Mail strike under way in London
The CWU has launched a stinging attack on the Royal Mail as postal workers in the UK began a three-day strike in London.
The CWU has launched a stinging attack on the Royal Mail as postal workers in the UK began a three-day strike in London.
Delivery staff went on strike on 8 July, distribution workers on 9 July, and mail sorting centre staff will strike on 10 July. Picket lines will be in place during these times.
Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “It’s now clear that Royal Mail management is the biggest block to modernisation. When presented with the best deal we – or any other union – can offer, which is for three months of no industrial action and focused negotiation on modernisation, they refuse.
“Management seem to be sulking because the prospect of privatisation and increased executive pay has disappeared.
“The problems that Royal Mail face are not going away. The pension deficit in particular needs to be resolved along with the increasingly important outstanding issues of modernisation. The government is allowing the same management that was criticised for failure to continue mis-managing the company.
“Strike action in London is in response to Royal Mail’s continuing executive action of cuts without modernisation.”
A Royal Mail statement read: “Customers will not understand how the union can claim to support modernisation but then announce strike action to halt existing efforts to modernise Royal Mail in London.
“All our stakeholders, including our shareholder, the government, are encouraging Royal Mail to modernise even more quickly yet the CWU persists in opposing change.
”The CWU’s strike action can only hurt customers and drive them away either to electronic communications or other postal companies. Particularly at risk is our vitally important online fulfilment and packets business – which is crucial to ensuring a successful future for the Royal Mail and its employees and to securing the Universal Service – but where large customers have a real choice to use other operators.”
