Do you support the Posties striking?

[bullshit detector]

A big WELL DONE to the posties for striking and thus at least gaining some improvements
in the ludicrous conditions foisted upon them by Royal Mail.
Beats me why so many people are prepared to lie down and get walked over by rich capitalist filth.

 

[British Bulldog]

I do not agree with strikes end of.

Most strikes only come about because of management refusal to negotiate on matters in the first place, You cant expect workers just to roll over and accept whatever management throw at them.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Now thats where your obviously a lot more tolerant than i am on these matters, I expect a pay rise every year and the only changes to my working conditions I accept are improvements and i'm willing to fight every inch of the way to get what I want.

The differnece of course being is that you provide a service that no-one else can provide and that by withdrawing it lots of people are incovenienced. If someone working in a normal company decided to strike, its quite possible that the company would lose a lot of business (and more than a few people not getting the train any more) and maybe go bust, which would mean they would all lose their jobs.

 

[tedebear]

A big WELL DONE to the posties for striking and thus at least gaining some improvements
in the ludicrous conditions foisted upon them by Royal Mail.
Beats me why so many people are prepared to lie down and get walked over by rich capitalist filth.

I don't agree - sadly the posties were not told at their job interviews that the company that would employ them was as old as the hills, required massive amounts of funding to provide modernisation and would probably be at the mercy of a private industry that could do what they do more efficiently...

So the posties are stuck in an impossible situation....their striking will do the company in but give them more of what they want - in the end - they are all doomed!

 

[British Bulldog]

The differnece of course being is that you provide a service that no-one else can provide and that by withdrawing it lots of people are incovenienced. If someone working in a normal company decided to strike, its quite possible that the company would lose a lot of business (and more than a few people not getting the train any more) and maybe go bust, which would mean they would all lose their jobs.

I cant deny that we do hold a fairly strong position in negotiations and every now and then we will flex our muscle's to let the management know they're starting to push they're luck, but we've earned our position by remaining strong and not bowing down to everything they want.

 

[tedebear]

I cant deny that we do hold a fairly strong position in negotiations and every now and then we will flex our muscle's to let the management know they're starting to push they're luck, but we've earned our position by remaining strong and not bowing down to everything they want.

Even if you bring your company to its knees?

 

[British Bulldog]

Even if you bring your company to its knees?

If that happens it's they're jobs as well as mine so it's upto the management to do what they are paid to do and manage situations to make sure it does'nt come to that, Too many managers seem to forget that they need to work with they're workforce and not against them.

 

[tedebear]

If that happens it's they're jobs as well as mine so it's upto the management to do what they are paid to do and manage situations to make sure it does'nt come to that, Too many managers seem to forget that they need to work with they're workforce and not against them.

Are your skills as transferrable to another job as theirs?

Also is your manager doing what he seems right or what he is dictated to from above? Many managers make a tree..

 

[British Bulldog]

Are your skills as transferrable to another job as theirs?

Also is your manager doing what he seems right or what he is dictated to from above? Many managers make a tree..

Our skills are completely non transferable which is why we fight for what we have but a bit of bluff and muscle flexing never does any harm.

Unfortunatly our management tree is whats commonly known as the idiot tree and there are many branches.

 

[tedebear]

Our skills are completely non transferable which is why we fight for what we have but a bit of bluff and muscle flexing never does any harm.

Unfortunatly our management tree is whats commonly known as the idiot tree and there are many branches.

No your muscle flexing doesn't have any harm when you're up against something decent to fight against.....but you're fighting against things that are out of the control of your managers, their managers and even their managers...Your fighting will prevent the money being spent to ensure Royal Mail moves into the 19th century let alone the 21st....

Your union is fighting a few corners which will in the end be your own downfall, there are a few issues which you should fight for hammer and tongs, but some others you'll lose and lose badly....

 

[British Bulldog]

No your muscle flexing doesn't have any harm when you're up against something decent to fight against.....but you're fighting against things that are out of the control of your managers, their managers and even their managers...Your fighting will prevent the money being spent to ensure Royal Mail moves into the 19th century let alone the 21st....

Your union is fighting a few corners which will in the end be your own downfall, there are a few issues which you should fight for hammer and tongs, but some others you'll lose and lose badly....

With all due respect Tede any strike action I take will have no effect on Royal Mail at all but it might f*** up Network rail for a while.

 

[tedebear]

With all due respect Tede any strike action I take will have no effect on Royal Mail at all but it might f*** up Network rail for a while.

