Going Postal!

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Friday October 21, 2005 18:28 by iosaf

"the clacks system of message sending was invented just in time for the battle of trafalgar"

Postmen and Postwomen of Eire.
Many times in past generations have you been called upon to suffer the yoke of privitisation and Fianna Fail meddling in essential services, and you have answered that call with industrial action.

Well done!
90% of the members of the CWU have turned out to vote 90% in favour of strike action. Thats more democractic than any ard fheis in gleneagles.

The strike notice has to be for 2 weeks time.

Friday 21st November, 2005, CWU Headquarters, Dublin:

Following the counting of ballots at its national headquarters today, the Communications' Workers Union (CWU) announced that an overwhelming majority of An Post employees had voted to mandate the union for industrial action to secure basic cost-of-living increases due under Sustaining Progress two years ago.

Following the outcome of the national ballot, the CWU has given An Post fourteen days notice of its intent to take industrial action should the company continue to withhold the €30.00 per week pay increase. The union gave formal notice of its intent as required under the Industrial Relations Act, 1990.

With an enormous turnout figure of 90%, a massive 90% of those who voted mandated the union for industrial action, up to and including strike action. This figure is particularly impressive given the fact that every effort was made by management in the company to interfere with the process by bribing staff with 10,000 hours in overtime and by interfering with the union process by writing directly to members at their homes. These actions, coupled with the threats from Minister Dempsey to open up the service, failed to bully staff into relinquishing their rights.

Commenting on the outcome of the ballot, Steve Fitzpatrick, General Secretary, CWU said:

"This overwhelming result reflects the widespread anger and frustration of low-paid postal workers at An Post who have neither faith nor confidence in An Post management. It also reflects solidarity between workers who were not prepared to ask just one section of the membership shoulder the burden of inequitable conditions of employment.

He continued "The CWU has today declared its intention to defend its members against an incompetent, unprofessional and belligerent management which had wreaked havoc with the national postal service and breached every agreement it has made.

"In light of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources acquiescence, an abandoned and demoralised workforce have now no choice but to consider all forms of industrial action, up to and including all-out strike across the national postal service. Our members have now mandated us to use all available industrial relations muscle, to ensure that low paid workers and pensioners get their entitlements", he concluded.]
from the CWU statement
the site of the CWU:
http://www.cwu.ie/
thier statement on the Postal Ballot
http://www.cwu.ie/html/an_post_21102005.htm

Factoids on An Post.

* it used to be called P&T
* they use post boxes.
* post boxes are green.

This is the last feature from on the Post office workers attitude to the threat of privatisation.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69894
The minister for his part, has blustered that privatisation will result from their action.

How do you feel about this?
Do you want german post boxes?
Are german post boxes green?

CWU leader says management and Minister should be ashamed as 78 An Post pensioners have died waiting for a €15 a week increase.

78 x 15 = €1170 a week cost to the state.
Less than 70,000€ a year.

Less than a pittance-

Can you remember what its enough for?
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72318&search_text=pittance

How do you feel about this?