Harrow and District CWU » Billy Hayes

CWU welcomes radical change to postal regulation

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:48:11 +0000

The UK’s largest postal union, CWU, calls new postal regulator Ofcom’s proposals on regulation a “radical change” and welcomes the recognition of major failures in the previous approach. CWU broadly welcomes the proposals published today (Thursday) but holds reservations over the impact on price rises to consumers and believes changes to competitor access prices could have gone further.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: “These appear to be major deregulatory steps from Ofcom and we broadly welcome this signal of a radically different approach to regulation which has finally been recognised as a failure.

“We do have reservations over the impact on consumers, and we’ll be looking closely at the details of the proposals before making our submission to the consultation. The principle of a universal service with affordable and equal access to everyone is hugely important and we want to see it robustly maintained.”

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “It’s positive to see the new regulator has taken on board the serious criticisms of previous regulatory failure. It was failures with regulation which put Royal Mail and the universal service at risk in the first place.

“It’s significant that Ofcom has recognised that price controls have not been effective and we welcome the removal of price controls on bulk mail as this should allow Royal Mail to operate in a fairer competitive environment.

“While we welcome greater flexibility for Royal Mail to set prices – stamp prices have been held artificially low for many years – we do have concerns about affordability for consumers. We also feel that the proposals on access headroom prices for competitor mail does not go far enough, but we’ll study this in more detail over the coming weeks.”

Romec strike off – negotiations on

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:35:59 +0000

Walkouts planned for Thursday and Friday at facilities and maintenance company Romec were suspended today after the company finally accepted CWU requests for meaningful negotiations.

Punitive actions by the company, linked to its introduction of new work planning appliances (WPA) are at the heart of the long-running dispute

But, in a move that CWU assistant secretary Ray Ellisdescribes as “significant,” Romec has agreed to halt these actions “in order to create the appropriate climate for meaningful and substantive negotiations to proceed.”

In response to the move by the company, the union has agreed to suspend the scheduled two-day stoppage and to lift the ongoing callout and overtime restriction.

Welcoming today’s developments, Ray said: “There’s a long way to go and at this time we are still technically in dispute, but it’s our hope – and also the hope of the company – that these joint ‘acts of good faith’ will create the right environment for a full and comprehensive settlement.”

The breakthrough came after informal discussions between senior Romec managers and the union, with the help and assistance of arbitration service ACAS and leading individuals from Royal Mail Group.

CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward - who has personally assisted in the search for a solution – said that he was “hopeful that Romec will now engage in sensible negotiations with us and that we can reach a fair agreement as soon as possible.”

Solidarity with striking public sector workers

admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:59:58 +0000

CWU sends a solid message of solidarity to all public sector workers on strike today (Thursday). Across the UK, CWU activists have been turning up at picket lines to demonstrate support.

Commenting on the nationwide strike action today, CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: “When the tide rises, all boats lift. Let’s make waves.”

0CWU’s senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, President Davie Bowman, policy advisors Steve Fishwick and Fevzi Hussein, and executive member Steve Catterall visited a picket line at Rutlish School in Wimbledon to stand with striking NUT members (pictured). While there, a Royal Mail driver pulled up and decided against crossing the school picket line, receiving a huge round of applause.

Tony explained: “We went to show solidarity this morning with striking public sector workers. The government is picking on workers to pay for the bailout, mistakes and greed of bankers, but driving up pension contributions for a worse pension will lead to people opting out of schemes. It’s false economics which will cost us all more in the long-run and a blatant attack on working people.”

Davie went on to say: “It’s important that we show solidarity against the unjustified cuts to public sector pensions. People on strike today are being victimised by the Con-Dem government and we stand fully behind their cause for fair and affordable pensions.”

0The BBC is coming live from Bristol today where TUC general secretary Brendan Barber is visiting picket lines. CWU Bristol branch have been on the NUT picket line at Filton Abbeywood School and the UCU picket at University of Western England with branch youth officer Kye Dudd (pictured) saying “we admire what these unions are doing to protect their members’ pensions and they have our full support.”

Commenting on the support CWU is giving striking public sector workers across the South West, regional secretary Kevin Beazer explained: “All branches in the South West are supporting events and pickets in towns and cities across the region. We’re giving as much support as we can because these people have supported us strongly in the past.”

Paul Moffat, CWU eastern regional secretary, is speaking at number of events across the region and activists are attending events in Bedford, Peterborough, Norwich, Cambridge and rallies in Ipswich and Luton and visitng pickets lines in Milton Keynes.

