Strike!

[scalyboy]

Would be nice to get some post, had none for over two weeks. Was waiting results on a biopsy I had done done 3 weeks ago. Good job the hospital were able to help.

CWU gen sec Dave Ward on LBC last week (see Louis MacNeice's post below for link) explained how management have given orders for staff to prioritise parcels over letter post. All part of CEO Simon Thompson's 'race-to-the-bottom' strategy of turning Royal Mail into just another rival of Yodel, Hermes/Evri etc... I could only understand this in terms of there being less profit from letters than from packages; as Dave Ward explained, although the quantity of letter post has undoubtedly diminished since the advent of email, predictions of the end of 'snail mail' have been proved wrong and there are still millions of letters being sent. (it's not dissimilar to the development of e-books and predictions that printed books and magazines would go the way of the dodo - not so)

Here's a link to the CWU LBC interview and phone in; due to the volume of calls the show was extended to 10pm. In the two hours Dave Ward comes across as a very sincere and straight forward representative of his members interests, willing to engage with the need for change but absolutely determined to protect decent conditions and rates of pay for us all. He also didn't dodge any questions or duck any issues and the interviewer let him explain and respond without interruption. Simon Thompson didn't accept the invitation to come on for a face to face debate/discussion; I think he was wise.

CWU's Dave Ward on LBC

Cheers and see you on the 9th - Louis MacNeice

He was very good I thought in setting out exactly why this is such a bitter dispute and the board's / Simon Thompson's strategy of not wanting a resolution but to refuse to negotiate, in the hope that posties will be forced back to work
Shocking to hear about management's dirty tricks - dubious allegations of violent / racist intimidation on pickets, bonuses for managers who implement compulsory redundancies, refusal of overtime opportunities for those staff who have been on strike, deduction of annual leave. It was very upsetting to hear that feller who called in speaking about how this has affected his mental health; the extra workload, confrontational / hostile managers, fears of redundancy etc.

With regard to the caller who asked what the public could do to assist, Dave Ward suggested that people write to Simon Thompson - but if Thompson is as resolute as he appears to be, dead set on this plan to turn RM into just another courier firm (proposals for working hours to begin 3 hours later - meaning we will get our post 3 hours later; mine is generally around 11am; it's the courier firms who deliver in the afternoon) , would it not be more productive to write to the board suggesting they get rid of this lunatic? After all, DW did say the only way he'll be leaving is if the board vote him out as CEO...

 

[Dystopiary]

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) management are asking students to report on staff who talk about reasons for striking. They even provided a snitch form.



UCU on twitter

 

[hitmouse]

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) management are asking students to report on staff who talk about reasons for striking. They even provided a snitch form.

View attachment 354245

UCU on twitter

They initially left the form open to anyone, with predictable results...

Sadly I think the form's still up but now requires a QMUL login to access.

 

[Lord Camomile]

That's from 29 Nov.

I believe the for got shut down after many less than genuine submissions I didn't submit any myself, but I may know a couple of UNISON members who did...

(Tbf, they probably just stopped the form being public; wouldn't surprise me if they're still asking QMUL students to submit to a form behind a QMUL sign-in.)

<edit: ah, as suspected >

 

[Louis MacNeice]

With regard to the caller who asked what the public could do to assist, Dave Ward suggested that people write to Simon Thompson - but if Thompson is as resolute as he appears to be, dead set on this plan to turn RM into just another courier firm (proposals for working hours to begin 3 hours later - meaning we will get our post 3 hours later; mine is generally around 11am; it's the courier firms who deliver in the afternoon) , would it not be more productive to write to the board suggesting they get rid of this lunatic? After all, DW did say the only way he'll be leaving is if the board vote him out as CEO...

Thanks for the great post scalyboy. With regard specifically to the what can the public do and writing to Thompson, I would suggest three letters/emails (do both and say you're doing both) as follows:

1. To the Delivery Office Manager (DOM) asking where is your post and asking for confirmation that parcels aren't being prioritised over letters as stated by the CEO. Lay it on thick how urgent some post is.

2. To Simon Thompson asking him for written confirmation that parcels aren't being prioritised over letters. Lay it on thick about your concerns over media reports that this is going on.

3. To your MP voicing your concern that the letter post is being deprioritised in direct contradiction to the public statements of Simon Thompson. Lay it on thick that this puts customers and delivery staff in a really awkward position, the former regarding whether they should use the service or not and the latter about what they are supposed to do on a day to day basis.

Copy all three letters to all three people and let them know you have done this. Ask for prompt replies as this is a matter of some urgency and say that you have let your postie know what you are doing.

The letters/emails only need to be a few lines long, but getting a few of those will be noticed by the DOM and the MP; I doubt Thompson would care very much at all unless there were a large number. If you wanted to include copies for board members then it couldn't hurt.

It's not going to turn the world upside down, but every little helps.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

p.s. Oh and obviously encourage other people to do the same.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

So if working class soldiers are gonna be replacing striking workers does this mean they're scabs? Or maybe just class traitors? It would certainly be going against the interests of wokring class people and against the aims and interests of striking workers.

Would be nice if they disobeyed their orders when the time comes and showed ordinary struggling people some solidarity.

 

[hitmouse]

I suspect they're also gonna be pretty shit at the jobs they're supposed to fill, in much the same way that most people aren't particularly skilled at a new job in their first week?

 

[LDC]

In some areas they've been driving ambulances for ages to make up for lack of staff, and obviously they did vaccinations as well during the pandemic. In the firefighters strike in the late '70s they did something similar, and also more recently in the early 2000s.

