Over two hundred postal workers from London, Edinburgh and Crewe lobbied the Unite head office in Holborn yesterday, to demand Unite leaders Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley act to stop Unite-organised Royal Mail manager members strikebreaking.
CWU (Communication Workers’ Union) London regional secretary Martin Walsh told News Line at the rally: ‘We are here to demonstrate our members’ anger at the continued actions of the CMA union which is part of Unite.
‘CMA members continue to break our legal strike and bully and harass our members in the workplace.
‘We’ve handed in a giant postcard to Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, asking them to intervene and stop the attacks on our members by their own union’s members.
‘If they can’t do that, they should take measures to expel these managers from Unite.
‘Derek Simpson said they would welcome a meeting next week with ourselves to discuss the action of the CMA.’
When the postcard was handed over in the Unite foyer, Tony Woodley was present for a short while. Asked ‘what is your reply to the brothers?’ he rushed off saying: ‘I’m too busy at the moment, I’ll deal with it later.’
Simpson told the CWU delegation led by Walsh: ‘I’m concerned that, despite repeated efforts, managers in the CMA are prepared to do what they do.
‘There are some decent people in the CMA. Expelling them from the union may never happen.
‘Unite has got to make it clear we don’t support any of the activities that are taking place in our name. Unite supports the CWU.’
Walsh announced to the lobby: ‘We told them it’s quite clear that the systematic bullying and strikebreaking has to stop.
‘If Unite can’t get their members to do this, they should expel them.’
A delegation of sacked Gate Gourmet workers joined the lobby, and at a CWU rally later at Friends Meeting House in Euston they were welcomed as guest speakers.
They got tremendous applause when they told the meeting: ‘On the tenth of August, 2005, Gate Gourmet brought in cheap casual labour and sacked 800 of us in one day by megaphone.’
They continued: ‘Tony Woodley, our general secretary, and other Unite (then TGWU) officials did not fight for us and are not fighting for their members today.
‘They led us out and then they dumped us. . .
‘We have lost homes and many of us have been made very ill by the experience. We are therefore taking legal action against our union leaders for not carrying out their duty of care.’
They concluded to great applause: ‘We want union leaders who fight for their members.’
