#postal worker strike

[fayrobertsuk]

It’s Striking

Here’s the thing: the mail strikes are going to inconvenience me this year (have already done so - I get my meds via post), but I can mitigate against that. The nursing strikes, thank goodness, did not affect me directly, but I can see how they might if the future ones are necessary. Rail strikes are less of a thing for me currently as I’m not risking exposing my knackered immune system to public transport. That’s not the point.

All these events are inconveniencing people, making some parts of their lives harder, but if you’re not thinking about how workers choosing to protest in the only way left available to them - by withdrawing their labour, and crucially, not getting paid - and how vital these services are just by how they impact you, I don’t know what to tell you.

Everyone. EVERYONE needs to have the means at their disposal to live well, cover their basic needs of food and water, shelter, warmth, stability, security, family. EVERYONE. I’m not talking about deserving, I’m talking about needing. Every person on this planet needs the access to sustainable, secure living. And yes, I include in that criminals and drug users and people who don’t want to work. Everyone has the right to survival. The people on strike don’t have that. Their pay and conditions are so bad that people are leaving their organisations in droves, and those left are not being supported (not least because it’s proving difficult to replace the colleagues they’ve lost). They’re struggling to feed and safely house themselves and their families. This CANNOT be happening in the 21st Century, where we have more obscenely wealthy people than ever.

Union members think long and very hard before striking; it’s a huge matter for debate and negotiation, and is voted on by everyone in the union before the action is taken. Striking is a last resort, which should tell you a LOT.

So if you’re feeling angry or inconvenienced about it, do not blame the strikers - they are making an incredibly courageous move, and it’s the fault of the people failing to give them the means for survival (crucially - people who are incredibly wealthy and secure) that your post and your non-urgent medical appointments are being delayed, and you’re having to find other ways to get to work and school, etc. It’s on those failing to negotiate meaningfully, the greedy people putting profit above the safety and security of people like you. Don’t be fooled by media manipulation - those on strike have far more in common with you than you have with those telling you that the strikers are wrong. Never forget that. And never forget the importance of collective bargaining and the fact that rich people need you, and that you have more power than you realise.

#industrial action #support the strikers #strike #rail strike #postal worker strike #royal mail strike #nurses strike #collective bargaining #join a union #I'm BEGGING you #strength in numbers #capitalism #late stage capitalism #fay speaks #striking

[justbritishproblems]

“Universal Service Obligation” vs “Royal Mail is actually a private company” debate is a really good argument for why it should be a publicly owned service. It really is. The whole “letters are a loss making service” is also another reason to make it a public service: to protect the rights of every citizen to freely send whatever shit they want to anyone else in the country. Because if I have to hear another postie say: “I hope the strikes help to remove the Universal Service Obligation” I may scream.

#british problems #british #uk politics #britishproblems #problems #british politics #politics #england #postie #postal worker strike

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

BuT tHe PuBlIc DoNt SuPpOrT tHe StRiKeS

#uk politics #strikes #industrial action #public opinion #nurses #rmt #teachers #postal workers #bigger majorities here than the Tories ever got

[ihateflying]

Please please share this!

Royal mail ceo Simon Thompson has decided to go ahead with his plans to de-recognise the communication workers union by ignoring legally binding agreements and unilaterally deciding to forge ahead with changes that benefit the company, the shareholders and managers. They have recently been attempting to delay any further strike action and even trying to declare further industrial action illegal.

He has the tories on his side but we'll keep fighting until we're done. Fuck Simon Thompson. Fuck royal mail. Fuck the rich. Fuck the company. Fuck the tories backing these cunts.

Personally I think we need to more direct with methods of "communicating our intent" but we'll see about that.

If you have twitter let royal mail know they they can go fuck themselves.

-Edit-

Royal mail have once again brought nothing to the table with talks and think they can break us.

There are more strikes happening and I myself shall be at my mail centre from 6am onwards.

Postal workers work day and night, we worked through the lockdown and recieved fuck all from Royal Mail bar a slap in the face. Once again I'm asking people to share this and to let Royal mail know they fucked up.

#royal mail #support royal mail workers #uk politics #cwu #anti capitalism #communication workers union #strike #strike action #simon thompson #ceo #RM #postal workers #post #fuck the rich #fuck the tories #unite the union

[gwydionmisha]

#Postal Workers #Unions #Strikes #UK #News

[joeywreck]

Would be wild if rail workers, postal workers and retail workers just happen to go on strike at the same time.

