Communication Workers Union

Letters - here are a selection of letters that we didn't have room for in the Voice.

GENERAL LETTERS

I think that Shaun Shute should read the daily papers and listen to radio and TV news to find out what is happening in this country today. Diesel in my area is �6.44 a gallon and council tax in my band is up around �100 pa. Gas and electricity prices are sky high and food prices are up because of transport cost. Record numbers are going to lose their homes but Gordon Brown says he will help? Shades of fiddling while Rome burns comes to mind. I would have had to to wait 22 months to see a specialist but for my membership of Benenden when I suffered Carpel tunnel syndrome and nerve damage to my arm and shoulder. The Labour government banished hand guns now we have an epidemic of murders with the same such guns, we have a part time defence secretary, while we fight wars in countries in which we have no interest, while not providing the troops with helicopters and flack jackets, extremists are granted asylum, murderers� cannot be sent back to their own countries because of their human rights! Ghurkhas who fought and died for this country have been threatened with deportation. By the way who brought in Postcomm, to ruin this wonderful postal service of ours which we gave the world, when others I read today that Postcomm think that we should let Equity companies buy into Royal Mail, I always thought that the intention was to sell it if off, now this proves that I and other postal workers always thought would happen, roll on the election when we can get rid of this lot.

James Crawford Retired Postman Carmarthen

Also in Postal Basket

Would it not be a good idea to issue a general rule book each year instead of diary? A rule book could inform of present pay scales, meal relief entitlement, attendance procedure, conduct code and bullying and harassment rulings and other information of benefit to the membership. Not everyone has access to the CWU website and a rule book could be most helpful.

Mr C Garnham Ipswich

I found the May/June copy of 'Voice' very interesting, in particular the articles on Frank Isahak and Leon Greenman.

'Remember the victims of homophobia' was very disturbing reading also. But it reminded me there are other atrocities being committed, not just abroad, but in this country. Perhaps the worst is the brutal murder of family members usually a daughter, in the name of so called 'Honor Killing'. In addition there are forced Marriages, sometimes the victims are as young as 14.It would also seem there are men in this country with more than one wife, which may not be so serious but still causes distress and is against the law of this country.

Our attention has been drawn, quite rightly, to what goes on abroad, but may I suggest that we also focus on some of the evils that go on in our own country.

Bob Harris, retired member, Solent,

In reply to the letter of Steve Higginson, Liverpool. And the reply to his comments from Tony Kearns. The Voice, June 2008.

I would like to say I have some agreement with both sides of the argument. As put forward by the aforementioned contributors. Although I think that that both manage to miss the point of what it might mean for working class people like ourselves.

Environmentalism is something that can be used as a controlling force on the masses. And I believe it a point that has not escaped the architects of the political scene be they right wing or pretending not to be. After all, writing to your local MP using language like working class reminds them too much of the growing wealth polarisation in society. Which is all in inconvenient truth to them. And is a sure fire way to ensure your correspondence goes swiftly to the �to shred� tray as oppose to the �to reply.� A truth that will become more inconvenient now many low earners, including 1000's in our industry, are being forced out of their cars by sky high petrol prices (60%+ of which is tax) and instead are using the public transport that is a disgrace to the 4^th largest economy in the world. Who for it�s own agenda I suspect has deliberately failed to invest in it despite all that petrol duty and highest total tax burden in the developed world. For, if almost everyone has a car that pollutes they can initially tax the pollution and the control comes later. People who use public transport however cannot be financially fleeced so easily by the treasury. And so become abandoned by society for being inconvenient, uncontrollable and political subversives.

Will the above agenda stop when part of society lives on champagne while the another lives in shanty towns with barely a bike never mind a car to their name, as the roads are a lot quieter to the rich people who now monopolize them, and the government boast what a good job they have done on CO2 emissions? I put a reminder to you how Margaret Thatcher thought nothing of creating mass unemployment to aid her ideals. Someone, not sure who, on the political scene right now would think nothing of creating a society divided between extreme consumerism and outrageous poverty for want of the environment and his/her cohorts. And far from being concerned about the spiralling price of energy is laughing it all up with a cigar. For he/she possibly hold Shell shares in a nominee rather than named account.

Yes of course, potential environmental catastrophe must be addressed. But if we let the right wing do it their way we will be the enslaved victims.

Richard Goddard, Sheffield

F.A.O. Simon Alford:Publications Editor.

