Posties fight job losses

A CWU postal rep reports on the decision to back London posties striking over jobs and backed calls for a general strike in the public sector

London posties have voted by 79% in favour of strikes against plans to sack thousands of workers at four offices. Up to 3,500 workers be out on strike as early as 6 June, as well as joining other unions on the 30 June.
Royal Mail is closing East London and nine Elms Mail Centres and making swingeing cuts at Mount Pleasant Mail Centre and Rathbone Place Delivery Office. With plans to shed between 57 and 80 per cent of the workforce the union is demanding no compulsory redundancies.
In a splendid show of solidarity, the CWU conference agreed to support the strikers by refusing to “handle any of the work from London by un-agreed diversions”. If this results in suspensions, as it has in the past, then wildcat walkouts will inevitably follow.
But union militants must remember that wildcats failed to win in 2007, when CWU leaders Billy Hayes and Dave Ward buckled before the courts and called off the strikes. This time, the rank and file must control the action.
In a separate move, conference voted unanimously to call for a 24 hour general strike – yet more pressure on the TUC to up the ante.