Second wave of UK strikes in progress

A second series of national postal strikes in the UK began on 29 October after talks between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) broke down again. The CWU also warned of further strikes being announced in the near future as almost 44,000 Royal Mail staff walked out on Thursday, including members in mail centres, delivery units in mail centres, network logistic drivers and garage staff.

The strikes will continue until 31 October.

Royal Mail condemned the CWU’s decision to walk away as they claimed “peace talks were making significant progress.”

The company said the union was playing havoc with customer confidence and urged the CWU to come back to the table.

Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail Letters, thanked Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, for all his help and support over the last few days and said that Royal Mail is willing to talk for as long as it takes to resolve the current dispute and get everyone back to delivering consistent service for customers.

Higson said: “We have repeatedly asked for a common sense approach that allows a strike-free Christmas while we talk about the future yet even that seems too much for the CWU to accept.”

“We were once again on the verge of a sensible agreement that would have allowed us to enter into in-depth discussions with the union over the future of Royal Mail in an atmosphere of calm – but just like last week the CWU leadership has failed to carry its own Postal Executive Committee, which appears to be split with London members at odds with the rest of the country and unable to reach any decision.

“We had made huge progress with the help of the TUC when the CWU came back from their executive meeting with a whole new series of demands.”

Royal Mail said that “after three days of intensive talks and mediation at the TUC it is increasingly evident that the CWU leadership, the national officers and the Postal Executive Committee all have very different views on the reason for these strikes and how this dispute can be resolved. Royal Mail urges the union to get independent help to resolve its own internal position so that the company and the union can then get on with constructive and meaningful talks.”

Higson added: “We are extremely grateful for the help and support Brendan Barber is giving during these discussions, and we are of course willing to talk for as long as it takes to get a real resolution to this dispute in the interests of all those who rely on Royal Mail. The central issue remains the CWU’s opposition to Royal Mail’s essential modernisation plans, without which the company simply does not have a future. We know that we have a long way to go but our door is always open for further talks and we remain hopeful that common sense will prevail.”

Royal Mail also said today that it expects the total volume of mail delayed by last week’s strikes by the CWU to have fallen to around 2m items by close of play on 28 October, almost all of which are items awaiting delivery in London. The company added that it continues to do all it reasonably and legally can to clear mail delayed by the CWU’s strikes and get the post to our customers as soon as possible.

In a CWU official statement, Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said last night: “Due to the involvement of Brendan Barber as an independent third party and because for the first time Royal Mail’s Managing Director, Mark Higson, was directly involved in negotiations we have had the most useful and productive discussions over the last three days since the dispute commenced.

“Earlier today we tabled a proposal as part of the process that reflected the progress made in negotiations over the last few days.

“Had that proposal been agreed this would have enabled a period of calm and allowed further talks through ACAS with the intention of concluding a full and final agreement.

“At this point of time, we have not had confirmation as to whether our proposal is acceptable and therefore the strikes previously announced for the next few days will take place.

“We respect the confidentiality of the process currently managed by Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, and we are not prepared to comment on the detail of those discussions or our proposal.

“This series of strikes and future strikes can still be avoided and we remain available for discussions at any time, including tonight. We remain committed to reaching an agreed resolution.”