CWU postal workers will strike again this month (September) in their dispute with Royal Mail over pay and over the bosses’ drive to transform the industry radically, with large job cuts, on free-market lines.
The CWU’s official announcement reads:
Negotiations have taken place between CWU and Royal Mail over the last five weeks, but ended on Sunday [9 September] without agreement.However, there has been progress in a number of areas, including pay. Although talks are set to continue the union is disappointed that Royal Mail has ended the agreed ‘period of calm’.The union therefore can only presume that Royal Mail are set to implement unagreed operational changes.As a result, despite being committed to further talks and being determined to reach an agreement, CWU will announce further strikes to be held prior to the end of September
SUMMARY OF REJECTED PROPOSAL
Pay
A number of options that amount to 6.7% on basic pay over two years with additional lump sums. This includes more money in the first year.
Flexibility
A range of proposals which amount to total flexibility where postal workers will not know what job they are performing from day to day.
Pensions
The company has virtually re-tabled the previous rejected proposal as revealed by the Daily Mirror, including a reduction in benefits, increased employee contributions and later retirement age.
No final agreement on a number of areas including job security, personnel procedures, automation, productivity and network changes.
It is a bad sign that the tone of the union leaders’ statement is more “oh dear, I suppose we’ll have a bit of further action” rather than “well, now it’s absolutely, absolutely clear that the bosses are out to screw us. Up and at them!”
However, the rank and file may have different ideas.
0 Responses to “CWU to Strike Again in September”