In the North West, CWU is supporting demonstrations in Preston, Manchester, Blackburn, Blackpool and Liverpool with regional secretary Carl Webb sending messages of support to public sector workers on strike across the region. Read more on the North West Region website.

North East regional secretary Paul Clays and CWU activists in the area are supporting activities across Yorkshire and Northumberland giving full support to strikers.

In Northern Ireland, CWU members are supporting striking workers and regional secretary Lawrence Huston is joining PCS strikers at Belfast’s main civil service building Millennium House at lunchtime.

In Scotland, where strike action is principally being taken by PCS and UCU, CWU regional secretary John Brown and activists are supporting the rally in George Square in Glasgow and have sent messages of support to strikers across Scotland.

In Wales, regional secretary Gary Watkins has sent messages of support to the regional secretaries of the four unions taking strike action and CWU is supporting events taking place in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Llandridrod Wells, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham.

South East regional secretary Paul Carpenter has sent message of solidarity to the unions on strike and CWU members are visiting pickets at the Border Agency in Chatham and Christchurch University in Medway. Paul and other CWU activists are supporting rallies in Chatham, Portsmouth, Reading, Camberley, Worthing, Brighton and Hastings.

Midlands regional secretary Lee Barron is speaking at a massive rally in Birmingham where local government Unison members are on strike in addition to the national strikes of NUT, PCS, ATL and UCU. CWU activists are attending and speaking at rallies across the region including Stoke, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Northampton and Birmingham.

via | Media | News Archive | Solidarity with striking public sector workers.

General strike now needed!

admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:12:05 +0000

The CWU has thrown its weight behind the growing chorus of demands for a 24-hour general strike against Government-led attacks on working people and the vital services they rely on.

Committing the CWU to join forces with other trade unions and campaigning organisations in the fight against Coalition Government attempts to make working people pay for a crisis caused by bankers, delegates at the union’s Annual Conference in Bournemouth unanimously called on the CWU’s leadership to seek to co-ordinate campaigns and strikes with other unions.

Faced with an unprecedented ideological attack on workers’ rights – amplified by yesterday’s thinly veiled threat by Business Secretary Vince Cable (pictured) to curtail the right to strike by UK workers – delegates agreed that only strike action on a scale already seen in France and Greece will force the Cameron Government to change tack and urged the TUC to co-ordinate a 24-hour general strike.

Pointing out that, left unchallenged, the Government’s current policies will see a return to levels of inequality in Britain which haven’t been seen since Victorian times, Eastern regional secretary Paul Moffat (pictured) told Conference: “We’ve seen cuts on vulnerable groups, youth services, the elderly, the NHS, schools, teachers, education, police officers, prison services and all local services – in fact all areas of state provision and services in this country – without any regard for the long-term consequences.

“These attacks are not determined by mere economic choice but by a clear ideological policy. It will lead to mass unemployment, irreversible damage to public services including Royal Mail and exploitation of ordinary people in favour of the privileged few in this country.”

Paul Garraway of South Central No 1 branch stressed: “It’s imperative that we fight these cuts and defend these services before we lose them. They say we’re all in this together, but are they suffering? The bankers continue to get their bonuses and the champagne continues to flow for the rich, and what do we get? A bigger share of the poverty! I don’t remember the good times being that good, yet now we are expected to foot the bill for a crisis we did not create.

“It’s time to unite and fight back. On June 30 the PCS, UCU, NUT and ATL unions will be taking action against these cuts. Over 800 000 workers will be on strike. On that day I will be stood alongside my partner outside her school. This is our fight, and we must all be doing our part.”

Rob Wotherspoon of Bristol branch cited the “sickening” statistic revealed in the Sunday Times ‘rich list’ that, at a time when workers are seeing their real incomes reduce for the fourth year running, the collective fortunes of the richest 1,000 people in Britain actually increased by 18% last year – something which hasn’t happened since the 1870s.

“There’s no recession for the rich…but this Government of millionaires isn’t satisfied with that,” he said. “They want more and they want to get more by attacking our public services and our employment rights.

“Without a general strike we’re not going to beat back these attacks.”

With the strike of June 30 now looming, Midlands Regional Secretary Lee Baron (pictured) stressed the importance of all trade unionists standing united and refusing to cross each others picket lines.

