 12:02

Hi IWW,

Is what your saying there that unless you have a minimum of 6 on a picket line its not a legal picket ?

(if so ,keepthat one quiet ! lol)

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 07 Jul 2007, 12:34

BB I think its the other way round the RECOMMENDED maximum is 6. However last time we had 30 on the line and as there was no trouble and we gave the public access the police did not even come near us.

goinpostal · Post by **goinpostal** » 07 Jul 2007, 13:08

yeah we had up to twenty on ours, out branch sec told us that we could only have six but i read the CWU guidelines to picketing and it did say that it was advice not law.

Sounds like the same was true of London where reps were saying they didn't want to be too confrontational, so no rallies or demos, people not encouraged to mass picket etc.

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 07 Jul 2007, 14:21

BB brother wrote:Hi IWW,

Is what your saying there that unless you have a minimum of 6 on a picket line its not a legal picket ?

(if so ,keepthat one quiet ! lol)

No, what he's saying is six is the maximum legal requirement, but he's wrong. Six is only a recommendation. We had 25 on ours and the police drove past several times and did nothing.

BB brother · Post by **BB brother** » 07 Jul 2007, 20:18

Yeah Yeah Yeah !

We had 20 + on the picket too !

Dwindled to about 4 in the afternoon though ! (pickin up the empty cans lol ) hence the enquiry.

Stormproof · Post by **Stormproof** » 08 Jul 2007, 08:30

We had about a constant dozen on our picket line last week, the police drove past 'tooted' and gave us a wave

and I only got abused by 1 member of the public

IWW Fellow Worker · Post by **IWW Fellow Worker** » 08 Jul 2007, 12:05

k66yla wrote:We had about a constant dozen on our picket line last week, the police drove past 'tooted' and gave us a wave and I only got abused by 1 member of the public

I have been very pleasantly surprised at the level of support from the public. People on my delivery have been great, but even coming home after work strangers have wished us well.

bristolchris · Post by **bristolchris** » 08 Jul 2007, 12:15

IWW Fellow Worker wrote:
k66yla wrote:We had about a constant dozen on our picket line last week, the police drove past 'tooted' and gave us a wave and I only got abused by 1 member of the public
I have been very pleasantly surprised at the level of support from the public. People on my delivery have been great, but even coming home after work strangers have wished us well.

One lady who drove through/past our picket line last Friday to visit the callers office, apologised to me as she drove out. She said if it had not been a Birthday present she had come to collect, she would not have `come through`and wished us good luck.

goinpostal · Post by **goinpostal** » 08 Jul 2007, 13:37

The cleaner went in but brought us all home made cornbeef sandwiches, then towards the end this old guy swung by and his son brought out 5 boxes of cream cakes from Greggs, the old man was hanging out thewindow (don't think he was fit enough to get out) yelling for us to give em hell, smash the bastards, why werent we making more noise etc!! must have been a real hellraiser in the old days, alot of factories in that area (now closed or shrunk) we couldve done with him on the picket line!

ROYALMAILCHAT

Meanwhile, in Liverpool.........

Meanwhile, in Liverpool.........

6 to picket..........

Re: 6 to picket..........

Picket