Lee Barron, Midlands Regional Secretary brings us up to date with the latest from Burslam picket lines:

Following meetings with Royal Mail and after 3 weeks of continuous strike action by members in Burslem this dispute has hit a critical stage.

In order to find a way forward the Union has offered Royal Mail numerous opportunities to allow the corrupt process they are using to be independently overseen in order to demonstrate some iota of fairness. The Union offered:

1. -          the National Appeals Panel – rejected by Royal Mail
2. -          ACAS talks to resolve the dispute – rejected by Royal Mail
3. -          ACAS to nominate an independent panel – rejected by Royal Mail
4. -          The TUC to nominate an independent panel – rejected by Royal Mail

At a meeting last Friday Royal Mail stated that they are under “no pressure” to resolve this strike. The only move they have made is to write out to all of our members on strike advising them that their holiday entitlements will be reduced in the coming annual leave year because of the amount of time they have been on strike. A vindictive and inflammatory move to say the least.

At a meeting held yesterday the members in Burslem held a secret ballot to decide the next move. In a vote which had a bigger participation level than the first ballot, resulted in a bigger yes vote than our original ballot, the Burslem members voted 79 votes to 2 to extend the strike action to run until the end of January. In the face of a vindictive employer, spending tens of thousands of pounds on scab managers to break this strike, the Burslem members respond with courage and commitment. They know the future of this union is at stake, they know that justice in the workplace is on the line and they are prepared to fight for it.

In addition to that the Midland No 7 Branch unanimously agreed to ballot all of the Royal Mail units and functions across the Stoke on Trent Area in support of the Burslem strike. Royal Mail will be notified of that ballot today and gate meetings are taking place every morning to deliver the Branch. A special meeting of the Midlands Division was also held last week and further considerations are being made in order to extend this beyond the Stoke on Trent area across the Branches in the Midlands if talks or a resolution are not forthcoming in the very near future.

This dispute simply cannot be lost. The CWU cannot allow the Burslem membership to strike solidly for 6 weeks and return in some glorious defeat, we must defeat Royal Mail’s Union busting agenda now before it happens across the industry.

The March and Rally on 19th January 2008 is an ideal opportunity for all CWU Branches to show their support as the Burslem membership fight for justice and the CWU in the workplace. Royal Mail are systematically attempting to remove us from the workplace, we cannot allow them to succeed.

Look forward to seeing you on January 19th, victory to Burslem – United we Stand.

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