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Postal workers have continued to write-in from across the UK, exposing punishing revisions to terms and conditions being imposed by Royal Mail with the complicity of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) leadership.
Postal workers are demanding action against CWU leaders Dave Ward and Andy Furey for pulling the ballot of 115,000 members for a second time on their . They are desperate to avoid a No vote by tens of thousands of Royal Mail workers furious over the CWU’s surrender document.
Many of the write-ins are from Scotland following WSWS reporting the walk-out at a delivery office in Glasgow last month which the CWU isolated and blacked-out from the membership even as a scabbing operation was organised.
On June 9, the CWU issued a cursory “update” on its continued discussions with Royal Mail stating that, “We hope to share full and final details next week and will be communicating as extensively as possible at that point.” No further statement has been issued by CWU head office as of writing.
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Glasgow: A message to Ward and Furey. GET the vote out now… nobody trusts your insidious behaviour. It’s become apparent that you are not the people we thought you were! Nothing has changed in our workplace, it’s only got worse. And still dependent on agency workers when Royal Mail staff need the hours. The situation is a national disgrace!
Stirling: We balloted for a no strings pay deal, yet Ward and Fury accept an all-inclusive deal, including their RED FLAGS! Flexi hours, late starts/ends and sick pay change. What have we been on strike for? Why would they agree to that? INCENTIVES?
Ayrshire: When my husband first started with Parcelforce over 15 years ago his shift started at 6.30am, quiet morning roads allowed him to get up at 5.30 leave the house at 6am. He finished just after 5 and was home for 6pm. Now with forced time changes he gets up at 6.30, leaves at 7am, hits rush hour traffic and starts his shift at half past 8. He’s now expected to finish after 7pm and gets home just after 8pm. He eats his dinner separately from the family (reheated), has a shower and usually falls asleep in the chair before going to bed an hour later. The children and grandchildren don’t see him through the week anymore and I feel I’ve lost my husband. Where’s the work life balance in that? He’s exhausted by the extra workload and time changes. Do Fury and Ward have wives and family who would accept this? But then for the lifestyle over £100k per annum would provide, maybe I would feel the sweetener of the deal.
Dundee: Put in unagreed revisions, handed out 3 EVR’S [early voluntary redundancy]. Now operating with 10 bodies down every day. USO failing, tracked and specials priority. One younger colleague in tears as totally overwhelmed. Disgrace of a company now. Union leaders should hang their heads in shame and resign.
Perth: I’m led to believe my last post was scoffed at, said to be a rant and not factual by some quarters in Parcelforce, Perth. Well, I’ve got nothing to gain by lying. So not a toxic workplace? funny that when one of our drivers was ready to walk out yesterday morning because of the behaviour of a certain employee. Failed items, just because it’s only a few routes that fail doesn’t make it OK. Also working over your time and through your meal relief doesn’t make the workloads workable. Also it’s been said that everyone gets equal treatment. Well for years a certain few get preferential bonuses which has been discussed for ages and recently has escalated. This causes animosity. Also maybe you forgot but we’re still in a dispute and that’s now on two fronts. Plus who agreed to the revisions? The CWU rep, so you can stamp your feet and throw as many of your toys out the pram as you want. The stuff I’ve mentioned here is just a fraction of what goes on and things like this don’t make for a great working environment, do they?
Swindon, Wiltshire: Royal Mail management are doing exactly what they want. They’ve changed all our frames while we are out on delivery, adding anywhere between 100-200 extra delivery calls, and the CWU are just standing by letting them do this!! The union have sold us out. We don’t hear anything from them!! Our walks were already unmanageable but now it’s a joke!! Staff are being called into meetings demanding they go faster, don’t take breaks and run around, and the union are nowhere to be seen.
West Midlands: I work for Parcelforce and after 15 years of loyal service I have now been given 30 days’ notice of depot revisions. Basically my overtime will be more or less halved. So much for a pay rise. I will be taking a 10% pay cut and then told I can work overtime to make it up.
London: Baulch, (CWU Outdoor Secretary) Ward and Furey should all resign with immediate effect. They are all a disgrace to the valuable members. All this fight to the death b******s is completely s***t. I like how this vote yes in the package didn’t mention sick pay when it’s clearly known they don’t value employees, only their fat wallets. It’s blatantly obvious they’ve got a golden handshake and are trying to convince us.
Kidderminster: I was a postie for 25 years. I’ve just taken medical retirement as I couldn’t carry on with increased workload. Was told to make sure tracked items weren’t left, take letters for a ride, bring back what I couldn’t do. That put me in an awkward position as it meant I could be accused of wilful delay. Looking at the deal it means an average full-time postie on, let’s say £25k a year so, forget first 2% you’ve had that last year, 6% this year is £1.500, next year a further £500 +£500 lump sum minus tax, so back to £2k minus, 18 strike days. So it all the changes and new routes and conditions are worth £300 over 3 years. Glad I got out, wish all you guys and girls all the best. I loved my job. Sad to go but wasn’t going to let Simon Thompson and this company cripple me or kill me.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire: Staff in my delivery office are stretched to breaking point. We currently have 50% of duties uncovered, which we are being asked to lapse in addition to our own post rounds. A lot of the time, especially on busier days, this is not a manageable workload, and the delivery of letters is being sacrificed for more profitable tracked items and parcels. Morale in our delivery office is exceptionally low, as we try to our best against these impossible workloads. In fairness our line manager has asked for the recruitment of additional staff, which has been flat out refused. Royal Mail cannot meet their USO targets at current staff levels, and the recruitment of staff is needed ASAP.
West Yorkshire: CWU have sold us down the river… all the postal workers I know want a no vote. We want the company to go into administration so it can become a public company again. I cannot bear the workloads placed on me. The walks are too big to finish and we have to take lapsing out with us from a different walk. Parcels were to be delivered first and door to doors, mail came last.
Goole: It is quite obvious that the CWU leadership are selling us down the river to save their own skins. They are deliberately holding off on the vote until it is too late if the vote was a NO to take strike action under the current remit. They are waiting until we would have to vote again for strike action. It has become a game of attrition by Ward and Furey and they, along with all the executives who voted to recommend this deal should be gone, one way or another, either by resigning or being voted out. This is not a deal we want or what they even told us to go on strike for. It has now turned into just an exercise in saving their own skins. No MOST IMPORTANT video meeting of all time for weeks. They are an embarrassment.
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