#rail workers #strike #retail #postal workers #ups

[bisexualspace]

anyways people bitching that winter/Christmas season “isn’t the right time to strike” or complaining about rail workers, postal workers, and health care staff striking during the busiest part of the year, can just get fucked

Striking shouldn’t be convenient! We don’t want it to be convenient! These systems have functioned on our good will for decades, and you’re mad that your package is delayed? You should be more upset over nurses and junior doctors needing to use food banks to feed themselves and their families. Rail workers and postal workers not being able to afford to heat their homes. Functional pay cuts of 30% over the past 15 years.

The whole bloody point is to show people how valuable our work is.

#strikes #speaking from experience #the amount of free labour junior doctors have provided the nhs even in the last year is astronomical #I mean I estimate minimum 100 hrs of free labour just from me alone #and I don’t doubt nurses are doing similar shit or sacrificing in other ways #postal workers and rail workers as well #like we all sacrifice in our own way #and get paid very little in the meantime

[unimportantweirdo]

if! you! want! a! magnus! archives! bracelet!

today (11th december) is the day to order one if you want it before christmas go to BugBeadsBox on etsy i'm making and posting orders today so if you want a tma bracelet hopefully by christmas go get one!!

edit: i also sell rqg, dnd and stellar firma stuff which is why they are also tagged, sorry for not being clear initially!

#ive had some issues with the postal service #bc strikes and stuff #which is annoying but also i understand and support the workers #the magnus archives #tma #kandi #kandi bracelet #jon sims #martin blackwood #tim stoker #sasha james #rusty quill #rusty quill gaming #sasha rambles #zolf smith #grizzop drik acht amsterdam #hamid saleh haroun al tahan #azu #cel sidebottom #rqg #gerry keay #gerard keay #small business #etsy

[calamitys-child]

Just got the world's single most evil email (shipping on my new winter jacket is delayed)

#i didn't even know they made emails so callous and cruel #notification from my online purchases is the only reason i ever check my damn emails and its A DELAY?? #a hundred thousand deaths upon ye all #(<- in case anyone is not clear. this is a bit! i want my new winter coat bc im cold but i recognise there are many potential delays #including striking postal workers the absolute circus around the monarchy and simply the number of hours in a day. i hope the person who #eventually delivers my jacket is well compensated and not faced with unbearable deadlines for their time and labour)

[netscapenavigator-official]

I’m bringing this format back for this one special occasion.

#meme #memes #strike #railway strike #rail workers #postal #postal workers #usps #usps strike #economy #destroy the economy #capitalism #fuck capitalism

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Calgary postal workers burning Jean Chrétien in effigy during the 1997 postal strike. Calgary Herald, December 3 1997

#calgary #effigy #burned in effigy #postal workers #canada post #prime minister of canada #jean chrétian #strike #picket line #picketing #letter carriers #canadian politics #canadian history #working class struggle #working class politics

[postcard-from-the-past]

1910 strike of the railway workers in Paris

French vintage postcard

#vintage #tarjeta #briefkaart #1910 #strike #postcard #photography #postal #carte postale #sepia #ephemera #historic #paris #french #ansichtskarte #postkarte #railway #workers #postkaart #photo

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

Support Posties if they strike.

#uk politics #strikes #unions #postal workers #posties #royal mail #mail workers #delivery workers #extreme heat

[niveditaabaidya]

Germany's Postal Workers Begin Two Day Strike. #germany #hungary #eu #ec...

#youtube #Germany's Postal Workers Begin Two-Day Strike. germany hungary eu economy norway finland belarus border Postal workers across Germany are g

[ititledit]

Some 115,000 Royal Mail postal workers have walked out on strike in a dispute over pay.

It is the first of four days of industrial action, with walk-outs also taking place on 31 August as well as 8 and 9 September.

Letters will not be delivered on strike days and some parcels will be delayed, Royal Mail warned.

The union representing the workers is demanding a pay rise that more closely reflects the current rate of inflation.

Royal Mail apologised to customers and said it had contingency plans to minimise the disruption.

On strike days it will deliver as many Special Delivery and Tracked 24 parcels as possible, it said. It will also prioritise the delivery of medical prescriptions where possible.

