[Peter_]

I will post that letter as I am not an employee as it makes interesting reading.

From the office of John East| Assistant Secretary (Telecoms)

Email jeast@cwu.org | Direct line 020 8971 7242

Maurice Daw

Executive Director – Access

Virgin Media



15th November 2012



Dear Maurice



De-recognition of the CWU



I am writing to you to express our extreme disappointment at the actions of your Access Division management and to seek clarity on a few issues you have raised in your recent communications.



As you know, our Recognition agreement is a voluntary agreement, jointly entered into. The first paragraph of our joint agreement defines the nature of our relationship:



“It indicates the spirit of mutual trust and respect in which the parties agree to work together”



The way your intention to begin the process of de-recognition was conveyed to the CWU betrays this spirit. We had no inkling that Virgin Media felt there were any issues with our relationship. So I must formally record on behalf of our membership we are disappointed that the Access division management you chose to set aside and ignore those of the principles of the agreement.



The way this process has been handled has done nothing but damage the reputation of Access management in terms of fairness, honesty and trust, all of which we presume you would claim as Virgin Values.



It is our belief that you have been badly advised, to the detriment of the company and its workforce.



The “referendum” is prejudicial:



No attempt has been made to even give the impression of independence.
Those not covered by our agreement are getting a vote to end it.
The process is entirely one sided –home mailshots, roadshows, 1-2-1’s, emails and briefings from senior managers on the one side, a statement from the CWU on an obscure website on the other.



The process undermines all that Virgin professes to support and if you allow this to continue is damaging to the Virgin brand which would be regrettable.



If you are so minded to agree with this divisive approach, it beholds the company to explain what it intends doing with the result.



Ø Why did the company not agree the list of people who will get a vote?

Ø Why is the company not using a licensed Independent Scrutineer to carry out the vote?

Ø Are there a minimum number of employees that have to take part in the vote as would be required in a statutory ballot?





Ø What is the minimum number of employees that have to vote Yes to carry the vote?


Our members do not accept that this process has any legitimacy.



Turning to your most recent written communication “Virgin Media Keep Up”, you assert that the CWU are scaremongering. You write “you may have heard from them that we’re cutting jobs and imposing changes.” without producing any evidence to support this statement. For the record, neither in any communication, nor in any discussion has the CWU ever suggested that you are cutting jobs. Nor have we said you are imposing changes.



Even more outrageously, your HOD’s have now circulated a lengthy unprofessional audio clip exhorting people to vote to deny themselves union representation. Part of the content read in this very poorly produced and amateurish production, tells their audience that the union is planning to organise strikes and picket Virgin shops. We view this matter quite seriously as there is no evidence that we have ever said this nor can you produce any plans that this is our intention. Can I ask whether you agree with this content and are you prepared to issue a retraction of what is an untruth? Even if you are not prepared to respond to the points above, we seriously ask you to reflect and answer this one sole point.



The only message we have given in relation to the future is to repeat what you yourself have revealed either when you convened a conference call of CWU reps, or during Roadshows that you have attended, that you would like to make changes in the future.



Our message to our members and other employees has been to consider carefully why you would want to de-recognise their union.



You have also said “and I don’t feel the people at CWU can join us in that journey…”



The people at CWU are its members. Whatever your intentions, they will see this as nothing more than a thinly disguised attack on every CWU member and employee employed by Virgin Media who seeks to defend a collective approach to their terms and conditions.



We have always stated that we want to see Virgin Media be a successful company, so that our members might share in that success. It is not the CWU that damages your Brand, but the actions of those who would make the wider society reflect on Virgin Media’s values and that of the wider Virgin Media Brand.



We believe it is not too late to change course. It is clear that there are managers advising you who have a history of using union busting tactics. It has not gone without notice amongst our members.



I am therefore asking you to review and to suspend this shabby business and to sit down together in the spirit intended by our recognition agreement and discuss the future in a calm and considered manner.



Yours sincerely

John East

Assistant Secretary (Telecoms)



cc All CWU members employed by Virgin Media