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| Striking Workers On Southampton Picket Line Photo: Rob Hayhurst, used with permission |
The above photo shows striking Royal Mail workers on the picket line in Shirley, Southampton. On one of the strike days, 14th December 2022, our investigator Andrew Pope who is a business owner and former postman, went to speak with them, to listen to their views about the dispute and to reassure them that the dispute would be reported fairly by Southampton Independents.
At the picket line, Andrew met Rob Hayhurst from the Wessex South Central branch of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) and asked for a statement.
On the eve of more strikes on the 23rd and 24th December 2022, an open letter has now been received from Mr Hayhurst.
It is offered unedited and in full. And here is the header from the letter "An open letter from your postie and their union":
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| Header of Open Letter from CWU |
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We have successfully delivered Christmas for over 500 years and we want to continue to do so.
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We deliver 6 days a week, with Posties doing on average a half marathon every day in all weather conditions!
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As keyworkers we delivered to our customers every day whilst the country was in lockdown.
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Posties don’t want to strike, but the CEO is looking to asset strip and wreck your postal service! He’s served the company for less than 2 years and does not care about the customer, the staff or the industry!
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He wants to close this customer service point.
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He claims we’re losing 1 million a day! We’re not and this will be bourne out in financial figures that come out in April. It may also help if they hadn’t of given over half a billion pound to shareholders during a massive cost of living crisis!
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They have not offered 9% not even close and what they have proposed for our terms and conditions means nobody would want to do this job anymore. We can’t keep staff as it is! We may as well go work for Amazon, same conditions, same pay, much easier work ie not walking a half marathon everyday.
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Bringing in new recruits on significantly inferior terms and conditions, how does that benefit the economy or young people who want to make a life for themselves, maybe get a mortgage.
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The CEO claims we are turning into a parcels company! If that’s the case why is our Royal Mail fleet in the worst state our RM mechanics have seen in 40 years, Why are our Personnel Digital Assistant(the things you sign when you get a parcel) the worst in the industry.
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Our union isn’t frightened of change, we embrace change! But modernisation is not gig economy employment!
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WE ARE HARD WORKING DECENT CONTIENTIOUS WORKING PEOPLE WHO TAKE PRIDE IN THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE! IF WE HAD ANY OTHER CHOICE, WE WOULD DO IT! BUT WE DON’T
#StandByYourPost"