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 the union’s Royal Mail manager members strikebreaking.
Kenny Logan, Scotland No2 Branch, Edinburgh, CWU (Communication Workers’ Union) branch secretary told News Line: ‘Why don’t the Unite leaders write to every single one of their members to stop them doing CWU work.
‘Managers from Wales are travelling to Scotland to actually break the strike.
‘It’s disgusting that trade union members can take the King’s Shilling, so to speak, to break a strike.
‘After all, it’s their industry, their future, as well.
‘The national strike should have begun months ago.
‘If Royal Mail offer talks and there is a timetable to take industrial action after a “Yes” vote is counted, the action must go ahead.
‘The action should continue until such time as Royal Mail sign on the dotted line – no moratorium, the strike action goes ahead.
‘Once a successful result is counted, the CWU leadership should announce a one-day national strike.’
Logan bought a ticket for the Gate Gourmet sacked workers fourth anniversary rally on September 20th from some of the sacked Unite members who had joined the CWU lobby.
He told News Line: ‘I support the Gate Gourmet workers.
‘It’s despicable the way they were treated.
‘As a modern employer, they should be there sitting down and recognising the work these people do.
‘They were treated like second class citizens.
‘Again, the role of the trade union leaders was despicable.
‘Asking the workers to give up their rights and terms and conditions goes against the principles of the trade union movement.
‘It would have been better if the trade union leaders had gone in and sought to enhance their terms and conditions rather than give them up.
‘The Labour movement should get behind the Gate Gourmet dispute.
‘It should be highlighted at the Labour Party conference.
‘Some of our trade union leaders need to look in the mirror.
‘It’s no use going into bed with the employer.’
Bow E3 Delivery Office, east London, CWU member Bill Lack said: ‘We are here to ask Unite to ask their members to stop doing our work while we are on strike.
‘Managers are also bullying our members and stopping our overtime.
‘Yet they are bringing in casual labour to sort up our mail and deliver packets as well.
‘Another thing we have to do is “absorption” – doing parts of other walks before we go onto our own deliveries.
‘It doesn’t work but managers still insist it must.
‘We are fed up with being bullied and harassed.
‘We have always been willing to negotiate but this is dictation.
‘The national strike must happen, the sooner the better.
‘It’s not just a London issue.
‘We’re a bit upset that the national ballot has been put back a week.
‘We have to win this dispute, not just for us but for all workers, all trade unions.
‘Royal Mail is after total control and that means breaking the union.
‘What we need is a general strike, all the unions together.’
CWU 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 actions of the CMA.’
When the post card was handed over in the Unite foyer, 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 strike breaking 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.’
They added, ‘We have suffered much hardship, many of us have been unable to get work since we were sacked.
‘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.’
They invited CWU members to join them at their fourth anniversary rally and concert on Sunday, September 20.
