Opposition to the postal strikes?

[Bitter Ashes]

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/22092009/389/don-t-postal-strikes-ruin-credit-rating.html

Do you think this is intended to drum up opposition to the postal strikes? I was kinda grinding my teeth when I read this, but I suppose there's a (slim) chance it wasnt intended that way. I doubt it though.

[Sam_b]

Well, the article is true: unless you have set up direct debits the postal strikes could delay payments, yes.

However, strikes like these do tend to get passive elements of the working class in opposition: merely because it deprives them of a service. This is why right-wing tabloids and the like went on the attack on CWU strikes over the winter period, the firefighters' strikes, and suchlike. Fortunately here in Glasgow there has been a lot of support for the unofficial walkout action taking place, and we have had positivie interventions, including the mass meeting of 1100 postal workers yesterday. That end of the strike appears solid, so the onus is now on us to get the rest of the class on board with it. By handing out flyers, selling papers and making the arguments this could be a massive boost: strikes tend to fare much better when there is wide support for them.

[rednordman]

Already, I have seen alot of media showing staunch opposition to the strikes. Skynews had the best example of this, by using 'emotional' tactics like shedding light on the people who could get effected by this. There example was that of people who had to send cheques via post to pay bill etc. Basically trying to make the strikers look like they are holding the nation hostage. They never once explained the actual circumstances of the strike, just stated that the reasons for it came from an 'acient' time.

Incidently, what are the actual reasons for this strike? Is it just a protest at the blatantly obvious oncoming privatisation of virtually all public services?

[Pogue]

Yeh this is a problem, i.e. people turning against the strikers, essentially it just means we have to do our best to get out ideas about class conciousness out there, i.e. make people realise the bosses are to blame.

[rednordman]

i.e. make people realise the bosses are to blame.I appriciate your sentiment, but I think 90% of British people are pre-positioned to have a dog-like mentality when it comes to managers. Seriously, they are not going to ever blame the managers, even though you are 100% correct.

[Bitter Ashes]

I was actualy thinking of something recently because we may have somebody who's in a frontline public service intrested in joining our branch. They're concerned about taking industrial action because it'd be denying the public a service, which is a valid point I suppose. However, that doesnt mean that we should just wave the white flag for public services, it just means that we need to think more than just the cookie cutter strikes.

One suggestion somebody made to me was to do what the French did and take direct action against the bosses. Unfortuantly, not only is that classed as illegal industrial action, it may be considered a criminal offence too, which puts the workers at risk unless there's a mass support behind them already.

The other suggestion, (my one), was to use solidarity with other workers in the industry who can strike without having a negative impact on the public services. For example: School teachers are concerned about thier pay and conditions and ask another department of the council's employees, like council tax processors, to strike on thier behalf and agree to support them through it. The danger here is that this is also classed as illegal industrial action and the tax people could be legaly sacked as a result. If we learned anythign from Lindsey though, this can make the situation even worse for the employer.

I'm not sure how any of these could help postal workers, but I thought I'd offer some examples of more diverse ways to take action that may be more popular with the public, whilst still getting the message through to the employers.

[Pogue]

I appriciate your sentiment, but I think 90% of British people are pre-positioned to have a dog-like mentality when it comes to managers. Seriously, they are not going to ever blame the managers, even though you are 100% correct.

I disagree mate. Given the right context I think that they would easily see things clearly, I think its just that at the moment there is such a low amount of struggle and conciousness generally people simply don't see it.

[Psy]

I was actualy thinking of something recently because we may have somebody who's in a frontline public service intrested in joining our branch. They're concerned about taking industrial action because it'd be denying the public a service, which is a valid point I suppose. However, that doesnt mean that we should just wave the white flag for public services, it just means that we need to think more than just the cookie cutter strikes.

One suggestion somebody made to me was to do what the French did and take direct action against the bosses. Unfortuantly, not only is that classed as illegal industrial action, it may be considered a criminal offence too, which puts the workers at risk unless there's a mass support behind them already.

