Belfast post wildcat strikers win for all of us
national |
worker & community struggles and protests |
news report 
Sunday February 19, 2006 17:53
by Sean - Organise!
Belfast post wildcat strikers win for all of us
At a packed meeting at lunchtime on Friday 17th February, in Transport House, Belfast, striking postal workers decided to end their wildcat strike and return to work having won their dispute.
Belfast post wildcat strikers win for all of us
At a packed meeting at lunchtime on Friday 17th February, in Transport House, Belfast, striking postal workers decided to end their wildcat strike and return to work having won their dispute.
An independent review of industrial relations, the key demand of the strikers, has been won. Strikers also forced Royal Mail to agree a non-victimisation clause in the agreement that brought the dispute to a close - while the 12 month no strike clause was effectively scrapped.
The eighteen day dispute an inspiring victory for postal workers and all workers across these islands. Posties taking unofficial action against a bullying and vindicitve management were up against Communication Workers' Union and NIC-ICTU bureaucrats who bad-mouthed them for taking unofficial action, against a hostile media that deliberately obscured the reasons for the dispute, a rival union that slandered the strikers and encouraged scabbing and the full range of the Thatcherite anti-union legislation that is unheld by New Labour.
Wildcat action, solidarity, imagination and the building of effective broader support combined with the determination and spirit of these workers has won an important victory. Not just for the posties but for all of us. And thats no exaggeration.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4Apologies, i made a mistake in releasing this article without proper scrutiny and therefore does not represent Organise! position.
According to the Compador Bourgeois Media the 12 Month No Strike Clause was part of the deal. Could Organise or anyone else please clarify this aspect of the disputes resolution.
I hadn't figured that the law wouldn't frighten Belfast posties.
The victorious Postal Workers have shown the trade union movement that the best way to take action is to ignore the legislation and get out before management can plan ways of undermining the strike - as is the case with official strike action.
Unity is Strength!
ps. no strike clauses are illegal under human rights legislation. This can only be interpreted as a desperate attempt by Royal Mail management to get a committment that there will be no wildcat action in the next year. The 'agreement' isn't enforceable by law.
Could you point to the section of the legislation which outlaws on strike deals?
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