www.socialistworker.co.
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Wrong to suspend the strikes...
action, not talks
is the way to win
T here’s a new offer from
Royal Mail—which has led to the
suspension of strikes. Management
made that offer because postal
workers have fought.
A few weeks ago Crozier and
Mandelson were confident that the
union would fall apart and that the
strikes would collapse.
Instead the vast majority of postal
workers have struck absolutely solidly.
They have defied the threats and the
bullying, ignored the media onslaught
and given two fingers to the lies from
management.
Postal workers’ defiant action forced
new talks. The threat of escalating
strikes to two days a week, combined
with the decision by some areas to
target the scab centres frightened
management and Labour.
But the level of action has not yet
been enough to win.
That’s why it’s a serious mistake to
stop the strikes. Postal workers are
going in without having a deal to look
at. It’s giving management and the
government the breathing space they
have been hoping for.
Backlog lost
Royal Mail are under pressure because
the strikes have built up a backlog, and
because the traffic increases all the
way until Christmas. And the general
public backed the workers, not the
management.
Now Crozier & Co will hope to string
out the negotiations, get into January
with all the backlog cleared, and then
go on the offensive again in 2010.
It won’t be a period of calm—it
will be a period of preparation for
war by management.
Let’s not forget that they will soon
unveil ANOTHER round of cuts linked
to the new year and Phase 4.
The full details of the deal were not
available as this leaflet was written, but
it’s clear that parts of it could be very
similar to the 2007 deal:
There is no agreement to withdraw
the executive action. Parts of it are
up for renegotiation, but do you trust
management? new labour has
What happens if Royal Mail insist on betrayed workers
the measures going through? Are offices
supposed to fight on their own? The power of the post strikes has
The whole point of this year was a shaken Lord Mandelson and his
struggle to get from local agitation to cronies in the Labour cabinet.
national agreements. Now the flow is Mandelson seems to have gone
rather quiet over the last few days
the other way round.
as his hope that the strikes—and
What’s been gained so far does not the CWU—would fall apart has
match the courage and sacrifice of been shattered.
postal workers across Britain. Instead of It’s also true that some Labour
stopping strikes, the CWU should step MPs have come out on the side of
them up and demand support from the the CWU—and that’s welcome.
rest of the working class. But that doesn’t change the fact
that the government is the enemy
Fight together in this battle.
The postal workers have already For far too long the unions—
inspired others. particularly the CWU—have
shovelled money to the Labour
Look at the other groups that are
fighting now: BA workers held a 3,000 Party and then Labour has turned
round and tried to crush workers.
strong mass meeting to launch a ballot Instead of pretending that
for strikes at Christmas; bus workers Labour is on our side, the union
are striking across Britain against a pay should be playing its part in
freeze, bin workers in Leeds are in their helping to build an alternative to
ninth week of all-out strike—and it’s Labour that can really represent
spreading to Brighton and other areas; working people.
firefighters from South Yorkshire to The RMT union, the PCS and
Essex are striking over “modernisation”. others are discussing such a
This is a mighty army if it strikes
together!
project. The CWU should join them.
If you would like to join the SWP
Demand your reps at the CWU or get these leaflets direct through
national briefing call for the strikes to email, please email industrial@
be put back on. swp.org.uk or phone/text 07986
No cooperation with management. 936094.
Lift all disciplinaries/sackings now.
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