An activist team is challenging for positions in the Communications Workers Union (CWU). The rank-and-file group, 鈥淯nion Strong, Union Active鈥, is contesting all senior positions, including for president.
CWU organiser Anthony Veal told 麻豆传媒 Radio how the leadership had failed to take up the fight over pay and conditions to management. During COVID-19, postal workers were made to double their delivery rounds each day from one to two and 50% of all workers were laid off.
In addition, postal workers were not asked to participate in decision over a new Memorandum聽of Understanding, that drastically altered conditions for the worse outside of their enterprise agreement.
Veal explained how the group鈥檚 push for more union activism came from the informal group 鈥淧issed Off Posties Get United Now鈥.
鈥淢embers would ring me up and say 鈥業鈥檝e been in the union for 25 years and I鈥檝e just resigned because I felt there鈥檚 no benefit for me鈥. It鈥檚 really breaking my heart and I really wanted to bring it back to what it was supposed to be.鈥
The activist ticket has faced聽difficulties because it doesn鈥檛 have the leadership鈥檚 connections and resources.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e not organised, you鈥檙e a rabble. You鈥檙e on your own and you鈥檙e easily picked out. You鈥檙e led in the wrong direction. It鈥檚 organise, organise, organise!鈥 Veal emphasised.
[The ballot ended on June 30. The results will be posted . Find out more information .
Addendum:聽The Union Strong, Union Active team received approximately one third of the vote but聽did not win any leadership positions. The聽team has now become an incorporated association, as 鈥淯nion Active INC鈥.聽It plans to fight聽on with the next campaign focussed on securing a good enterprise agreement.