SPEECH: CWU FRINGE MEETING AT LIB DEM CONFERENCE- HAYES

[clashcityrocker]

You seem to have changed your argument, windermeredave.

You were suggesting people wouldn't vote for strike action because they wouldn't support the union having "been stitched up".
Now you are saying we shouldn't strike because we would be hurting the company.

As I understand it there cannot be a strike over privatisation. If the union decide to go down the road of IA they will have to contrive a different reason for calling us out.
Our opponents would love for us to go out on strike, so if the union does call a strike ballot it really will be the last throw of the dice and we had better all support it.

And I still don't get this "the union stitched us up" argument when it was the members that voted in favour of the agreement.

[fishtank]

And I still don't get this "the union stitched us up" argument when it was the members that voted in favour of the agreement.

Even you must admit CCR that when you open up your ballot envelope and a barrage of pro-agreement information falls out it's a pretty poor representation of the democratic process...i'm surprised a U.N. commission wasn't set up.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The real question isn't whether we would vote for strike action or not...but whether the union would ballot us and on what grounds?
Answers anybody?

Pensions


They have just about confirmed it in the press with all the stories about it affecting our pensions.

[clashcityrocker]

The real question isn't whether we would vote for strike action or not...but whether the union would ballot us and on what grounds?
Answers anybody?

Pensions

Given that the workforce (especially on delivery) is still quite young, I find it hard to believe we would back a strike over pensions.
People simply don't care.
If the rep at my place was to call a union meeting over the issue of pensions he would probably be the only one in attendance.

[fishtank]

The real question isn't whether we would vote for strike action or not...but whether the union would ballot us and on what grounds?
Answers anybody?

Pensions


They have just about confirmed it in the press with all the stories about it affecting our pensions.

...but if the government were to agree to take on the pension liability...something the union has actively campaigned for..wouldn't we look rather foolish?
The government will argue rightly or wrongly that privatisation will strengthen our pensions.
I don't personally buy it...but that will be the position.

[clashcityrocker]

wouldn't we look rather foolish?

Us? Look foolish? Never.

[POSTMAN]

IF the CWU decide to ballot us,they WILL find a way to do it without it being directly 'privatisation'.

Mine's a YES btw.

[Big Daz]

And I still don't get this "the union stitched us up" argument when it was the members that voted in favour of the agreement.

[fishtank]

IF the CWU decide to ballot us,they WILL find a way to do it without it being directly 'privatisation'.

Normally i would agree POSTMAN but this agreement has tied their hands.
The job cuts are agreed...the pay is agreed...all of our terms and conditions for the next 3 years are tied up in this deal.
The agreement itself would have to fail...........

[POSTMAN]

IF the CWU decide to ballot us,they WILL find a way to do it without it being directly 'privatisation'.

Normally i would agree POSTMAN but this agreement has tied their hands.
The job cuts are agreed...the pay is agreed...all of our terms and conditions for the next 3 years are tied up in this deal.
The agreement itself would have to fail...........

Depends i guess if privatisation was to scupper/harm the agreement in some ways we could use that.
I'm sure the thinking caps at HQ have been on.

[Big Daz]

Deviation from 2010 would be the most likley cause of a IA ballot, tha last IA ballot was due to deviation from 2007 agreement was it not.

[DirtyHarry]

And I still don't get this "the union stitched us up" argument when it was the members that voted in favour of the agreement.

Some members, clash, some members voted for this miserable pile of crap, 2010 & Beyond. And yes, most definitely YES, postal workers were stitched up good and proper being offered a deal with basically nothing whatsoever in it that improved T&Cs.
I won't be going on strike for the incompetent shower running the CWU, they've had me sacrificing too much of my much needed wage and for bugger all, for too long. You see, even for a committed old trade unionist like me, the modern brand of union leader has worn thin.
Besides, with every agreement reached by the RM & CWU leaving postal workers with increasingly worse terms and conditions, and with RM's emphasis on profit, profit, and even more profit, and casual lip service paid to providing a public service for the British people, we are privatised in all but name, anyway.

[clashcityrocker]

So what will a "committed old trade unionist" like you do if the rest of us vote in favour of strike action?

[Martin Walsh]

Dont worry we will get a ballot if necessary but that is not the first tactic and it was not needed when the CWU defeated privatisation in 1994 , 2004 and 2009.

No other union has done that including the RMT and the much praised Bob Crow.

Instead the first tactic must be a politcal campaign and thats why the 73 marginal mps for liberals and tories have been targeted by the CWU and other allies. It would take just one voter in every 500 in those marginal constituencies to mean that they would be out of a majority.

Now an MP starts to grow a backbone if they think they stand to lose their MP status and that is what has served the CWU very well in the past.

So balloting is an option but not the first , and the campaign has already started as you can see there is a lot of unrest on the real liberals with some of the coalition polices and we need to exploit it .

There is a long way to go. But if we need a ballot the biggest reason why would be that this government is stealing all of our pension assets 26 billion pounds , that is a strong enough reason to ballot and if you belong to the pension scheme then why would you allow a government to steal your defered pay which the employer has been paying in your pension every week and that you have personally been paying into your pension.


It does amaze me that some say well I am not going to support the CWU as if you are somehow supporting the union, when in fact you are making a decision on your job and your pension.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

It does amaze me that some say well I am not going to support the CWU as if you are somehow supporting the union, when in fact you are making a decision on your job and your pension.

Listen to him, he speaks wisely IMHO.

OK I am one that thinks the CWU hierarchy let us down over 2010 and I think they are out of touch. But to reject a strike call that will have a massive impact on the business/service and our own T&Cs is a bit like sticking your tongue out at a mate you have had an argument with, while the school bully is standing behind you swinging a baseball bat at your head.