Royal Mail managers will be balloted on industrial action for the first time since 1979 overRoyal Mail Group’s intentions to impose compulsory redundancies, the British white-collar union
Unite announced.Unite, which represents managers at Royal Mail Group, is preparing to ballot 8,535 membersworking across Royal Mail, Parcelforce and Post Office Limited for industrial action.
Royal Mail has advised the union about plans to make redundancies across the group in the regionof 1,500 jobs. The group has said that if there are not sufficient volunteers then it will dismissindividuals on the grounds of compulsory redundancy. The cuts are likely to affect managers workingin support functions at Royal Mail Group’s head offices in London including Old Street, RathbonePlace and Victoria Embankment.
Paul Reuter, national officer for Unite, said: “Managers are so concerned about their futuresthat for the first time in over 30 years they will vote on industrial action. Unite will not allowmanagers to be forced out because of the poor decisions made at the very top of Royal Mail Group.If Royal Mail are allowed to push ahead with forced redundancies it will keep coming back for more,so Unite intends to stop Royal Mail in its tracks.”
Unite said it has an excellent track record of working with Royal Mail Group, no matter howfrustrating, to address the challenges that it faces. There had already been 5,000 job cuts overthe last five years without any compulsory redundancies. “Such a drastic step is not necessary nowand Unite will oppose it,” he added.
Brian Scott, assistant national secretary for Unite said: “We have met with Royal Mail and PostOffice Limited on a number of occasions in an effort to address the issues that they are facing butwe refuse to accept that compulsory redundancies are necessary. Unite members working acrossRoyal Mail Group, including the Post Office, deserve better.
“The decision of the meeting of full time representatives to launch this campaign was not takenwithout careful consideration of the severity of the issue. However they were unanimous intheir view that enough is enough and that the employer has gone too far this time.”
The ballot is due to start at the beginning of November.
