FOLLOWING a meeting held yesterday between Royal Mail and the CWU, a Joint Statement was agreed that means detailed discussions will take place on all the relevant issues between the two parties.
The CWU stated: ‘As a result the next wave of postal strikes due to commence today after 19.00 hrs are suspended.
‘The Joint Statement is as follows:-
‘Joint Statement – Royal Mail Dispute
‘At a meeting today between Allan Leighton, Adam Crozier, Billy Hayes and Dave Ward, it was agreed:
that both parties commit to talks on all the issues between them, hosted and facilitated by the TUC.
‘Both sides commit to reach an agreement by 4 September.
‘That, during this period the talks are on a confidential basis with no media or internal briefings unless explicitly jointly agreed.
‘The CWU Executive and Royal Mail Board will receive regular updates on progress and would also be expected to undertake this confidentiality clause.
‘That, for that period, Royal Mail will not serve notice or take any unilateral action to impose changes by executive action.
‘That, for that period CWU will suspend industrial action.
‘That, the signatories to this joint statement will review the process as and when necessary.
‘The statement is signed by Allan Leighton and Adam Crozier for Royal Mail and Billy Hayes, General Secretary and Dave Ward Deputy General Secretary for CWU.
‘The National demonstration called by the CWU for August 21 is also cancelled.’
Earlier before the strikes and demonstration were cancelled in favour of secret talks until September 4 CWU members were full of enthusiasm for the action to come.
‘Our members are solid. We will be on the picket line again from 7pm tonight,’ said Greenford Mail Centre Communication Workers Union (CWU) Area Processing Rep Geoff Loftus.
He called for mass support for the now cancelled CWU national demonstration on Tuesday 21 August.
Loftus said: ‘It will be fantastic if all the other unions come out together.
‘It will show this government that we mean business.
‘This government has to be challenged.’
After the suspension announcement he said: ‘We don’t know whether we have won or lost.
‘It’s a case of wait and see and I am not happy at what has been done.
‘Management put the word out earlier that it was called off, then we get the message that it is to be cancelled. It is a bit naughty to say the least!’
CWU Glasgow and District Amal. branch secretary Jim McKechnie told News Line: ‘People are ready to carry on. They want to achieve what they are out to get.
‘People are determined to defend their jobs and conditions and want a decent pay rise in line with inflation.
‘We’ll all be in London for the national demonstration.
‘We’ve been inundated with support from people from other unions, UNISON, council workers, the TGWU etc.
‘Hopefully, they will all join in the rally.’
After the cancellation announcement he said: ‘Our members will want to know why it has been called off.
‘They want to know if there is a deal that they can be happy with.
‘They have been on strike for some time and have lost a lot of money so they hope that they are not going back for nothing.
‘Hopefully we will get a breakthrough.
‘We had no option but to go on strike.’
Tony Moss, CWU West London Postal branch Acting Area Processing Rep, said before the cancellation announcement: ‘Members are still strong and determined to win.
‘The unions have to take this government on.
‘You’d need some kind of revolution to sort this out.
‘The working man hasn’t got the backing of this government.
‘I’d like to see a mass turnout for the CWU national demonstration, with thousands of members from other unions joining us.’
After the cancellation he told News Line: ‘I’d like to know what they have gone back on. We have been told that it is a period of peace.
‘I don’t know what that means.
‘I don’t agree with calling the action off.
‘It should all go ahead. Have we got what we came out for? Have they called the Work Plan off – I don’t think so.
‘I am just keen to find out the truth of what is happening.
‘I think that a lot of people will stay out tomorrow because of the short notice they won’t have known.’