Dear Simon,

Thank you most heartily for including a full page obituary of the late Leon Greenman in the recent May/June Postal Edition of The Voice.

It was a most appropriate tribute to a truly remarkable person and a very fine human being.

With due thanks, Yours faithfully,

Gary Kenneth WATT

Outer London Section Secretary

London North Western Counter & Clerical C.W.U. Branch

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the union for it's support in winning my claim ( ref 7/45847) for industrial deafness.

I would like to thank the voice for publishing Mr. Higginson's bitter letter but I would also like to thank Tony Kearns even more for his reasoned reply which addressed the issues without stooping to meaningless personal abuse.

We all must be aware of what I call the Jeremy Clarkson Syndrome whereby all people who believe in making the world a better place to live are dubbed with insulting names such as treehuggers,beardy wierdies,shorts and sandals brigade etc. We are all different and we all have our own priorities and agendas but at this time,if we are to stop the tories getting back in we must stop this nonsense that to be a true socialist you must not live in Islington,drink wine,eat in posh restaurants,hate dumbed down telly,support green issues,hate Bush,Clarkson,overpaid footballers and the list goes on and on.

I would like to ask Mr Higginson 1 question.Does he really think that it was the chattering classes who voted Ken out and the awful Boris in or does he admit it was the Sun reading GENUINE working class voter?

Finally I would say to Mr Higginson that surely it is better to have a posh person who votes Labour than a posh person who votes Tory and surely he must realise without working class tory voters the Conservatives would never get in. Live and let live Mr Higginson like a true member of the working and socialist classes.

Retired now for nearly twenty years I watch from a distance but with passionate interest the CWU�s massive problems brought about by the hateful Thatcher years. To the eternal shame of successive Labour governments they have totally failed to restore even the most basic union rights the Thatcher Governments stole. This allied to and I make no apology for saying this to the total stupidity of working people who cannot grasp what can be done by getting together has made the unions role very difficult. This is why the role of the giants our unions have produced both past and present must always be remembered. Perhaps Arthur Willitt was the first. When Post office and Telecom split he virtually single handed as a union rep converted the head Postmasters manual to what became known as the engineering instructions. The bible for BT in retiring he passed eighteen four drawer cabinets of union work to as I remember Warwick University. But let�s get to Jeannine Drake because she transcended in effect two ears. In both massively effective. She truly is a giant in union culture and deserves a long and very happy retirement � don�t try to drag her into other things. In closing I�d just like to touch on one of her earlier achievements and that was the introduction of flex time, and I mean flexitime not the feeble twittering apology if has now become.

Having seen the results of the Representative Elections I a feeling very depressed. My depression is not caused by the fine people who have, or have not been elected but by the returns figure.

What kind of message is sent to managers and directors when only ten or twelve percent of our ballot papers are returned? How can our representatives be taken seriously by management when nearly 90% of the membership could not be bothered to vote for them?

Out of 139,045 papers issued only 18,733 were returned � and of these 261 spoiled. The significance of these appalling figures will not be lost on managers. Don�t let them rub their hands with glee as they pour over their copies of �Voice� � give them a strong message that we are all active in our support for each other. VOTE!!

debate on the back page of the March/April issue of Voice. Although we all have a lot to think about in these difficult times they're insignificant compared to the dangers posed by the numbers of new reactors planned.

The morning of April 26, 1986 was much like any other for my late father in-law as he prepared for work on his farm in northern Sweden. But unknown to him what happened in Chernobyl 1500 miles away earlier that morning may have led to his premature death.

For following the explosion in the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, a plume of deadly radioactive material rose into the sky and blown by the wind quickly spread over much of Europe. By the time it had reached northern Sweden father in-law had been working in the rain for several hours, unaware that rain contained deadly cesium 137.

Over the months that followed he became progresively weaker having been diagnosed with cancer, eventualy passing away during October 1986.

Thankfullly since Chernobyl it seems the nuclear industry has improved safety but as more reactors are built the odds of another Chernobyl increase. Then of course there is what to do with all the waste products from the reactors - radioactive for half a million years. To put countless future generations in grave peril of radiation is immoral and the reason why a Labour government should not be announcing even one new reactor to be built.

I wish to express my gratitude to the National Executive Council for awarding me the gold badge of the union. I would also like to express my appreciation to our General Secretary, Billy Hayes for travelling to Northern Ireland to present the award.

My appreciation also goes to John Martin the Organiser of the event and to all my old colleagues who attended the occasion.