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The World Socialist Web Site has received a further outpouring of opposition from postal workers against the deal reached by Communication Workers Union (CWU) leaders Dave Ward and Andy Furey with Royal Mail. The agreement was set to be voted on by 115,000 postal workers starting from tomorrow and closing on June 14, but the CWU announced today that it has postponed the ballot for a second time.
Ward, Furey and the union’s postal executive originally stalled the vote by putting back the ballot a week in recognition that the deal would be thrown out. The CWU claimed that this was to address the failed revisions which had been implemented by Royal Mail in the past few months. The CWU agreed these revisions in a joint statement on March 2.
The 35 page agreement between the union and the company would usher in the most brutal attack on postal workers in Royal Mail history and affords the union bureaucracy a privileged position as co-partners with management. As postal workers explain, the earlier revisions have not been overturned and they are facing further demands either without any opposition from the CWU or through its direct collusion.
The write-ins from postal workers make clear the CWU leaders and postal executive have crossed every red line on pay, terms and conditions which postal workers waged 18 days of national strike action over.
The WSWS encourages postal workers to continue to write in and expose the truth. Written submissions from Royal Mail workers are helping to cut through the propaganda and lies of Royal Mail and the CWU bureaucracy, showing the need for a rank-and-file fightback. All Royal Mail workers are welcome to attend the next online Zoom meeting of the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee (PWRFC) this Sunday May 28 at 7p.m. You can register here.
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Harrogate, North Yorkshire: Postie for 34 years. I was on the march through London, special day. I cannot believe how CWU can paint this as a good deal. We’re told it’s the best we can get. Really!!! Medical retirement now only 12 weeks pay irrespective of service reduced by weeks off pending that medical retirement. Absolutely scandalous. I bet managers’ EVR (early voluntary retirement) and medical retirement packages haven’t changed and just as we need them. Not a coincidence I bet with a damaged aging workforce. While Pinocchio Thompson sits at home till October 31st receiving £700,000 for being s**t.
Virtually all Allowances gone, pay not much above minimum wage now. Our value of wages has been eroded to the point that it’s now just ok, not good anymore.
Prepping own work, part timers’ work. All before delivery of 19.7 km, 29,000 steps a day pushing a heavy trolley in all weathers for up to 5/6 hours, day after day. Feels like purgatory.
CWU and managers have sold us out to protect their own vested interests at the cost of those they are meant to serve and protect. At the beginning of this dispute they said, “We won’t accept a bad deal.” So, what’s this Dave? It’s an absolutely atrocious deal wrapped up as ‘best we can do’. Need to start again and give the workers what we pay you for, a GOOD NO DEAL.
I cannot believe anyone in CWU head office can think this is okay. It’s a surrender deal to appease the company. If they were going bust whose fault was that? Not ours but their own. Let them go bust, can’t be any worse under government control. Greed is the killer here. We should never have been privatised. A sad year for an old once-great company. I am disgusted and disillusioned by our so-called union.
Coventry, West Midlands: What does Ward care when he’s on £145,000 a year? Why would anyone? He don’t give a s***
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Hi, I have worked for Royal Mail for nearly 38 years and I can honestly say I have never seen this company run so bad. There has been so much change in the last few years, and we are all so down in morale. Everything Royal Mail does always fails. We do not have a say in the workplace, etc. You feel pressure and intimidated doing your daily job and this should not be happening in the workplace.
Bolton, Lancashire: Here at Bolton workload impossible to complete in contracted hours, going over most days, delivering large parcels as well as lapsing. Yet people are still coming in and starting before their time, unpaid. Stomach churns when I get up for work knowing what’s waiting for you. If managers did our job for a day they would be in tears.
Dave Ward, how have you got the brass neck to recommend this offer?? Would have more respect for you if you said that you know it is a shite deal, but it is all we will get. VOTE NO.
York, North Yorkshire: Just over 2 years until I retire. Don’t think I will make it with all this extra work! It’s crippling me!! To add insult to injury if we have someone off sick we are asked to cover, because we are so short staffed. I have worked for Royal Mail for 20 years and have never seen anything like this!! It’s a no from me!!!!!!!
Doncaster, South Yorkshire: I’ve been out of contract for months, but still working for Royal Mail. They’ve just increased my targets, but still no contract, no job security at all. Members of my team have left and there is zero intention to replace them, despite us now being overloaded. Seems every decision currently has to be approved by the board or at least that’s what the management at our site are using as an excuse.
Holt, Norfolk: I work in a small office. We used to have 12 rounds, we are now down to 10 and about to face a further reduction to 9. This means that fewer of us are expected to take on 33 percent more work each. And these rounds continue to grow as more and more housing estates are going up in our area!
Newcastle, Tyneside: Regardless of what happens, I’m not complying. I will do my 8 hours at my pace, do what is best for me, and never do overtime. They can bloody well try to sack me. This “wilful delay” is bullshit. I’m willing to deliver, but if I run out of time… Not my problem.
Yateley, Hamphshire: Revisions have been brought in making our rounds unachievable, with another 6 rounds due to be cut in June and July further adding calls to our jobs. Managers are starting to bully and harass when you bring stuff back or can’t complete, despite them admitting in meetings that they knew the revision wouldn’t be possible. Funny how their tone has changed now it’s in.
Our union rep just tells us to work to our time, which is fine when you’re not the one delivering 3-or-4 days’ mail with a fake smile to customers that you’ve spent years building a relationship with who are starting to get sick of it. I loved this job, felt like an integral member of my town and could see it being a role for life. Now I just feel like a laughing stock having lost 18 days’ pay for things to only get worse.
Billericay, Essex: At the moment our depot is at its lowest moral. We are being forced to clear all letters and parcels which has become impossible to do. There are on average 8 walks that don’t get touched every day. We’ve had workers going sick because of stress and pressure and feeling down because of the number of changes that are being put on them without warning and not having a chance to have their say.
We have been let down by the union big time, by them caving into Royal Mail demands. Our depot has seen a lot of workers take early retirement or leave for a new job. As for actual working conditions regarding vans, hours of work, new sequels, plus many other things, I could be on here for hours. It would be easier to talk to someone. Thanks for this opportunity.
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