However, it said items posted the day before a strike, during the strike or on the days after may be delayed.

The company is encouraging people to post items as early as possible to avoid disruption.

It comes as Royal Mail said the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents the strikers, had rejected a pay rise offer "worth up to 5.5%" after three months of talks.

The union has called for Royal Mail to increase wages to an amount that "covers the current cost of living".

Inflation, the rate at which prices rise, is at a 40-year high of 10.1% and expected to surpass 13% later this year.

Postal worker Hannah Carrol, who is part a strike at Whitechapel in East London, said she wanted to see wages rise in line with the growing cost of living.

"The price of everything's going up, people are having to do more and more overtime," she said.

Ms Carrol said she "couldn't believe" how much the cost of necessities such as butter was increasing and said this justified the need for higher wages.

"People are running themselves into the ground in order to feed their families and working seventy hour weeks just to make ends meet - it's ridiculous".

Businesses which use Royal Mail have also issued warnings to customers.

The card company Moonpig has advised customers to order early where possible but said its gifts and flowers use different delivery services so would be unaffected by the strikes.

The flower firm Bunches said it would send goods using DPD's next day courier service for a reduced price on strike dates.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward told Sky News: "We are going to fight very hard here to get the pay rise our members deserve."

"There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve."

He added: "We can't keep on living in a country where bosses rake in billions in profit while their employees are forced to use food banks.

"When Royal Mail bosses are raking in £758m in profit and shareholders pocketing in excess of £400m, our members won't accept pleads of poverty from the company."

Royal Mail's latest adjusted operating profit for the year to March was £416m, up from £344m a year earlier.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said the business could not "cling to outdated working practices, ignoring technological advancements and pretending that Covid has not significantly changed what the public wants from Royal Mail".

"While our competitors work seven days a week, delivering until 10pm to meet customer demand, the CWU want to work fewer hours, six days a week, starting and finishing earlier," they added.

"The CWU's vision for Royal Mail would create a vicious spiral of falling volumes, higher prices, bigger losses, and fewer jobs."

The company said it remained ready for further talks to avert the strikes, but that they "must be about both change and pay".

Chairman Keith Williams has said the firm is losing £1m a day as parcel volumes fall and efforts to modernise the business stall.

#support strikers #support the strike #fuck royal mail #fuck the tories for privatising royal mail #fuck the tories #protect our workers #postal workers were essential during the pandemic #they deserve to live comfortably #postal workers remain essential now #strike #solidarity forever

[gay-jewish-bucky]

With a lot of the media coverage of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes being incredibly anti-union, as well as intentionally twisting the words of those participating in or supporting the strikes, you can easily tell which news agencies are financially tied to the studios and the AMPTP. If you can't tell at a glance, look it up. (It's not a conspiracy, and I won't stand for people treating it as such, it's publicly available information with a quick internet search.)

This is an intentional act to turn the wider public, often people who don't know what the industry is like, against the strike and the workers asking for a fair contract, posing it as a greedy and irresponsible tantrum by entitled divas who are already overpaid.

This is not the reality of working in the film or television industry, the majority of union members in creative fields are underemployed and barely scraping by. They are frequently taken advantage of by studios, who care more about cutting costs to increase their bottom line, than they care about the people whose hard work they get rich off of.

That's not to ignore that this exploitation still applies to those big names, it does. There are many horror stories out there from actors about how they've been treated on certain productions. Even if it didn't happen to them, those workers standing with the little guy is an incredible show of cross-class allyship and solidarity, it should be respected.

It's also important to be aware that the same tactic is taken against every labour union, even ones where there is no chance of reaching the level of fame and wealth as Hollywood actors. Look at how the media treats sanitation union strikes, and postal workers strikes, and teachers union strikes etc, etc. This isn't any different.

It's important, as the audience for the film and television industries, that we are very cautious with what sources we are relying on for information and are wary of those pushing an anti-union or union-critical stance. Don't let yourself be fooled into siding with the studios.

Stand with WGA

Stand with SAG-AFTRA

Support unions

Support all workers

#sag #sag aftra #aftra #sag strike #sag aftra strike #aftra strike #sag strong #sag aftra strong #pro union #strike guidelines #actors strike #wga strike #wga strong #writers strike