Reasons to vote NO to the ‘Deal’.
What we will lose if this sell-out deal goes through . . . .
• LOST: 40,000 more job losses – agreed at local level through flexibility, productivity and mail centre closures.
• LOST: The end of our opposition to ‘ColleagueShare’ – the policy of the union.
• LOST: CWU Reps and Members Victimised: No mention in the deal of their future or an amnesty for those who were brave enough to stand up to the bullies.
• LOST: Our Pensions: If we vote this deal in – we work till we’re age 65 from 2010. That’s five years of pension loss – a lot of money! From April 2008 we are on a career average earnings pension which will again mean much less money in our pension pot. This is a major attack on our terms and conditions.
• LOST: Keeping our Mail Centre Network: Not even a mention – we can only assume they will be negotiated away with the new technology talks for next to nothing.
• LOST: Sunday collections: Only recently this was the basis of a CWU plan to expand the industry. The collections have now gone and again our Union has accepted this executive action.
• LOST: Above Inflation Pay: The deal agreed on pay is a major ‘con’!! The £175 April to October money is already ours from recent job cuts and hour cuts – it’s not new money! 1.5% is conditional upon 100% of back-whipping flexibility, achieved locally. We have the added insult of a 5.4% bribe Now! Then, NOTHING in 2008, unless we accept 1.5% if we are stupid enough to agree 100% – not 95%!! local flexibility.
• LOST: Fighting Local Job/Hours Cuts: All those offices who were striking to stop IMPOSED cuts in local jobs have been abandoned, unless the cuts were starting after 22nd October.
• LOST: Standard Days: Your manager will decide on a daily basis when you can go home! Looking forward to those compulsory nine-hour Fridays?
• LOST: Overtime for Extra Work: Five or six of us will now have to ‘muck-in’ daily and stay on for nothing. Oh yes, the deal says 30 minutes? Who decides when we ‘get it back’. Your Manager of course. The situation will be the same for Members in Mail Centres!
• LOST: Our Right to Challenge an Unreasonable Request: The Deal is facing both ways on compulsory daily flexibility. The CWU summary says; “individuals may be asked and it is not in any shape compulsory.’’ BUT the full agreement says; “nor is it about anyone refusing reasonable requests.’’ So, who decides what is a reasonable request? The deal is silent on this point – We can answer that for you – your manager will!
• LOST: An End to Local Cuts in Jobs and Hours: The deal makes it clear that the depressing cycle of endless cuts will continue, and For Nothing or Next to Nothing – no shorter working week – or pay advancement to the national average.
• LOST: Rewards for Mechanisation: No shorter working week, just pathetic lump sums.
• LOST: Our Current Redundancy Terms: This will be discussed separately – when the pressure (Xmas) is off! Don’t hold your breath. There’ll be simply much more sick absence and conduct code activity to get rid of as many of us as they can – on the real cheap!
• LOST: Our Current Door to Door Payments: Can we maintain the payments when the pressure eases? No, they’ll come again for these and expect the work for nothing.
• LOST: Weekly Pay: Our right to weekly pay abandoned, with talks on how to implement monthly pay and even ‘annualised hours’. What price is 30 minutes flexibility a day with ‘annualised hours’?
We still have a voice –
WE STILL HAVE A SAY!!
VOTE NO
Communication Workers Union, South Central No.1 Branch
