Royal Mail workers recently voted by a whopping 97.1% YES for strike action. A statistical display
of the levels of anger and readiness to defend their jobs, pensions, wages, conditions - and the
public service these 110,000 CWU members help deliver.
of the levels of anger and readiness to defend their jobs, pensions, wages, conditions - and the
public service these 110,000 CWU members help deliver.
But what are the broader issues driving the posties towards the first national strike action in a
decade?
decade?
It's about the threat to 20,000 jobs as the Royal Mail Group Board plan to offload Parcelforce
as a separate business.
as a separate business.
It's about bosses reneging on the Four Pillars Agreement signed last year, which protects
pensions, and sets out a 'flightpath' towards a 35 hour week.
pensions, and sets out a 'flightpath' towards a 35 hour week.
It's in response to the rampant bullying by management which has provoked local office
walkouts at the rate of one a week. And the Amazon-style threat of tagging workers' every
movement at work.
walkouts at the rate of one a week. And the Amazon-style threat of tagging workers' every
movement at work.
But overarching the multitude of grievances is the entire direction of the service, which the
Four Pillars Agreement promised the workforce union would have a say over, whereas the
new Board has contemptuously shut them out.
Four Pillars Agreement promised the workforce union would have a say over, whereas the
new Board has contemptuously shut them out.
Privatisation Robbery
Royal Mail was privatised by the Tories and LibDems in 2013 - at a time the public service had
notched up profits of £400m - after threatened strikes had stopped earlier attempts by Blair and
Mandelson's New Labour government to flog it off to the privateers.
notched up profits of £400m - after threatened strikes had stopped earlier attempts by Blair and
Mandelson's New Labour government to flog it off to the privateers.
It was a bargain basement sale; given away for £1.5billion less than it had been valued at by
a government-hired team of investment bankers!
a government-hired team of investment bankers!
It was run by Moya Greene on an annual salary over £1m; she then got a £2.6m golden
handshake when she left.
handshake when she left.
In steps a new Board, led by Rico Back, who received an 'encouraging' golden hello of £6m,
on top of his £2.7m annual salary. Not that Rico is in bad need of a handout; he commutes
500 miles to his RM job from his £2.3m luxury penthouse, which overlooks Lake Zurich, in
Switzerland. A bit of a contrast with the average CWU member's salary of £28,274, for traipsing
up and down closes in all weathers.
on top of his £2.7m annual salary. Not that Rico is in bad need of a handout; he commutes
500 miles to his RM job from his £2.3m luxury penthouse, which overlooks Lake Zurich, in
Switzerland. A bit of a contrast with the average CWU member's salary of £28,274, for traipsing
up and down closes in all weathers.
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| Royal Mail hatchet-man Rico Back has more than a room with a view |
In fact, the make-up of the Board gives a clue to the future that the 500-year-old Royal Mail faces,
unless the force of argument by the posties' union is combined with the argument of collective force,
in the form of strikes and political campaigning.
unless the force of argument by the posties' union is combined with the argument of collective force,
in the form of strikes and political campaigning.
Bosses Want a Gig Economy
Rico Back has previous! He was head of GLS, a European courier service which specialises in
use of bogus self-employment, 14-hour days, and as little as €3-an-hour! Their horrendous,
precarious employment standards - and sackings - have provoked strikes and rooftop protests
in northern Italy in 2016 and April 2019.
use of bogus self-employment, 14-hour days, and as little as €3-an-hour! Their horrendous,
precarious employment standards - and sackings - have provoked strikes and rooftop protests
in northern Italy in 2016 and April 2019.
Rico Back is not unique on the RM board. His 8-person team includes Michael Findlay, long-time
banker, who for seven years was Director of UK Mail, one of the larger private courier companies.
They too rely on bogus self-employment, plus hefty fines for workers being off sick, including a
courier who was hammered for £800 after being in a car accident whilst on duty.
banker, who for seven years was Director of UK Mail, one of the larger private courier companies.
