The Labour Court has linked the payment of Sustaining Progress to

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Wednesday July 20, 2005 21:51 by Paul Kinsella - An Post Worker (Strictly Personal Capacity!)! paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Ireland 085-7105140

The Collection and Delivery Agreement that is outstanding with the CWU!

A major bombshell was dropped on us An Post workers last Thursday, July 14TH when what we though was a Labour Court hearing about the fact that us An Post workers have still not received our pay increases under the "Sustaining Progress” pay deal going back to November 1ST 2003; was instead we were informed; that instead that The Labour Court had linked the payment of Sustaining Progress to the Collection and Delivery Agreement that is outstanding with the CWU! In other words, no one gets anything until this issue is resolved!

Without boring you'se with too much detail (The “Collection and Delivery Report Recommendations are 62 pages long!); basically it’s an absolutely awful deal for any CWU members working Overtime; of which there are quite a significant minority. This would especially severely affect the postmen really badly; as the postmen; especially in Dublin; are the main beneficiaries of Overtime. The thinking is that it could be a very close vote in the CWU; with a probable massive rejection in Dublin possibly being outweighed by yes vote in rural areas; which are less dependent on Overtime than in Dublin; especially if Steve Fitzpatrick and the CWU National Executive try to force this deal through; of which there is a considerable danger!

This is all so unfair! And indeed absolutely outrageous! Firstly; workers in other sections of the CWU; and the other Unions; and indeed in the Collection and Delivery Area as well are basically being held hostage by the management by denying US OUR pay increases due to us under the Sustaining Progress until the management get what they want in full from the Collection and Delivery! Secondly; this sets a very bad precedent in that ANY time that the management demand ANY changes in ANY workplace practices from ANY group of workers; NO matter how SMALL they might be; that they will just freeze everybody’s else’s wages for years on end if necessary until they get they way! Of course, the same also applies if the company deems that it is not making enough money to pay our wage increases. Thirdly; the ENTIRE CWU Membership IS voting on the COLLECTION and Delivery Report Recommendations! Even though it only applies to people in the Collection and Delivery area! So people who won’t be affected by it are voting on other people’s futures and livelihoods!

The only positive things to have come out of the Labour Court's Recommendations on the "Sustaining Progess" are that (A); The Labour Court have said that all of our Sustaining Progress pay increases due to us should be paid; but without any of the backdating going back to November 1ST 2003; and (B); The Labour Court has recognised that the staff should have a liability; i.e. Once An Post makes sufficient profits; whatever sufficient profits are!; that we should receive ALL of our backdated money back to November 1ST 2003.

Please do take the time to read this very carefully as this WOULD DIRECTLY concern ALL of our futures if they manage to force this through! Let us know what you think! What should we do next?

Links:http://www.labourcourt.ie
http://www.lrc.ie
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/AnPostWorkersActionGroup/
http://www.cwu.ie
http://www.cpsu.ie
http://www.pseu.ie
http://www.ahcps.ie