Our strike remains solid!
CEO Thompson claims that "11,000 of his employees came back to work during the last strike". It's less than 1 in 10 of our number and we know very well that it's not our workmates doing this job, but mostly temps he has been able to employ to do the work...
But not all of it! he mentions only 700,000 parcels having been delivered. In his mind, letters have already been forgotten...!
In the meantime, the pay offer remains at “up to 9% over 18 months” ... so a real pay cut of 8%. But as we keep saying, this isn't just about pay! Thompson boasts that he is already recruiting new workers on "different contracts, but their terms conditions and pensions will still be the best in the industry. This is not the gig economy”. But gig economy is exactly what it is!
So yes, of course we have to keep up the fight! With many other workers joining strikes this December, the fight of each and every worker no matter which sector or industry, could be stronger. But that will not happen by itself. Dave Ward and others have mentioned in passing the words “general strike". They have even talked about coordination of strikes with other unions. And yes we all have more or less the same demands.
It would make sense if we joined in with the other workers, consciously and in an organised way and filled the streets with protest - a revolt of the poor! The seeming reluctance of the union leaders to pull their fingers out on this score makes us wonder if they are afraid of us fraternising with our fellows from other sectors and industries - we might, after all, get ideas!