They too rely on bogus self-employment, plus hefty fines for workers being off sick, including a
courier who was hammered for £800 after being in a car accident whilst on duty.
Then Findlay helped sell UK Mail to Germany's Deutsche Post, gaining £130m for the founding
family, the Kanes, whose senior member gave £550,000 to the Tory Party.
family, the Kanes, whose senior member gave £550,000 to the Tory Party.
Corrupt Tories in Charge
The murky, tangled web of links between ruthless capitalist directors and the Tories is further
personified by Royal Mail Group Senior Independent Director, Baroness Sarah Hogg. Her
husband, Douglas Hogg, was the first Tory MP to resign from parliament after the 2009 MPs'
expenses scandal. The pair of them enjoyed the generosity of the public purse in their Lincolnshire
Manor house, for such items as upkeep of a moat, an Aga cooker, £18,000 annual gardening costs,
and money for 'a mole man' (?!).
personified by Royal Mail Group Senior Independent Director, Baroness Sarah Hogg. Her
husband, Douglas Hogg, was the first Tory MP to resign from parliament after the 2009 MPs'
expenses scandal. The pair of them enjoyed the generosity of the public purse in their Lincolnshire
Manor house, for such items as upkeep of a moat, an Aga cooker, £18,000 annual gardening costs,
and money for 'a mole man' (?!).
But Sarah is her own woman: she was head of John Major's Tory policy unit in the 1990s; lead
author of their 1992 Manifesto which advocated rail privatisation; and was made Director of the
Treasury by George Osborne in 2016/7, as he wielded austerity measures like a mad axeman.
author of their 1992 Manifesto which advocated rail privatisation; and was made Director of the
Treasury by George Osborne in 2016/7, as he wielded austerity measures like a mad axeman.
 |
| Baroness Hogg's husband's rip-off claims for moat, Aga and 'mole man' |
Rico's cohort also boasts two former British Airways directors, Keith Williams and Maya da Cunha,
who bitterly clashed with BA unions in their drive to cut costs.
who bitterly clashed with BA unions in their drive to cut costs.
And we shouldn't ignore Donald Muir, who carries the mind-boggling title of 'Transformation Director'
at Royal Mail. To be fair, he prefers the self-description of 'Transformation Guru'.
at Royal Mail. To be fair, he prefers the self-description of 'Transformation Guru'.
And the type of transformation in mind? As CEO of Global Titanium Solutions, he previously
charged the NHS £935,000 for lending his expertise to handing over large chunks of the NHS
to private profiteers.
charged the NHS £935,000 for lending his expertise to handing over large chunks of the NHS
to private profiteers.
Fear the Worst - and Fight it!
With a gang like that in charge, in cahoots with the Tory government that some of them openly
help to fund, the posties and CWU are absolutely justified in fearing the worst, and fighting it.
help to fund, the posties and CWU are absolutely justified in fearing the worst, and fighting it.
The Board members not only want to renege on the agreed 35-hour week by 2021, but have
blatantly refused to defend the Universal Service Obligation, which guarantees 6-days-a-week
delivery to all 30 million UK households, at the same price regardless of location.
blatantly refused to defend the Universal Service Obligation, which guarantees 6-days-a-week
delivery to all 30 million UK households, at the same price regardless of location.
They clearly want to shift to a 5-day or 3-day delivery, which would not only threaten 20,000 jobs,
but add to social isolation for millions of people who often rely on their local postie for human
contact, help in emergencies, and support.
but add to social isolation for millions of people who often rely on their local postie for human
contact, help in emergencies, and support.
Breaking up Royal Mail, setting Parcelforce apart as a separate entity, would be the first step to
GLS-style employment; bogus self-employment, insecure work, poverty pay, and back-breaking
workloads.
GLS-style employment; bogus self-employment, insecure work, poverty pay, and back-breaking
workloads.
