UK Royal Mail Group Postal workers may deliver on new strike vote

Disgruntled postal workers are to consult union members at Royal Mail to discuss the possibility of threatening a further strike.

Royal Mail said this morning that it has not received any official notification of a ballot for industrial action from members of the Communications and Workers’ Union (CWU).

But there are fears that the shaky truce between Royal Mail and postal staff, who returned to work following an unofficial 18 day walk-out last month, could collapse amid repeated claims of discrimination and harassment.

A meeting between union officials and members was held last night in a bid to iron out workers’ grievances and to weigh up support for industrial action.

CWU Belfast branch secretary, Eoin Davey, said members expressed anger that “local management are not honouring promises and commitments made which ended the dispute”.

He said there were continuing allegations from members of victimisation at the hands of Royal Mail. The branch is now to hold a full committee meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of balloting for strike action more fully, he said.

“After that meeting, we will be consulting members as widely as possible to get as many different perspectives,” Mr Davey said.

“We also want to hear from politicians, local business people and community leaders.

“There will be no knee jerk reaction from the union. Going on strike would be a last option, but at the minute it feels like the only option open to us.”

A spokeswoman for Royal Mail said: “As far as we are concerned, we are getting on with the business of what we agreed to do.

“Our discussions with national CWU representatives on the important task of selecting an independent third party to look at industrial and employee relations in Belfast have been very constructive and we are confident of making further progress when we meet again later this week.

“We have also made excellent progress on clearing the backlog of mail that accumulated during the unofficial strike action and will clear the remainder of items ahead of schedule within the next couple of days.”

One Belfast postman, who did not wish to be named, said: “Royal Mail said it would not discriminate against returning postal staff but many feel management has gone back on its word.”