Socialist Party members in CWU
Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have produced a joint statement in an attempt to reach an agreement over their long-running dispute, in which Royal Mail bosses are attempting to smash the CWU and take the company into the gig economy, similar to Hermes and GLS.
It’s clear that over the last few weeks senior Royal Mail management have been trying ‘shock and awe’ tactics to attempt to intimidate the union and our members.
Last week, Royal Mail put a proposal to the CWU which was nothing more than a surrender document. The bosses were making plans to start briefing our members on changes over pay and terms and conditions.
These included a shocking pay award, which was nothing but a massive wage cut. They also intended to move forward with 10,000 job losses. This included ripping up the agreed redundancy process and terms, ending ‘no compulsory redundancies’ and reducing redundancy pay.
Royal Mail has now agreed to suspend its plans to start briefing our members, including one-to-one meetings with workers.
The membership’s resolve has forced management to agree a period of ‘intensive’ negotiations, due to end on 15 November, two days prior to the date that Royal Mail is due to release its latest financial statement.
While we recognise this is not a final agreement, these developments are a clear sign that members’ action can force Royal Mail back. But we must remain vigilant. We must keep the pressure on.
The CWU has suspended plans for a workplace ballot on Royal Mail’s proposed offer, and a vote of no confidence in the CEO, but it has kept the two 48-hour strikes around Black Friday and Cyber Monday live.
It’s clear that after the CWU leadership suspended the strikes planned for 12 and 14 November, the union membership is adamant that the pressure has to be maintained on Royal Mail management.
We have to set our stall out. Before any redundancies happen, we must demand that the financial books are open completely for trade union inspection.
We don’t accept that the changes which senior management and the shareholders want are necessary or inevitable. Their aim is making money for shareholders at the expense of our members, rather than providing a vital public service. We must demand that Royal Mail is brought back into public ownership, and that the current board should be removed and replaced with workers who clearly know how to run a real public service.