The other suggestion, (my one), was to use solidarity with other workers in the industry who can strike without having a negative impact on the public services. For example: School teachers are concerned about thier pay and conditions and ask another department of the council's employees, like council tax processors, to strike on thier behalf and agree to support them through it. The danger here is that this is also classed as illegal industrial action and the tax people could be legaly sacked as a result. If we learned anythign from Lindsey though, this can make the situation even worse for the employer.

I'm not sure how any of these could help postal workers, but I thought I'd offer some examples of more diverse ways to take action that may be more popular with the public, whilst still getting the message through to the employers.
[/quote]
There is really one solution that is to restart production under the governance of a strike council, for example in Winnipeg 1919 the general strike got so large a strike council was formed out of necessity so the strike could produce enough to sustain itself, we saw this again in Paris 1968. The only danger is at this point even the slowest capitalists start to notice a revolutionary situation exists.

[rednordman]

I disagree mate. Given the right context I think that they would easily see things clearly, I think its just that at the moment there is such a low amount of struggle and conciousness generally people simply don't see it.mmm..For me its mainly the action part that im not so optimistic about. Yes, A hell of a lot of people are critical of their managment, with good cause too. Its just the 'doing something about it' part that makes me loose faith. I think that law needs changing, but how on earth do you change the law so it is less discriminating towards workers? Im convinced that this cannot be done under parlamentary democracy either. If people ever voted for any party that would ever avocate such actions, then I honestly believe that the USA and other powerfull nations, would resort to using military action to achieve a 'coup e tat' to remove the democratically voted party out, and enforce a puppet democracy such as that in afganistan.

[Pogue]

I was actualy thinking of something recently because we may have somebody who's in a frontline public service intrested in joining our branch. They're concerned about taking industrial action because it'd be denying the public a service, which is a valid point I suppose. However, that doesnt mean that we should just wave the white flag for public services, it just means that we need to think more than just the cookie cutter strikes.

One suggestion somebody made to me was to do what the French did and take direct action against the bosses. Unfortuantly, not only is that classed as illegal industrial action, it may be considered a criminal offence too, which puts the workers at risk unless there's a mass support behind them already.

The other suggestion, (my one), was to use solidarity with other workers in the industry who can strike without having a negative impact on the public services. For example: School teachers are concerned about thier pay and conditions and ask another department of the council's employees, like council tax processors, to strike on thier behalf and agree to support them through it. The danger here is that this is also classed as illegal industrial action and the tax people could be legaly sacked as a result. If we learned anythign from Lindsey though, this can make the situation even worse for the employer.

I'm not sure how any of these could help postal workers, but I thought I'd offer some examples of more diverse ways to take action that may be more popular with the public, whilst still getting the message through to the employers.

We should not feel guilty about going on strike - it is always the bosses who force us to do it, not us choosing to stop work for the sake of it or ot deprive the public.

Hopefully in a revolutionary situation we could quickly set up revolutionary services, this has been done in the past, i.e. we take over the services under workers control and work them ourselves.

[rednordman]

We should not feel guilty about going on strike - it is always the bosses who force us to do it, not us choosing to stop work for the sake of it or ot deprive the publicBa...funnilly enough, every media source out there doesnt see it that way,- its all OUR fault, because we CHOOSE to do it. "we are the ones who are oppressing the individual managers:rolleyes:(poor managers, have to deal with us, even though its what they are payed to do and get 2Xs as much too)". Fuck them to death.!

[Pogue]

Ba...funnilly enough, every media source out there doesnt see it that way,- its all OUR fault, because we CHOOSE to do it. "we are the ones who are oppressing the individual managers:rolleyes:(poor managers, have to deal with us, even though its what they are payed to do and get 2Xs as much too)". Fuck them to death.!

All I can say is organise mate, get involved in the NSSN etc, build up workers solidarity :cool:

[Steve_j]

I fully support the strike, but must say, i have a couple of autonomist books in the post that im itching to get my grubby little hands on. Oh the irony :)