Two Futures - Them or Us
As new technology and patterns of behaviour change the service from predominantly letters to
parcels and packages, the boardroom dictators are hellbent on slashing jobs, wages, rights,
dignity at work and public services, to turbocharge profits. They are trying to avoid or crush the
union, fully aware that the CWU and its members stand for an entirely different future, where
social provision trumps profiteering every time.
parcels and packages, the boardroom dictators are hellbent on slashing jobs, wages, rights,
dignity at work and public services, to turbocharge profits. They are trying to avoid or crush the
union, fully aware that the CWU and its members stand for an entirely different future, where
social provision trumps profiteering every time.
And the nightmarish likelihood of a Boris Johnson government, boosted by a general election
majority, adds to the privateers' arrogance - and to the gravity of this battle between two futures.
majority, adds to the privateers' arrogance - and to the gravity of this battle between two futures.
Demand Workers' Voice
The CWU wants to uphold the Four Pillars Agreement, including the chance to have a voice
over the entire role of the service in the modern world.
over the entire role of the service in the modern world.
And France gives us a glimpse of one aspect of this alternative vision. When postal service
bosses there wanted to cut costs and compete with the gig economy, the posties and their
unions resisted, demanded and won reforms. This includes formal recognition that part of the
posties' job description is called 'veiller sir mes parents' - 'keep an eye on my parents'. This
involves them checking in with pensioners on their rounds, and sending messages to their
family to keep them abreast of the wellbeing of their older relatives.
bosses there wanted to cut costs and compete with the gig economy, the posties and their
unions resisted, demanded and won reforms. This includes formal recognition that part of the
posties' job description is called 'veiller sir mes parents' - 'keep an eye on my parents'. This
involves them checking in with pensioners on their rounds, and sending messages to their
family to keep them abreast of the wellbeing of their older relatives.
Stamp Out Tory Assault
These contrasting futures are in collision, as Royal Mail bosses make no meaningful concessions
in talks, and massive strike action looks unavoidable and necessary to turn back the tide of assaults
on workers and the communities they service, alike.
in talks, and massive strike action looks unavoidable and necessary to turn back the tide of assaults
on workers and the communities they service, alike.
Trade unionists and socialists have a duty to build solidarity with the posties in this fight for their lives.
The bosses are deploying the media to whip up fear at the impact of strikes pre-Christmas, or the
impact of strike action during a general election.
impact of strike action during a general election.
We need to counter this with the truth; the bleak future if this marauding gang get away with looting
the vital public services millions rely on, after they've already plundered public funds for their own
grotesque financial gain.
the vital public services millions rely on, after they've already plundered public funds for their own
grotesque financial gain.
And the impact of pre-Christmas action, endorsed by an unprecedented mandate in the 97.1%
majority, is precisely the leverage required to halt the capitalist looters in charge of Royal Mail.
majority, is precisely the leverage required to halt the capitalist looters in charge of Royal Mail.
Renationalisation and Democracy
In building solidarity, the case for renationalisation of Royal Mail - for public ownership, but with
democratic working class control of plans and decisions - should be broadcast loud and clear.
The two contrasting, colliding visions and plans for the future make it starkly clear who stands
for a decent, civilised society, looking after people rather than profit.
democratic working class control of plans and decisions - should be broadcast loud and clear.
The two contrasting, colliding visions and plans for the future make it starkly clear who stands
for a decent, civilised society, looking after people rather than profit.
Stand by your posties! Build solidarity, in your unions and communities, to beat back the
capitalist looters. Demand renationalisation of Royal Mail and telecoms, to provide secure,
well-paid jobs and twenty-first century services to the public, instead of stuffing the pockets
of a few shareholders and Tory-funding directors.
capitalist looters. Demand renationalisation of Royal Mail and telecoms, to provide secure,
well-paid jobs and twenty-first century services to the public, instead of stuffing the pockets
of a few shareholders and Tory-funding directors.
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