AN ATTEMPT by Royal Mail through a wholesale change been rejected by the CWU agenda" seeks to introduce teamwork, abolish allowances in payment which would cut shift earnings, establish a productivsonal development assessments.
In delvery omices the team leaders will be the managers. from 40 CWU postal branches attended an open conference to discuss the employee agenda in the week running up to the executive meeting. ance of Alan Johnson the General Secretary. He had urged CWU members not to attend the meeting, then issuco threats against executive council members involved in the conference. thrown cown in aunties co Royal Mall management, rejecting their agenda and pushing for. ward with the union's claim for a shorter working week. been trying to avold such a confrontation in the run up to the General Election.
As a repurs prepared for the postal workers are already owed a shorter working week of the Introduction of new technol *Pressure must be maintained claim of a phased introduction The opposition to the employee agenda represents a real breakthrough for left organisaYet despite the high degree of militancy the left is organisatlonally weak. This has enabled Alan johnson has to ouck • na tlonal confrontation with Royal Mall despite the huge attack on Jobs in all parts of the country.
It Is quite likely that Royal Mall will now try and provoke a The last year nas seen a grow Ing use of confrontational tacThe employee agenda was seen as a way of tying the workforce to Increased productivity strength through teamworking.
A national confrontation with the union will be the only way Blair: a Lobour government will try to introduce partnership" into Royal Moil management can push forward their job cutting agenda.
A national dispute will force the Issue of privatisation back Into the centre of political debate.
It will also place Tony Blair in a dilemma. How will a Labour government introduce "partnership™ Into Royal Mall when It has provoked a national fightback!
The employee agenda is in many ways a blueprint for a publIcly owned company under Labour's new Clause Four.
The CWU postal branches now have to prepare for the bat. tle ahead, organising among the membership to explain why the Employee Agenda was rejected.
All attempts to introduce teamworking must be resisted.
The open conference needs to reconvene to co-ordinate its activity. This will then open a new agenda set by the work. force of job security and a Alan McBowes