www.socialistworker.co.
uk
Strikes planned across Britain...
support the
postal workers
p
ostal workers ACROSS
Britain are to launch a national
strike. This fightback is crucial
for every worker, student, pensioner
and unemployed person.
It is part of a much bigger war—over
public services, jobs, union rights,
and pay and conditions at work. It’s
about who will be made to pay for the
economic crisis.
A victory for the postal workers
would show everyone that resistance is
possible and that workers can win. It
would help develop the strength needed
to beat back the assaults. A defeat
would encourage further attacks.
Pampered politicians, both Labour
and Tory, are bidding to see who can
force us to work the longest before
claiming a measly state pension.
They both want to slash billions of
pounds from public spending while they
lecture workers to accept redundancies,
pay freezes and assaults on benefits.
Postal workers must not be left on
their own to face the bosses, and the
politicians that stand behind them.
Their enemies in management,
government and the media will unite in
an effort to crush them.
Our side must unite, so that the postal
workers win.
Read the FACTS here about the
dispute:
What is it about?
Postal workers voted 76 percent for
strikes on a 67 percent turnout.
Postal workers do a hard job, often
starting around 5.30am, in all weathers
and over six days a week.
Royal Mail bosses and the
government are putting relentless
demands for profit and cost-cutting
before the public service. It is them who
are wrecking the service.
Royal Mail is slashing tens of
thousands of jobs and driving down pay,
earnings, pensions and conditions.
Royal Mail is trying to break union
organisation so they can ram through
changes without consideration to the
service or the workers. Just 13 Royal Mail bosses have
Royal Mail is imposing unfair work shared more than £10 million in
rates to meet unrealistic demands— bonuses for implementing “cost-cutting
chaos management creating workloads measures” since 2002-3.
that people cannot cope with.
There is a vicious bullying managerial Isn’t there less mail?
culture. Royal Mail claims there has been a 10
percent decline in mail volumes.
What do the workers want? The company also claims there have
Sustainable full-time jobs, and no been over 40,000 job losses.
compulsory redundancies. If that’s true, then 30 percent fewer
A shorter working week rather than workers are handling only 10 percent
job cuts, and more time away from less mail.
work, including weekends. So Royal Mail’s figures mean workers
Workload based on fairness so that are now working harder than ever.
postal workers can cope.
An end to bullying. What can we do to help?
A pay rise to reflect Royal Mail’s We need to create networks of solidarity
£321 million profits, and a decent in every area.
pension scheme. Organise delegations from workplaces,
universities and colleges to the picket
lines.
Back the strikes Flood in donations and messages of
support to the strikers.
Give cash to the hardship fund yourself
and collect in your workplace, college, Set up support groups in every area to
school or community. Ask your Socialist show support for the strike.
Worker seller for a collection sheet, The whole movement must swing
and send money to: CWU National behind the members of the CWU union
Hardship Fund: c/o Tony Kearns, Senior when mass pickets are needed to stop
deputy general secretary, CWU, 150 The management’s ­scabbing operation.
Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1RX. Cheque The resistance at workplaces such as
payable to ‘Postal Workers Support Fund’.
You can pay the money in directly to Visteon, Linamar, Lindsey oil refinery,
Vestas, Leeds bins and Tower Hamlets
Unity Trust Bank account no: 20194129,
branch sort code: 08 60 01. For the College has given new hope to the
working class.
London CWU hardship fund, pay to account
20232065, branch sort code 08 60 01. Now let’s get a national victory for
the postal workers.
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