Striking postal workers build support

Belfast:

Striking postal workers build support

HUNDREDS OF striking Belfast postal workers attended a city centre
rally on 14 February, organised by Belfast trades council. Royal Mail
has been paralysed by a magnificent show of solidarity by postal workers
across Belfast, fighting back against bullying and harassment by Royal
Mail management

Gary Mulcahy, Socialist Party Belfast

What sparked the strike was provocative and unjust disciplinary
action taken against two CWU reps in North Belfast. This is part of a
long campaign of harassment and bullying from tyrannical bosses,
stretching over two years. Postal workers took unofficial action last
September and February in similar circumstances.

The level of support in the community was expressed in dramatic
fashion when over 350 postal workers left a rally in Transport House in
Belfast on 7 February and marched up the Shankill Road, across the ‘peaceline’
at Lanark Way and down the Falls Road. The communities of the Shankill
Road, Springfield Road and the Falls Road came out along the route to
show their support to their postal workers, Catholic and Protestant.

Politicians from the right-wing sectarian parties spoke at the
peaceline about the need for the dispute to be resolved. Not
surprisingly, none of them took part in the full march! The Socialist
Party was the only political party with a banner on the march and our
slogan ‘For Workers’ Unity’ was applauded along the route.

The intimidation by management has enraged the workers. One of the
union reps had been keeping a record of management harassment against
postal workers in a diary. Management searched a drawer containing his
personal belongings, removed the diary and photocopied the material.
They then accused him of bullying and intimidating other workers!

In response, the North Belfast section staged a walk-out. When news
arrived at the South Belfast and West Belfast sections, they walked out
in solidarity. On 4 February, the bulk of workers at the Mallusk sorting
office joined the strike.

This shut down distribution of all mail across Northern Ireland and
has enormously strengthened the strike. In response, Royal Mail have
flown 50 managers from England to scab on the strike and are being put
up in the luxurious Hilton Hotel for their treachery.

Hard line

Royal Mail had refused to negotiate with the CWU until workers
returned to work, but were forced into negotiations after Mallusk was
shut down. Since then, Royal Mail have taken a hard-line, resulting in
talks breaking down with CWU national officials.

The national leadership of the CWU have done everything they can to
get the workers to return to work but are facing a determined workforce
and a determined management.

Management has placed impossible conditions on workers returning to
work which break past agreements and health and safety regulations. Each
of the branch officials has been personally targeted. They received a
letter at their homes during the night threatening them with legal
action if they took part in the strike.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has offered to mediate future
negotiations. Incredibly, the BBC came into possession of a GMB letter
which is being used to undermine the strike. The letter attacks the
strike by claiming it was for ‘spurious reasons’ and that the strike had
become ‘deeply sinister’. In Northern Ireland the word ‘sinister’ has
become associated with paramilitary involvement.

The CWU is calling for an ‘independent’ review of management/employee
industrial relations. Royal Mail has refused to discuss this, yet they
have agreed similar ‘independent’ reviews in England.

It is clear that Royal Mail senior management are trying to take on
the union in Northern Ireland to prepare for privatisation.

Unfortunately, there has been poor communication between union reps,
causing confusion amongst workers about the issues involved. In order to
strengthen the strike and spread it to new areas, reps from the affected
areas in Belfast need to visit all areas to explain the issues and why
this strike has to be won.

An appeal should also be made to the wider trade union movement for
solidarity action, especially the raising of cash to go towards a strike
fund. The real issues behind the strike need to be clearly explained to
other workers.

Instinctively, many working-class people understand that low-paid
postal workers would not easily go on unofficial strike action. Support
groups involving postal workers, trade unionists, socialists, community
activists and young people should be formed in order to carry out
solidarity work in the communities and workplaces and to raise money for
a strike fund.

To send messages of solidarity to the striking postal workers, email
the Socialist Party ([email protected]) in Belfast who will
send them directly to the workers on the picket line.