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POL
Crown Offices – Industrial Action
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CWU Territorial Counters Rep Liam Murphy, on the picket line with
members in Glasgow
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Strikes
on 10th, 13th and 15th August were once
again supported by an overwhelming number of members. By POL’s own admission, support for all
nine bouts of industrial action has remained consistent throughout the
dispute.
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This has been confirmed by our Territorial Representatives, who have
reported a high level of support. Thank you to all activists and members for
their ongoing unity and resolve.
Strikes continue to be hugely disruptive and expensive for POL with
up to 700 managers coming off their normal duties to work in Crown Offices
across the country resulting in most offices being unable to offer a professional
level of service to the public. Many managers have to travel across the UK, at
significant cost, wasting a whole day and often two each time our members
strike. This demonstrates that our strategy is having an impact and the
strikes are very effective.
Talks continued last week and POL has started to move towards us in
a number of key areas. This contrasts with their complete intransigence at
the start of the dispute and demonstrates the impact strikes are having. Whilst a degree of progress has been made POL are
still refusing to make an acceptable offer. No further talks are planned
this week as POL’s lead negotiator, Debbie Moore (HR Director), is on
annual leave.
In the absence of significant movement leading to an acceptable
offer I believe we have no alternative but to continue the dispute. Accordingly, formal notice of further
strikes at Crown Offices has been served on POL as follows:
- Friday 24th August
commencing at 16:00 hours until completion of duties
- Saturday 25th August –
All day (It should be noted that 297 Crown Offices only open for half
a day on Saturday and 15 are closed all day)
- Monday 27th August – All
day – Crown Office members in Scotland only (except: Ayr, Glenrothes, Inverness, Kirwall, Lerwick, Saltcoats and
Stornoway)
- Tuesday 28th August –
All day – Crown Office members in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and the seven Scottish offices
listed above.
Monday 27th August is not a public holiday for most
members in Scotland with the exception
of members working in the seven Crown Offices listed above. Members in
these seven offices should take strike action on Tuesday 28th
August along with colleagues in England, Northern
Ireland and Wales.
In relation to reductions of pay for industrial action the CWU and
POL have agreed in all instances the amount of pay stopped will relate
directly to the hours not performed by members. All members taking action,
as described above, will be paid as normal for bank holiday Monday. Full details of any incidents contrary to the
above, where members are being threatened with the loss of their bank
holiday pay, should be reported to the C&CH Dept. immediately.
We continue to produce both national and territorial bulletins. The latest of which is has been jointly
produced by our TCRs and despatched to members’ homes with the kind
assistance of York & District Amal Branch and Paul Clays (Regional
Secretary). I also intend to organise a further mail shot to members’ homes
later this week.
The current suspension of strikes at Royal Mail and POL Supply Chain
has freed up Branch resources across the Union and Branches
are urged to use this opportunity to renew efforts to offer all possible
assistance to your Counter Section Secretaries and POL Crown Office members.
Following next Tuesday’s strike Branches with POL members are
instructed to organise membership meetings to cover all Crown Offices in
their respective areas. These are necessary in order to ensure continued
engagement and support for the Union’s objectives
going forward. Branch Secretaries should liaise with their TCRs in respect
to these meetings and Postal Executive members are available to speak at
these meetings. Request should be made to the C&CH Dept.
Our POL Crown Office members have shown inspirational unity and
resolve throughout this dispute.
Importantly, their action has already had a major impact in leading
to the recommencement of talks. I am confident that we can win this dispute
and it is vital that pressure is maintained on POL during this critical
period.
Report 21 August 2007
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POL
Industrial Action: Crown Office Members
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Pickets outside St Vincent Street BO in Glasgow
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Please be advised that following a
Postal Executive meeting last Friday, the industrial action scheduled for
Tuesday 7th August has been cancelled.
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This
information was relayed to TCRs on Friday who, in turn, advised their Section
Secretaries, who were asked to ring their Crown Offices with this
information.
This process was put
in place to ensure that our members heard about this change of plan, in the
first instance, from the Union and not the employer. POL
were, in fact, only notified of the Postal Executive decision earlier
today.
The purpose of
the cancellation is to place additional pressure on POL to get back around
the negotiating table whilst demonstrating to our members that we are
serious about reaching a negotiated settlement. Industrial action can only be a means to
an end. Accordingly, the approach we
have adopted is very much in the spirit of extending an olive branch to
POL. To this end, I have written to
POL urging them to return to the bargaining table. The ball is now firmly in POL's court to
respond in a positive fashion; time will tell if they take this
opportunity.
I need to be
absolutely clear that this tactical development must not be construed in
any way as a weakening in our determination to reach a decent settlement
that our members can embrace.
The strike
action planned for Friday 10th August, 2:30pm until completion of duty, will go ahead. The only caveat I will
place on this is in the event of formal negotiations being re-established and
progress being made. In these
circumstances, it would clearly necessitate a serious reconsideration of
any strike action planned.
In taking the
decision to cancel tomorrow's strike, the Postal Executive have decided to
replace this action with an alternative date just four working days
later. You are therefore advised
that industrial action has been authorised by the Postal Executive for Monday 13th
August from 2:30pm until
completion of duties.
The revised
industrial action programme is as follows:
- Friday 10th August from 2:30pm until
completion of duties
- Monday 13th August from 2:30pm until
completion of duties
- Wednesday 15th August from 3:30pm until
completion of duties
There can
be no doubt that the revised programme is a powerful demonstration to POL
of our serious intent. The pressure
on POL, who are clearly struggling to keep up the morale of managers who
cover the Crown Offices whilst our members are on strike, will be immense
for a short, concentrated period of time.