So why do it?

 

[British Bulldog]

So why do it?

We dont normaly have to, just the threat of it is usualy enough these days as proved the last time. If we had'nt theatened strike action last year we would've had a shit pay rise and still no implementation of the 35 hour working week they'd been promising us for 5 years and never gave. We got our 35 hour week and the 5% pay rise we got this year was a nice little bonus that came with it. We would'nt have got any of that if we just rolled over and accepted what they threw at us.

 

[tedebear]

I agreed with it last year (even though I don't agree with striking), but the basis (or bigger picture to use a bit of americanism) now is different and I believe you've been put in a no-win situation which your union isn't recognizing....

 

[British Bulldog]

now is different and I believe you've been put in a no-win situation which your union isn't recognizing....

What position is that?

 

[John Byrne]

I agree it is a lose lose situation but i think that RM are asking for too many changes at once. Every postie knows the company has to modernise but that isn't the real problem its all the strings attached.

*Flexible Working - Basically means they can make you do any role, in any office when ever they feel. Mess with your working hours etc etc. Which just isn't fair.

RM are trying to change everything at once rather than a little gradually. If RM tried bringing in a little at a time rather than sending black mail letters to their staff, alot more would happen quicker and easier.

RM are simply bullying their staff and most posties are fed up of it and thats why we are striking. Don't forget we don't get paid and we all have mortgages to pay.

The attitude of get another job if you don't like it is pathetic...if only life was that easy.

 

[BensGrandad]

Most strikes only come about because of management refusal to negotiate on matters in the first place, You cant expect workers just to roll over and accept whatever management throw at them.

Sorry I am be old fashioned but I have always said that if I didnt like the ciompany that I worked for or the conditions under which I had to work I have left and got another job.

I have never had a need to strike if one chap doesnt want me to work for him somebody else will.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Sorry I am be old fashioned but I have always said that if I didnt like the ciompany that I worked for or the conditions under which I had to work I have left and got another job.

I have never had a need to strike if one chap doesnt want me to work for him somebody else will.

But it's not that they don't like the conditions. It's more that they think they can get better, and because they can cause such havoc by striking they normally get their way.

 

[John Byrne]

CWU EXECUTIVE RATIFIES NATIONAL AGREEMENT


The CWU Executive today ratified a national agreement between the Union and Royal Mail.



That proposed agreement will now be subject to a full individual members’ ballot.



Dave Ward, Deputy General Secretary said: “This has been a long dispute but the agreement reflects the fact that change in the company will only be managed with the Union and the workforce. We have made significant gains on pay and related issues and the Union’s role in negotiating change in the workplace has been strengthened.



“Royal Mail’s aim at the outset of this strike was to remove the Union from the workplace and have a subservient workforce. The result of the dispute is a strong Union and a workforce whose opinions count. The members will have the final say on the proposed agreement.”



The key areas of the agreement include:



PAY



A pay rise of 6.9% over 18 months, coupled with a lump sum of £175 immediately and a further lump sum of £400 linked to local implementation of change.



(The dispute started with Royal Mail offering a pay freeze and then increasing their offer to 2.5%).





FLEXIBILITY



All flexibility and change will now be directly negotiated with the Union.



Flexibility now to reflect workers aspirations as well as the company’s and be subject to trials’.



No change to working hours without agreement.



All automation to be subject to further agreement with CWU.



The controversial subject of “covering one another” is now subject to national trials and agreement.





OTHER AREAS



The agreement also includes productivity arrangements, attendance patterns including no change to Saturday attendances and network changes.





PENSIONS



Any pension reform has been formally de-coupled from the pay agreement.



However, the Union has secured many key principles to take into a formal 90 day pensions’ consultation process. These principles include



Full protection of final salary to accrued service benefits
The final salary scheme to be replaced for the future by a similar defined benefits scheme.
The right to retire at 60 for existing scheme members.
The option to take pension at 60 with un-reduced past service benefits and to continue working.
The ability to negotiate a new scheme for new entrants.
The existing accrued rates to be maintained. (1/80th and 1/60th)




On the subject of pensions Dave Ward, Deputy General Secretary said: “The company’s intention was to strip out £1.6billion from the pensions deficit by taking it directly from workers’ benefits. This has now been put back in and any proposals will be subject to further discussion with the Union and a separate ballot of the workforce at a later date”.

 

[BensGrandad]

What will happen when Royal Mail falls behind their competitiors and loose even more business. Will the government buy it back and nationalise it again to cover the losses.