Dispatch - Public Sector Strike Bulletin

[catch]

Dispatch - Public Sector Strikes Bulletin

Me and some others around the website libcom.org have put together this bulletin for the public sector strikes. We work in different sectors (including RM, local government, NHS, education and others) - but the first issue is mainly about you lovely people. There's a text version for the 'net, and A4 PDF to print out.

We're going to be distributing them in London and (hopefully) some other places in the UK - obviously if you like it and want to print it/distribute yourself that'd be great. We've got a small budget for printing, although we're initially going to print out at home/work where possible. Comments, corrections all very welcome.

Preaching to the converted on here, but we tried to include as much information about different things going on as we can, and there's links to royalmailchat.co.uk (with postman's agreement), and our coverage at http://libcom.org/pay-2007 and http://libcom.org/tags/royal-mail

Text version | PDF

We're planning to do another issue if things continue - hopefully involving more of the public sector if they/we come out as well.

[BELIAL]

Educate,agitate, organise

[POSTMAN]

Nice one catch

[Steven]

I'm involved in this too - and the stated purpose of the bulletin is this:
"We're a group of workers who are interested in discussing and co-ordinating a response to the ongoing public sector pay disputes. We believe the key to winning is to unite the disputes, fight together and for workers ourselves to control the struggle."

hopefully we will do future issues when other sectors are out - Unison national count showed 80% rejected our 2% offer, so we should be balloting

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Very nice Stephen and Catch - thanks again for the support.

[KawasakiKid]

Nice one!!!!!!!!! It's on the notice board tomorrow---------------KAWAK

[catch]

surely all trade unions should have come out at once in the first place ,is this almost a bit of an afterthought ?

The very nature of trade unions is that their structures and interests as organisations usually prevent this from happening. As such, I think it's necessary to argue for workers to communicate and co-ordinate action around this dispute (and in general) directly - both in person at picket lines/meetings and on the internet. I agree dispatch could've been produced earlier during this process, but it's also not bad timing - in that it's likely you'll still be out in September (around late starts if not pay) as other sectors join in.

This site is a fine, fine example of direct communication around the strike within Royal Mail (and the few of us from other sectors who are interested enough to sign up), and hopefully it'll continue to play a big role as more sectors come out.

[catch]

Nice one!!!!!!!!! It's on the notice board tomorrow

Lovely, let me know what people think, good or bad, if you get a chance.

[Fluke]

Thanks I have run a few dozen copies off and passed them around.

[catch]

Good stuff Fluke.


On a completely unrelated note, does anyone know what time gates open at Mount Pleasant and Euston/NW1 tommorrow?

[Steven]

ha well this is now completely out of date. shame we spend 150 quid on printing it. oh well...!

[Fluke]

ha well this is now completely out of date. shame we spend 150 quid on printing it. oh well...!

I don't think your money or time was wasted, what you put together help explain to a lot of people what is going on not just in ours but other parts of the public sector. It ain't over yet to leave the dust sheets off the printer for now and thanks for the info.

[catch]

Thanks Fluke. We'll be distributing as many as possible - in fact someone in Sheffield told us they're doing some today. Hopefully an update around the beginning of September as well when there's a better idea about how the negotiations go + what's happening in the rest of the public sector.