Britain looks set for an all-out postal strike after Royal Mail workers voted three to one infavour of a national strike over job security and working conditions following months of regional
stoppages.The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 76 % of its 121,000 postal members voted for astrike. A total of 80,830 CWU members took part in the ballot while 61,623 backed strikes. However,Royal Mail said 60% of the total number of postal workers working in the UK did not vote to strike.
Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, declared: “This is a huge vote of no confidence inRoyal Mail management. Royal Mail has never really been engaged in modernisation. They’ve beenrunning down the business, running down services and cutting costs and it’s that business plan thatpostal workers have overwhelmingly rejected today.”
But despite the yes vote, Ward said a strike could still be avoided. “There’s still anopportunity to reach an agreement before any national strike action takes place. We need a nationalagreement which secures a fair deal on modernisation and reward for the efforts of postal workersin transforming the business. We want reassurances on job security, covering both redundancies andfull-time part-time ratios. Crucial to an agreement is fair workloads with agreed standards ofmeasurement.”
Royal Mail condemned the CWU’s plan for a national strike as deplorable and irresponsible,saying that the union’s action would drive customers away from the business and undermineconfidence in the postal services industry. The company said 121,000 members were balloted, butthere are a further 20,000 postal workers who are not members of the union.
Mark Higson, Royal Mail’s Managing Director, said: “It is clearly reprehensible for the unionto continue to hold strikes when Royal Mail is not planning any further efficiency changes for therest of the 2009 calendar year and the priority facing everyone in Royal Mail is to deliver thebest possible service to customers in the run up to Christmas. We have held more than 70 meetingswith the CWU over the last few months and we call on them now to stop the strikes, get back roundthe table and talk.”
Royal Mail said last week that it has completed the major efficiency changes planned for2009, both nationally and in London, under the 2007 Pay and Modernisation Agreement. The changesinclude more flexible working hours, introduction of more automated sorting equipment and handheldtracking devices. “These changes are absolutely essential if Royal Mail is to survive in anincreasingly tough communications marketplace – and against a backdrop of sharply falling mailvolumes in the UK and around the world,” Higson said. British letter mail volumes are about 10%lower this year, according to the postal operator.
Meanwhile, politicians and businesses are warning about the potential impact of a nationalstrike. Postal Affairs Minister Lord Young told British media: “A national postal strike iscompletely self-defeating and will only serve to hurt consumers and businesses who rely on the postand drive even more people away from using mail as a means of communication.”
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) also criticised the vote in favour of a strike. “Thisstrike announcement defies logic at a time when businesses and government are working hard to movethe UK economy back to growth. Postal delays are already hurting small businesses and majorcompanies across the country,” said Adam Marshall, policy director.
Businesses have expressed concern about a strike, particularly in the run-up to the importantChristmas trading season. In order to help small businesses, eBay said it would temporarily removethe option for buyers to rate sellers on the time taken to dispatch an item, according to the BBC.