The members
are solidly behind our strategy and objectives, which are fair and
just. POL would be foolish to ignore
the strength of feeling from our members, particularly as support for the
strikes grows on each occasion.
Report 07 August 2007
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CWU Halts Action on Tuesday 7th August
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Andy Furey, National Officer
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The support we
have received from our members throughout the country is first class. Our resolve
- to continue with our approach of taking short periods of action causing
POL the maximum amount of disruption - could not be stronger
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The CWU is committed to reaching a negotiated settlement.
Andy Furey has repeatedly offered POL the opportunity to suspend
action with the promise of meaningful negotiations. An offer POL has so far refused to take up.
We are serious and to underline that we know our members are fully
behind our approach we have decided to call POL’s bluff.
Andy Furey said “ We have decided to offer POL the chance to get
around the table and resolve this dispute. The CWU has suspended the action
planned on Tuesday 7th August to give POL the opportunity to meet us.
Andy further commented “ I have the authority and the ability to
reach an agreement and end this dispute. Can Alan Cook say the same?” Alan Cook prides himself for being a man
of his word.
He has repeatedly said he wants to reach an agreement well here is
his chance.
Our next scheduled period of action is
planned for Friday 10th August (from 2.30pm until the end
of duty)
Report 07 August 2007
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POL Supply Chain Pay Dispute -
Strike Action
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Andy Furey, National Officer
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Support from members
for the recent strikes has been tremendous. We would like to extend our
appreciation and thanks for all the hard work from our Supply Chain and branch representatives for their
efforts in this dispute and, last but not least, every member in both Cash
Centres and CIT depots who have taken strike action and
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continue to
support the Union's vision for better basic pensionable pay.
As a result of POL's continued refusal to enter into meaningful negotiations
(rather than simply restating their position), the Postal Executive have
been left with no alternative than to organise further strike action for
Supply Chain. Accordingly, formal
notice is being served on POL today. The details of the strikes are as
follows:
· All
duties, scheduled attendance and overtime that start at, or after, 1900
Thursday 9th August until 1900 on Friday 10th August 2007.
· All
duties, scheduled attendance and overtime that start at, or after, 1900 on Wednesday
15th August until 1900 on Thursday 16th August 2007.
The above dates also coincide with the already announced strikes for
our members in Crown Offices; this combined action will place additional
pressure on POL to return to the bargaining table.
POL have gone to extreme lengths by using managers to attempt to
provide services, however, despite their boasts, they are only papering
over the cracks. POL have gone to
great expense to pay managers to work in depots and cash centres, but they
will never be able to substitute our members' professionalism. This proves,
beyond a shadow of a doubt, that POL have money. A responsible employer
would not waste money in this fashion and would rather use these resources
to invest in its employees.
Notice has already been given to our Supply Chain representatives
for National Briefing at CWU HQ tomorrow.
It is essential that every workplace is represented at this
important meeting.
As with the other disputes in Royal Mail and Crown Offices, we are
prepared to call off the next strike. All POL have to do is confirm there
will be fresh negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute.
Report 02 August 2007
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Strikes Beckon as POL Fail to Respond
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Dave Ward, CWU Deputy General Secretary
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The CWU yesterday announced two bouts of Industrial
Action for Counters members in Branch Offices, after POL refused to
negotiate on pay and network following the massive ‘YES’ vote in the recent
ballot.
The two bouts, one on Friday 29th June and
the other on Monday 2nd July, will include all members working
in Crown Offices throughout the UK.
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The first bout call for
action will start on Friday morning at 6.00am, and finish at 12
noon. In effect, this means that members will
begin their action at the commencement of their duty that day, and will
include the time they are due to be paid until 12 noon.
By taking short, sharp
action, it is hoped that the impact on POL will be maximised, and the effect
on CWU members minimised.
Further details to
follow
Report 22 June 2007
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Glasgow Members Back Union Stance over POL Pay
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Counters Members turned up in force in Glasgow last night as
Andy Furey told them how POL management were trying to force pay levels
down, which had led to the ballot for Industrial Action.
The packed meeting heard how the CWU had
been trying to close the gap between PO and CSA rates
of pay by raising CSA pay levels gradually, with some success. POL’s stance threatens to undermine this
whole approach by bringing everyone down to the lowest common denominator.
Liam Murphy told the meeting how POL
were very selective in the comparisons that they used with other workers.
“They don’t mention that Alliance &
Leicester Customers Advisors are paid up to £19,370, that Zurich FS Sales
and Service Advisors are paid up to £19,541 – that’s more than Postal
Officers.”
Liam also pointed out that whilst POL
claimed that Saturday working was the norm,
the truth is that Bank workers and Building Society workers do get
paid extra for working Saturdays.
David Bowmaker warned that the future
was not as rosy as POL were trying to paint it.
“Imagine if we accepted what’s on offer
– a pay freeze for 80% of the workforce.
Come next year when Andy knocks on the door, trying to get a pay
deal for just the other 20%, do you really think that Alan Cook is going to
give them anything? After all, what
can they do about it if 80% of the membership can’t get involved?”
Andy Furey congratulated those present
for attending.
“We’ve had well attended meetings all
over the country, over 50 in Leeds, the same in Liverpool and
Middlesbrough, but I think that this is the biggest meeting we’ve had yet
over pay.”
Members at the meeting left Andy in no
doubt about how they felt about POL, and how angry they were that the
business thought that they would just accept what was happening.
With ballot papers arriving at members
addresses, members were urged to make sure that those not at the meeting
were encouraged to vote ‘YES’.
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