THE ROYAL MAIL INTERIM DEAL
The CWU’s postal executive yesterday (Thursday) unanimously endorsed the attached agreement.
This agreement has been brought about by the strength of the union’s national strike ballot and the overwhelming support for the strikes.
CWU/Royal Mail Interim Agreement
The interim agreement contains significant developments and concessions that have mainly emerged in the last few days. The interim agreement ensures that the long running bitter local disputes are now resolved by negotiation and agreement. These strikes developed as a result of management imposition and the interim agreement genuinely returns these issues back to the need to agree change.
The interim agreement also ensures postal workers will work normally during the Christmas period, ensuring they get the chance to earn extra money. This is a benefit that has been denied to workers as Royal Mail has tried to build a casual workforce.
The agreement also deals strongly with discipline cases, clear up arrangements and stops the growing practice in Royal Mail of taking people off pay. Most importantly, the interim agreement is very specific on how a full and final agreement will be shaped.
It guarantees that Royal Mail will agree change and that workers will get real benefits from the modernisation of the business. Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “There is no doubt that the strength of support from postal workers in the strikes has made Royal Mail think again. They have made significant concessions this week that are clear for everybody to see. Those concessions have allowed us to suspend strike action and work towards a full and final agreement. The union has always been focused on achieving modernisation by consent and now the company has finally acknowledged that is how we must go forward.
“The agreement ensures the imposed change that has led to the bitter local disputes will now be subject to negotiation and agreement. It also deals with with clear up arrangements and discipline but most crucially the interim agreement is clear in shaping the final agreement and the benefits that postal workers can now expect from the future.
“Trust remains an issue between the union and the company but the introduction of an independent chair to continue the negotiations and fortnightly reviews will mean that nobody can walk away from this agreement.”
The national ballot and all local ballots remain in place.
It’s a trap. Royal Mail want to get the Christmas post delivered and will then renege on the agreement and try to impose whatever new conditions they want.
Comment by Tim Vanhoof — 6 November, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
It is important - before terms such as ’sell-out’ are used as indeed they will, to take not that the dispute and strike action has not been called off, that CWU can at both local and national level call action if, for example, Royal Mail breach this agreement. Also, the entire executive agreed this interim pact.
If there have been significant concessions, then much has been achieved.
Having said that, no one should trust Royal Mail, with or without the Prince of Darkness hovering in the background as a reminder that we are dealing with a sinister enemy. The approach must be that if Royal Mail act reasonably - good. But the CWU must stay on guard and be prepared to re-enact the action of a ballot that is still live.
Comment by Howard T — 7 November, 2009 @ 6:51 am
You can hear the views of a striking postie at http://leninology.blogspot.com/2009/11/cwu-is-wrong-to-postpone-industrial.html
Comment by Keith Watermelon — 7 November, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
If only that striking postie’s view was shared by his fellow SWP member Jane Loftus, who voted for the suspending the strikes.
Comment by c0mmunard — 8 November, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
Socialist Party statement on CWU/Royal Mail deal
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/601/8338
Comment by Neil — 12 November, 2009 @ 12:29 pm