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Strike ballot for Royal Mail workers

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) representing postal workers, has announced it will ballot for a national postal strike this month, if current ongoing talks with Royal Mail do not bring agreement. CWU is planning for ballot papers to go out on 20 September to 125,000 Royal Mail workers in what would be the first national strike ballot since 2009.

The union is in dispute regarding the settlement of its 2013 pay claim, further changes to workers’ pension scheme, the impact of possible privatisation on job security and terms and conditions, and the company’s future strategy.

CWU will give notice for the ballot of all Royal Mail and Parcelforce (but not Post Office) workers to commence on 20 September with a result to be announced on 3 October. If there was a yes vote, the union would then be able to give 7 days’ notice for strike action, with
0the earliest strike action possible from 10 October. Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, who is leading the current talks, said:

We are dealing with a company that is preparing for privatisation with relish. While the union continues to fight privatisation we are also dealing with the potential realities for workers if there is a change of ownership.

We are looking to reach a groundbreaking agreement on terms and conditions that sets unprecedented legally binding protection for workers in the event of a sale, and regardless of who owns the company. Postal workers know franchising, break up and sale of mail centres, distribution hubs and Parcelforce, along with the introduction of a new workforce on lower terms and conditions, are real threats in a race to the bottom with mail competitors for any new company.

We want Royal Mail and the government to put protections in place that are both meaningful and lasting….

While we talk, the company presses on with privatisation, pension changes, another round of budget cuts and an approach to parcel and packet growth that ignores the real issues and problems in workplaces.

 

One Comment

  1. Rob the cripple says:

    Ok what can we do I signed the petition, I will not cross picket lines and I will stand with the strikers.

    Not much more I can do because I do not really know where labour stands on this.

    I suspect they will stand in the middle not agreeing or not disagreeing waiting until it’s to late then blaming everyone else except them selves.

    sadly what we are seeing and I kid you not is Thatcher again she came she ruled and labour could not defeat her, because they did not have anything to say, and Miliband looks like he is the same.

    I’m afraid the Royal mail and the Post office and later on if the Tories win the next election the NHS will be sold off, the question is will Labour have a voice or will they just decide to say nothing and hope nobody asks them.

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