CWU TO LOBBY UNITE – stop managers scabbing!

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Postal workers marched on Royal Mail head office in July demanding the resignation of Royal Mail chief executive  Adam Crozier
Postal workers marched on Royal Mail head office in July demanding the resignation of Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) London Divisional Committee has called a demonstration at the Unite union’s head office in Holborn, central London, on Thursday.

The lobby at 11.30am will be followed by a rally at 1.30pm at Friends Meeting House, Euston.

The CWU flyer says: ‘Let’s tell Unite how it is!

‘Get them to stop their CMA strike busting members from doing our work.

‘Campaign for a massive Yes vote in the forthcoming industrial action ballot. All CWU members welcome.’

Mark Palfrey, CWU London Divisional Rep told News Line, ‘We are going to the Unite Head Office to protest against what has been going on with the ex-CMA managers who have been undermining our strike by crossing picket lines.

‘We are fed up with the Unite leaders, Woodley and Simpson. We want them to get off the fence and do something about this.’

Palfrey added: ‘This is a London wide demonstration and rally.

‘But we are inviting CWU representatives and members from across the country to take part.’

Rob Bolton, Chairman, South Central No. 1 CWU branch, said: ‘The call for a demonstration by the London Divisional Committee at Unite’s headquarters on Thursday 3rd September should be supported by all members of the CWU.

‘We should also send out an invite to other trade unions to support us.

‘Woodley and Simpson are turning a blind eye to the scabbing of their members during our struggle to defend our jobs and conditions.

‘It is an elementary principle of a trade union that you do not cross a picket line and that you do not do the work of a fellow trade unionist.

‘Unite must tell its members to stop helping Royal Mail and the Brown/Mandelson government attack the CWU.

‘They must remind their members that their jobs will also be attacked and that an injury to one is an injury to all.

‘If Unite are not prepared to stop the blacklegging, we should table an emergency motion at the TUC calling for Unite to be expelled from the TUC.’

Bernie, a Unite member from the GMM Luton car plant, said: ‘Unite should not be allowing their members to cross the CWU picket lines.

‘It goes against the very nature of the game if Unite members cross picket lines.

‘The CWU are right to go down to Unite head office. I hope they find Woodley, he’ll be hiding somewhere .

‘Here at the Luton car plant we are calling for an occupation to keep the plant open, but the Unite leadership hasn’t even been down here.

‘We had a shop stewards meeting and we were told Woodley was coming down. When he rang up to find out where everybody was, he said he was nothing to do with the meeting, he was just canvassing for votes in the Unite elections.

‘Woodley is making a big thing about unity with the American steel workers to fight health cuts. But all he wants is the subs coming in, he has no intention of defending jobs.

‘We should not get just the postmen going up to the Unite HQ, they should get all kinds of people going to the lobby.’

Fellow GM worker and Unite member, Ken Spring, added: ‘From what I can see, Woodley has always been in with the management.

‘He’s allowing scabbing. Our union members should not be helping to break the postmen’s strike.’