dustry.
with loss of security facing their jobs being put casualised.
In the PO comprehensive package before the sorting office delivery staff which will see job-cutting productivity schemes, casual and part-time labour plus the introduction of a new generation of technology. Counter staff face continued closure the crown and sub office netWill conference face up to the challenge or will it register a retreat? At the centre of the problem wil be the position taken by the executive on the proposals for sorting oftici delivery staff. The package presented PO management as the 'deal of the century. Certainly if accepts the package the PO will have got a wonderful Darea It will have Optical Cypher Recognition machines in 20 offices with least 300 jobs made redundant. further round of job cuts through productivity deal ing. it will have 20,000 part-time casual workers introduced all Ins wilhoul laklg al hour off the 43 hour working week that sorters and delivery staff are at present working both British Telecoms (BT) and the Post Office (PO) are introducing sweeping changes into the conditions of employment in the communications inIn BT whole sections of the workforce are faced employment. For telephonists a major restructuring of their grade has led to job losses. Meanwhile, auxiliary grades such as cleaners, bookeepers, and general assistants are out to contract : ог basic wage stagnates and continues to tall behind in flation. New divisions will undermine • the that must be forged to fight privatisation. There will be divisions between part and full time workers, between high and low bonus fices, between older workers seeking redundancy payments younger workers seeking job security (personal capacity)
The package is essentially the presented to the specia conference in March rejected. Since then, not only has the miners' strike ended but the executive committee has spared no effort in attempts demobilise the membership's stand Early indications are that offices which in March mandated against the deal are now mandating for ac ceptance in May.
should register the progress that I being made towards the establishment or a single union for communication workers. Liaison with the NCU is making commendable progress, reflecting the overwhelming among the area member ship for a fusion of the rank and file unions. A battery of amendments seek to speed up democratise this process.
One extremely contentious matter that is to di discussed is the members' auditors report which brings to light a lending facility for executive com mittee members and full time officers. This facility has been established without any previous reference to Conference will need 1o support the stand of the members' auditors against this abuse U C
----- pull-quotes -----
THE 1985 conference of the Union of Communica- tion Workers (UCW) takes place at a time when