By Mike Rowley
Several hundred posties at Oxford sorting office got back to work on Monday to find that Steve Gill, a Post Office driver and one of their union reps, had been suspended from work without charge by the management.
Management threw their agreement with the CWU out of the window, refusing to tell Steve or the union why he'd been suspended (on the ludicrous ground that it was "too serious"!) or to allow him to be represented in "interviews" about his suspension by anyone from the Union. They also tried the same thing with a union rep at Abingdon, a few miles away. In both places there was a spontaneous walkout of all the posties on shift, and in Abingdon the management immediately backed down. Here in Oxford, though, those in charge have now threatened the other three CWU reps with suspension on no ground at all (the management "are not happy with them", apparently). This is clearly a major, deliberate and politically motivated attack on the postal workers' representation in this 100% solid union workplace.
Over to Dona Velluti, President of Oxford Trades Council: "CWU Oxford Branch have asked for a public display of solidarity, and given how difficult the situation is we really need to make it big. All those who support them are invited to turn up at a rally this coming Friday (20th July) at 6:30pm at the Mail Centre in Cowley (opposite the Original Swan). The media will be there so we need a lot of people to pull it off. Please come along with your banners bringing your branch members and their family, friends, significant others, evil twins, neighbours, pets, etc. Huge issues are at stake in this dispute."
Anyone who can't be there, and members of union branches in other parts of the country, please send messages of support to the CWU Oxford Branch Chair, Paul Garraway: paulgarraway@hotmail.com