Steve Score, Leicester Socialist Party
In their desperation to hamper the Communication Workers Union (CWU)’s battle for decent pay and to defend terms and conditions, Royal Mail bosses have turned to union busting tactics.
130 CWU reps have been suspended on trumped-up charges since the dispute began. Seven have so far been summarily dismissed, some just before Christmas, and more are waiting to hear if they will be sacked. Bosses want to take out the most effective union organisers. A statement by CWU South Midlands branch points out: “These are targeted attacks orchestrated by senior managers at the very top of the company”
In Leicester for example, four have been suspended so far. The CWU’s battle is not just about the current dispute, but also the right to effectively organise. It is an attack on the whole trade union movement in addition to the Tories’ planned anti-union laws.
We are now in an increasingly bitter period of class struggle and we need a united response from the whole movement.