 

[Serge Forward]

So if working class soldiers are gonna be replacing striking workers does this mean they're scabs? Or maybe just class traitors? It would certainly be going against the interests of wokring class people and against the aims and interests of striking workers.

Would be nice if they disobeyed their orders when the time comes and showed ordinary struggling people some solidarity.

If they're doing strikers' jobs, they're scabs... and a scab is a class traitor.

 

[cesare]

We're getting beeps in support of the Shelter picket on Old Street - parcelforce, cabbies, couriers and some buses. The Fast Break cafe across the road has provided tea for everyone.

 

[hitmouse]

Looks like GMB also have a strike mandate in the ambulance service:

More than 10,000 ambulance workers vote to strike in nine trusts across England and Wales

No one in the health service takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are, says GMB Union

www.gmb.org.uk

 

[cesare]

Strike dog

 

[hitmouse]

The Radcliffe Polyflor strikers have now accepted an offer of 9% + £1,320:

Workers end two months of strike action after accepting latest pay offer

Workers at a vinyl flooring manufacturer in Whitefield have ended two months of strike action after reaching a deal with their employer.

www.burytimes.co.uk

Not bad, considering that a few months back the company was trying to break them with a lockout.

 

[hitmouse]

Sort of related, saw this last night and thought it once again came across a little... needy.

View attachment 354079

Well, here's the full unison statement that was promised (also lol just noticed the official UCU statement above also refuses to do allcaps):


I thought all the reballots had already started, didn't realise that they were doing 31, then another 13, and then maybe another 2 after that if my maths is right, unless those other two have just dropped out altogether?

 

[Lord Camomile]

"Both sides agreed to take steps to avoid escalating the dispute" - what would that look like from the employer's side, exactly? Given it's quite clear they'd much prefer the whole thing just be completely dropped and forgotten about.

Not training any more strike-breaking temps? Though they've probably already got enough on their books at this point.

 

[hitmouse]

I suppose maybe not being dicks about ASOS, but I suppose if UCU aren't doing ASOS at the moment then that's a bit, um, academic?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Aye, and how an employer can prove ASOS when their staff are literally simply doing the work they are contracted and paid for still continues to genuinely perplex me somewhat

 

[stethoscope]

Solidarity with the Shelter strikers!

 

[cesare]

Solidarity with the Shelter strikers!

Here's some coverage:



It was cold! But a good few hours. The MPs have had to rearrange apparently, they were due at midday ish.

 

[redsquirrel]

I suppose maybe not being dicks about ASOS, but I suppose if UCU aren't doing ASOS at the moment then that's a bit, um, academic?

Aye, and how an employer can prove ASOS when their staff are literally simply doing the work they are contracted and paid for still continues to genuinely perplex me somewhat

The ASOS that UCU is currently undertaking is not just working to contract it is

• working to contract
• not undertaking any voluntary activities.
• not covering for absent colleagues
• removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lectures or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action
• not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action

The bottom three are partial performance and so the employer is allowed to make deductions. I'm pretty sure it is a requirement that employees have to answer truthfully if they have are asked about past actions re ASOS (certainly UCU advice is to do so).

 

[AmateurAgitator]

ACN article on the current situation

Strike! If they want war let’s give them the Class War

Government has two key jobs to deliver on, ‘bread and circuses. Keeping people fed and distracted is essential to its survival. We know it is in crisis when the circus takes place in th…

anarcomuk.uk

 

[Bingoman]

Ambulance staff set to strike before Christmas

 

[RainbowTown]

Ambulance staff set to strike before Christmas

Also to be joined by the hidden army of the NHS - those folk who rarely get the publicity nor the credit that they're due (even though they are probably the lowest paid sector within the NHS). Namely, the cleaners and porters. A massive shout out to them for all the great work they do as well. Hope they, along with the ambulance staff etc, get what they're asking for. They most certainly deserve it.

 

[elbows]

 

[hitmouse]

Also to be joined by the hidden army of the NHS - those folk who rarely get the publicity nor the credit that they're due (even though they are probably the lowest paid sector within the NHS). Namely, the cleaners and porters. A massive shout out to them for all the great work they do as well. Hope they, along with the ambulance staff etc, get what they're asking for. They most certainly deserve it.

Is this through GMB, UNISON or someone else?

 

[RainbowTown]

Is this through GMB, UNISON or someone else?

Start talking to avert health strikes later this month | News, Press release | News | UNISON National

Strike date announced for December 21 - but it's not too late for ministers to talk

www.unison.org.uk

Fourth paragraph down. Seems like the cleaners and porters are joining the strike at two Liverpool hospitals at the moment. Hopefully, this will become more widespread if the action spreads to other Trusts. I know a few people who work as cleaners and porters in hospitals and the job they do certainly does not get the recognition nor the pay it deserves.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I will not credit whoever did it that the irony of saying it's "orchestrated" was intentional, but I will lol at it with derision.

 

[Bingoman]

The PCS Union had just said the Border Staff at airports to strike over 10 days over Christmas and they also said the rural Payment agency Dvsa national highways and DWP to strike

Anyone who has driving lessons could have them cancelled by looks of things

Christmas travel hit by new strikes as Border Force set for airport walkouts

The head of the PCS union says his members are living in poverty and warns industrial action will escalate if the government doesn't get round the negotiating table.

news.sky.com

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Saw this on facefuck and thought it were good

 

[AmateurAgitator]