- Defy the high court ruling
- Mobilise the trade union movement to support Royal Mail workers
“Workers across the UK will rightly be angered by the High Court’s decision to back Royal Mail rather than 110,000 CWU members who overwhelming voted for strike action.
“Rather than engage with the union to resolve the dispute, management instead chose to run to the High Court in a clear attempt to ignore the democratic result of workers in their strike ballot. The CWU are effectively being penalised for achieving an active 97% yes vote.
“It should come as no surprise that the High Court judge overseeing the case would back the capitalist bosses as they defend their failed system. Meanwhile the courts have ignored the issues that Royal Mail have broken agreements and plan to attack working conditions and job security.
“This verdict poses a serious question about workers’ right to withdraw their labour under the already tough Anti Trade Union laws brought in by Tory governments. It is clear Royal Mail want to try and bankrupt the CWU through court action and therefore weaken postal workers.
“The response from the wider labour movement should indeed be one of outrage. There needs to be a strong response from the CWU, and this will require the active support and solidarity of the entire trade union movement.
“This is a blatant attack on our rights and must be met with the strongest possible response. The ruling for the rich elite over the ordinary worker shows how rotten this system is and needs to be overthrown – solidarity with all fellow CWU members. Workers of the world unite!”
Socialist Alternative calls for:
- The TUC to call a mass demonstration to kickstart a program of action to fight to defend trade union rights and against attacks on jobs, terms and conditions
- Demonstrations in every town and city in defence of the CWU and the right to strike
- Build unofficial action – where postal workers feel they have the strength in numbers and organisation walkouts should take place in defiance of the ruling. The CWU and wider trade union movement should support moves to do this in any way possible
- Affiliated unions to call on Labour to pledge in their election manifesto to repeal all anti-union laws, the 2015 Trade Union Act as well as the laws introduced in the 80s and 90s by successive Tory and New Labour governments
- A Corbyn-led Labour government — mobilise to fight for the nationalisation of Royal Mail plus all delivery and courier services
