CWU

110 Royal Mail workers at Bridgwater Delivery Office in Somerset are currently in dispute with their local management over issues including management bullying and breaking agreements. The official dispute has already involved several strikes lasting five days. A national conference of CWU postal workers reps also voted to call a national ballot for strikes against the privatisation of Royal Mail, no later than September 2013.

Postal workers in Bridgewater, Somerset struck on Saturday 6 July in a dispute over job cuts and management bullying. Communication Workers Union (CWU) rep Dave Chapple said the strike was “one of the best we’ve ever had”, with over 100 workers taking part. Union reps have promised escalation if the dispute is not resolved. In Peterborough, 170 postal workers held a wildcat strike following the suspension of a union rep. There was also a strike at a delivery office in Plymouth. The CWU said members are fed up with increasing levels of bullying and harassment from bosses. The strikes come in...

Royal Mail workers have voted by 99% to demand an above inflation pay rise. In the same consultation, Communication Workers Union (CWU) members working for Royal Mail returned a 96% majority in opposition to proposed privatisation, and a 92% majority in favour of boycotting mail from private competitors, and a 92% majority in favour of a policy of non-cooperation with company procedures in workplaces where budget cuts have made workload levels impossible to deal with. With the company’s recent profits are in excess of £400 million, CWU has denounced its latest proposals on pay and conditions —...

Teachers at Bishop Challoner school in East London are balloting for strikes against management bullying. Union activists say that the atmosphere in the workplace has become so bad that many of the school’s most experienced and longest-serving teachers are considering leaving. Since the appointment of a new head three years ago, and subsequent management restructure which replaced the old senior management with new managers loyal to the head, and with no ties to the staff, workload and stress has steadily increased. Members of staff spoke to Solidarity and told us about a litany of smaller and...

The government plans to sell off Royal Mail, in what will be the largest privatisation since British Gas 26 years ago. Labour MPs have branded the proposals “desperate”. The government hopes to raise £3 billion from the sale, with some Labour figures suggesting it is a quick-fix attempt to claw back some of a £245 billion overspend in government borrowing. 10% of Royal Mail shares will be distributed to employees. It is not clear whether they will be given the shares for free or have to pay. The rest may be sold off on the open share market or as a lump to a big company. The Communication...

At this year's Communication Workers Union (CWU) conference (21-25 April), the union voted to reaffirm previous policy on calling a general strike, and numerous motions that supported those affected by government cuts in welfare and public spending. A motion calling for support for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) was overwhelmingly rejected. Conference agreed to spend more money on getting the Labour Party re-elected in 2015 and agreed a series of demands to take into the Labour Party policy processes, including strengthening rights to take industrial action and improvements in...

Bromley council workers blackmailed Tory-controlled Bromley council has threatened to sack workers unless they agree to new, worse, contracts, imposed without consultation. As Solidarity went to press, Unite was reporting that up to 500 workers had not met the council’s 23 April deadline for accepting the new contracts and therefore faced the sack. A union statement said: “While the majority of the workforce has accepted the new local contracts under duress, more than 500 workers don’t want to be bullied into accepting inferior contracts which slash pay and conditions. “The threat to sack...

Up to 4,000 Crown Post Office staff will strike on 19 April in an ongoing battle over closures, job cuts, and pay. The strike will take place from 2.30pm and was called after talks between Post Office management and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) broke down. CWU members are striking against bosses' plans to close 73 Crown Post Offices, a move which would threaten 800 jobs. They also want a pay rise, having faced a wage freeze since April 2011.

Mike Kyriazopoulos, a Workers’ Liberty supporter based in New Zealand/Aotearoa and active in Fightback, died on 18 January 2014 after a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease. This is a letter he wrote to comrades in April 2013. Early this year I was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. It appears as though the “progress” of the disease (oddly Stalinist terminology) is quite rapid. So I wanted to thank all of you who know me for your political guidance, solidarity, friendship and love over the years. I first came across the AWL at York University Labour Club. But I realised the group was...

All three trade union activists at London Metropolitan University suspended by management have now been reinstated. Steve Jefferys, Max Watson, and Jawad Botmeh were suspended over allegations of misconduct relating to the disclosure of Jawad’s background (he has spent time in jail), but all three are now back at work. A high-profile campaign involving both Unison and the University and College Union put huge pressure on uni bosses. Unison activist Jonathan McCree, in a letter to the Islington Tribune, said: “This is testament to the campaigners from two unions at London Met, Unison and UCU...