UK Postal workers expected to vote for strike
Postal workers are poised to vote for their first national postal strike in seven years, union leaders across the country believe.
Representatives from the Communication Workers’ Union are convinced that there will be a yes vote when the count is taken on Thursday, according to an FT survey.
Royal Mail and union representatives made little progress yesterday in informal talks in London to head off industrial action by up to 160,000 postal workers.
But some union leaders said a compromise was still possible, admitting that a strike vote could be used as a bargaining tool.
“The bigger the yes vote and the bigger the turnout, the stronger the union’s hand is to get a negotiated settlement,” said a representative for London, one of the union’s most hardline branches. “But ultimately if members vote yes they have to be prepared to go on strike.”
Representatives of the union around the country are predicting a turnout of at least 75%. One said that an estimated 56,000 completed ballot papers had been received in the first 48 hours of voting.
“Overwhelming support is expected for strike action,” said the London representative.
“There is a groundswell of support,” said a representative from the south-east region. “Pay is the one issue that everyone gets behind.”
But backing for a strike varied according to area, said a union representative for the south-western region. He said that there was strong support for action among members in south Wales, for instance, but less support in rural areas such as Somerset and Devon. He predicted a close result to the ballot, but with “a skinny yes vote”.
Some union branches, such as Derbyshire, have not made a recommendation on which way to vote. “It is too big a decision for us to make,” said a representative for Derbyshire.
“Each day of strike action would cost workers £45 to £50 in lost wages, a cost they could ill afford,” he said.
“It is difficult to see a strike for any length of time doing either side any good.”
Several representatives said that the large bonuses paid to Adam Crozier, Royal Mail chief executive, and Elmar Toime, deputy chairman, earlier this year had angered members.
“That caused a lot of resentment,” said a union representative from Aberdeen. “Members feel that this is their last chance to raise the basic wage.”
The union has rejected Royal Mail’s restructuring and cost-cutting plans, designed to bring the loss-making group back to profit, which will involve the loss of 30,000 jobs.
Royal Mail is offering a productivity-linked pay rise of 14.5% over 18 months, while the union has demanded an unconditional and immediate pay increase of 8% across the board.
