POSTAL WORKERS “SAY IT WITH SILENCE” AS STRIKE BALLOTS BEGIN DROPPING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Thursday 5th March 2020
POSTAL WORKERS “SAY IT WITH SILENCE” AS STRIKE BALLOTS BEGIN DROPPING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Thousands of CWU members in Royal Mail have shown that they won’t be intimidated by Royal Mail, as they gear up to deliver a “yes” vote.
The “Say It With Silence” day of action took place in hundreds of workplaces in meetings around the country this morning (Thursday).
The CWU’s official Twitter account received and shared approximately 100 videos of union members covering their mouths and holding union posters in silence.
The gesture is intended as a reference to the CWU being legally restricted from taking strike action late last year.
In October 2019, a ballot of CWU’s 110,000 postal members delivered a 97.1% “yes” vote for strike action on a 75% turnout.
However, an injunction filed by Royal Mail Group to prevent the strike was granted by the Royal Courts of Justice in November 2019.
The ruling meant that the union was forced to ballot its members about strike action again.
The CWU opened the national ballot on Monday 2nd March, and the ballot will close on Tuesday 17th March.
Commenting, CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said: “Our members fell silent today, but not in the way the bosses might prefer.
“In offices across the width and breadth of this country, our members have made it very clear that they won’t be gagged or intimidated by anyone trying to prevent them from exercising their right to take action.
“No courts or managers will break their spirit. Our members are the backbone of the Royal Mail and they will stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to protect that proud institution from the corroding influence of private profit.
“Our members said it with silence today, but they’ll be a little bit less silent in the coming weeks, where I am sure they will deliver a massive yes vote for industrial action.”
ENDS
For further information: pressofficer@cwu.org