“When we do that we break the law…but it’s a simple principle. We’d rather break the law than break their pickets any day of the week.

“If this generation is remembered for anything it has got to be the generation that put and end to the politics of greed and reintroduced into this country the politics of fairness once again.”

Mark Taggart of Manchester Clerical agreed: “A 24 hour strike in the public and private sector will be met by writs, challenges from the Government, the CBI and businesses. It potentially propels the trade union movement into a legal quagmire, but that is not an excuse for not supporting it.

“We have responsibility as a trade union to aspire for working people in the UK. We have a responsibility to fight for their interests, and we need to fulfil that responsibility.”

Supporting the motion, senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns (pictured) warned of the “trickery of the law which talks about when you can and cannot take industrial action”, but stressed: “This is a ‘make your mind up time’ for this union. We’re sick and tired of hearing David Cameron saying ‘we’re all in this together’, because the reason he says that is that if we’re all in this together as part of the solution we must have been all part of the problem – and that simply isn’t the case.

“What we’re seeing is an ideological attack by this Government. This is the systematic deconstruction of the society that we live in – there is no other way of describing it.

“George Osborne’s mantra that everything can be privatised is a threat to every single thing that we hold dear and the very fabric of the society that we have enjoyed living in for the past 60, 70 or in some cases 80 years.”

Ultimately, Tony concluded, the CWU has no option but to stand up and be counted in the fight against “a race to the right”.

Sad Day For UK Postal Service

admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:06:30 +0000

Following the passage of the Postal Services Bill through parliament today (Thursday) the Communication Workers Union warns that the government has put services and post offices at risk in favour of private capital.

Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: “Today is a sad day for the UK postal service. The days are numbered for the post office network, postal deliveries and services as we know them.

“How the government can call breaking up and flogging the Royal Mail ‘securing the future of postal services’ beggars belief. This government is destroying public services and the fabric of our economy and society. They are taking a wrecking ball to anything in sight.

“Our campaign against privatisation will continue. A buyer is yet to be found and despite the uncertainties ahead the CWU will be here throughout to fight for the jobs of postal workers and the services they provide to customers and communities across the UK.”

CWU TV News | TUC March For The Alternative – London

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:42:15 +0000

CWU TV joined up to half a million people and marched on London as part of the TUC’s March For The Alternative campaign. CWU together with other trade unions, political organisations and members of the public voiced their anger and dismay at the government’s public spending cuts plan, which will potentially put more than a million people out of work. CWU’s Billy Hayes joined Brendan Barber, TUC General Secreatry and Labour Leader Ed Miliband at the rally in Hyde Park.

CWU TV News | Keep The Post Public – Brighton

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:38:38 +0000

CWU TV News were out and about again in March for CWU’s fight to Keep the Post Public. Over 300 people turned out in support of the campaign, on a sunny weekend in Brighton and marched through the town centre. Here Green Party MP Caroline Lucas along with CWU’s Billy Hayes and Dave Ward explained why it is important to stop the governments plans of privatisation

CWU TV News | Royal Mail Colleagueshare Scheme

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:37:05 +0000

Royal Mail’s announcement regarding the Colleagueshare Scheme has been met with anger from CWU’s Deputy General Sectary Dave Ward. The company anticipate the next valuation of the scheme will see the value plummet from around Â£1,400 to nothing. Royal Mail’s position on the Colleagueshare Scheme and the new business plan raises serious concerns over its commitment to the Business Transformation Agreement.

CWU TV News | Keep The Post Public – Beeston, Nottingham

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:23:18 +0000

CWU TV News were out and about again in February and joined Robin Hood and his merry union men in CWU’s fight to Keep the Post Public. Over 500 people turned out in support of the campaign, despite the damp weather, and marched from the Royal Mail Centre through the town to the New Venture Social Club. Here Labour MP Lillian Greenwood along with CWU’s Billy Hayes and Dave Ward and explained why it is important to stop the governments plans of privatisation.

CWU TV News | February 2011

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:12:48 +0000

Welcome to the new look CWU TV News bringing you the latest stories from around the communications industry. This month includes CWU’s ongoing Keep the Post Public Campaign, impending strike action at Crown Post Offices, Isle of Man Post Ofiice and iPSL, CWU save BT Barrow Call Centre and Billy Hayes is re-elected as CWU General Secretary. Look out for new icons on screen where you can watch more indepth interviews on CWU TV and in the latest edition of eVoice.