12 weeks 2 save your Fire Service! Tell politicians No2FireCuts in twitter consultation: see poster have your say!

12 weeks 2 save your Fire Service! Tell politicians No2FireCuts in twitter consultation: see poster have your say!: 12 weeks 2 save your Fire Service! Tell politicians No2FireCuts in twitter consultation: see poster have your say!

Next Trades Council Meeting set for Monday 11th February

Bridgwater Trades Union Council will be holding their monthly meeting for February at the Railway Club, Wellington Road Bridgwater on  Monday 11th at 7.30.

The AGM was held in January and we are looking for affiliations for 2013.

We will also be holding regular surgeries for workplace issues before each meeting. Contact us for further details bridgwatertuc@gmail.com

First Devon & Cornwall Bus Strike - Industrial Action suspended

INDUSTRIAL ACTION SUSPENDED

Bus drivers working for First Devon & Cornwall, who recently voted 85% for strike action,  have received a revised offer from the company, aimed at trying to resolve the current dispute and this is being considered by the RMT's Executive Committee.

Strike action which was scheduled for Thursday 8^th November 2012 is now SUSPENDED. This is to allow for a consultation of members to take place. The overtime ban and rest day working ban which was due to commence on Sunday 11^th November 2012 to Saturday 17^th November 2012 is also suspended.

Solidarity to all our bus driver colleagues in Devon and Cornwall from Bridgwater Trades Union Council.

"An injury to one is an injury to all!"

Argos is being hit by strikers around the
country including Bridgwater

Yesterday was the first of a four-day strike by hundreds of Unite Bridgwater ARGOS warehouse workers.

The protest strike concerns a vicious attack on workers' pensions, similar to that perpetrated by Uniliver at their factories, including Walls Ice Cream at Gloucester, earlier in the year.


I attended the Unite picket line yesterday on behalf of the Bridgwater Trades Union Council.

Support for the strike, which also includes four other ARGOS distribution depots, was excellent, with very few crossing the twenty-strong picket/members support line.

Wincanton PLC drivers who work at ARGOS have been subject to threatening letters, should they stop their lorries on the picket line let alone refuse to cross. Solidarity is therefore important.

Local trades unionists are welcome at Huntworth-off the M5 slip road-any time during /Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. (The depot closes on Saturdays)

Please try and find time to make that solidarity visit!

If you can't make either the picket line or the store leaflet, you can send an E-mail message of support to me (davechapple@btinternet.com) and I will pass it on.

DAVE CHAPPLE, SECRETARY, BRIDGWATER & DISTRICT TRADES UNION COUNCIL

BRIDGWATER RAIL TICKET OFFICE HOURS CUT

Campaigning group Friends of Bridgwater Station have written to Managing Director of First Great Western, Mark Hopwood, asking for an explanation for the sudden reduction in opening hours of the rail station ticket office, and a commitment to a more reliable service in future.
A notice has recently appeared on the station door stating that the ticket office will close at 12.45pm each day: "due to unforeseen circumstances".

UNFORESEEN

This is a net loss of 10.5 hours a week, for a busy station whose current opening hours are inadequate in any case. The ticket office closes officially at 2.30pm each day, and is closed all day Sunday. This is nowhere near enough opening hours to cope with demand, and it is time First Great Western showed more respect for the town of Bridgwater by providing an adequate service at the station.

There is nothing "unforeseen about the fact that FGW don't employ enough staff to provide cover, and have taken too long to fill the full-time vacancy at Bridgwater station, which was advertised months ago.

CIRCUMSTANCES...

Friends of Bridgwater Station want a commitment from First Great Western that the vacancy will be filled, that the opening hours will be reviewed and that the staffing situation will be improved, so that future "unforeseen circumstances" do not continue to inconvenience the travelling public, who deserve a better deal from a company which is making vast profits.


Contact details: Glen Burrows 07722 087 675
FRIENDS OF BRIDGWATER STATION

POSTAL WORKERS WILDCAT STRIKE VICTORY

Dave Chapple-CWU shop steward

The Bridgwater 48-hour wildcat strike ended successfully this morning at 6am, with an overwhelming vote by CWU members to endorse shop steward Dave Chapple's recommendation to return on the following terms:

 

1. The suspended postman would be returned to work immediately with any disciplinary investigations completed within 48 hours.

 

2. National talks would begin covering all major industrial relations problems at Bridgwater Delivery Office, including CWU concerns of heavy-handed management, breaking agreements with the CWU, un-agreed cuts in hours, and hospital appointments.

Sunday's talks, involving CWU acting Deputy General Secretary Ray Ellis and national officer Bob Gibson, finally broke through Royal Mail's previously aggressive stance, and paved the way to get the suspended postman back to work without the threat of recriminations against any CWU members for taking part in the walkout.

Dave Wilshire, Bristol CWU Branch Secretary, said:

"Royal Mail can say what it likes but the fact is they would not talk to us about lifting this suspension until the strike went into it's second day: that's a fact.

However, to be positive, It is good to hear from Dave Chapple at Bridgwater Delivery Office that the return to work today is proceeding smoothly without major problems. This is a major Royal Mail turnaround from last Friday, when it looked like we might be out on strike for a week or more.

 

Our suspended CWU member will return to work today with the threat of serious disciplinary action removed: the other issues members were on strike about should now be addressed.

The tremendous solidarity shown once again by 110 Bridgwater postal workers has, we believe, forced Royal Mail to show some common sense: we hope this approach continues!"

Dave Wilshire,

Branch Secretary
07909 525 740

Lightning Strike at Bridgwater Sorting Office

At 7.30am this morning 100 Royal Mail workers at Bridgwater Delivery Office in Somerset walked out in a lightning protest strike against Royal Mail managers' bullying and breaking agreements with their trade union the CWU.

The postmen and women, many with 30 years service, are angry that a postman with 25 years service has been suspended from duty for an alleged swearing incident, when the other postman concerned has written to Royal Mail asking for the case to be dropped and the postman re-instated.

bullying and harassment

CWU members believe a heavy-handed disciplinary policy, which currently includes Royal Mail posting eight managers to a workplace designed for four, has led to an increased managers' bullying and harassment culture.

Royal Mail are also blatantly breaking agreements with the union on daily staffing levels-called 'lapsing' in Royal Mail, training, and annual leave.

worry and stress

The final issue that must be addressed is Royal Mail changing their policy on staff hospital visits without negotiating this change with the CWU. Previously staff were allowed sufficient paid time off to attend hospital: now they are being forced to go to hospital in their own time which only serves to increase workers' worry and stress.

Dave Wilshire, Bristol and District CWU Branch Secretary, said:

"The overwhelming support for today's walkout at Bridgwater Delivery Office only confirms our belief that there is something radically  wrong with the way this workplace is managed. Whilst this strike is first and foremost a decisive protest against an unfair suspension, the underlying and fundamental issues of breaking national agreements with the CWU and heavy-handed bullying managers must be addressed sooner or later: we would like to resolve this today."  "

For further details contact Dave Wilshire on 07909 525 740 or Dave Chapple, Branch Chair on 0777 6304 276