TODAY at the CWU conference postal section, an emergency motion for strike action will be presented.
This motion comes after the imposition of the wage deal and the refusal of Royal Mail to negotiate with the CWU.
The emergency motion gives Royal Mail four weeks to decide to negotiate, or a strike ballot will be issued.
News Line spoke to delegates from the conference: ‘There will have to be strike action over this’ said Lillian Short from Northern Ireland CWU.
‘You have to stand up for what you believe in. Once you go into privatisation you’re walking on the road to nowhere.
‘Everybody has their rights but Royal Mail doesn’t care about the service. They cut back to save money and tell you to carry heavier bags or else, it’s the road to nowhere.
‘You only have to look at what privatisation has done to the railways, did you ever see anything like it in your life?’
Harry Mangham, from Northeast No1 CWU, which covers Doncaster and North Lincolnshire, said: ‘The way they are dictating to us now, a lot of people are not happy.
‘They’re telling us we will have to work in a group of six. If one of you is sick you have to do his or her job at no extra cost, no negotiation.
‘They just say “you’re doing it!” That will be where the next 40,000 jobs losses will come from.’
Tony Frealey from Shropshire and Mid-Wales CWU added: ‘Basically, the way Allan Leighton has imposed this pay deal is the last straw.
‘He’s saying “I can do what I want now”. It’s time for us to stand up and be counted.’
Bob Cullen Oxford Area rep said ‘I hope it will be a unanimous vote for the emergency motion.
‘The imposition of the wage deal of 2.9 per cent – which in reality is 2.4 per cent – we can’t accept. Postal workers are already bottom of the pile in terms of wages.’
