UK Postal union to vote on industrial action

Allan Leighton’s struggle with the unions at the Royal Mail took a turn for the worse last night with warnings of industrial action by postal workers.

But the Royal Mail chairman was boosted by an independent report arguing the communications workers union should end its boycott of partnership boards aimed at improving relations between the two sides.

John Keggie, the union’s deputy general secretary, claimed a ballot for action over the introduction of tougher attendance measures could be held within weeks.

Mr Keggie said 136 postal workers had been sacked in the last six months without recourse to a national procedure. “You cannot work in partnership where one partner treats the other with contempt and disrespect,” he said, adding that management overtures to work together were a “sham”.

Meanwhile Lord Sawyer, former Labour party general secretary and author of the new report on industrial relations, said the union should start talking, not fighting.

“It would be a real tragedy if the commitment and goodwill that has been built up around this initiative were squandered. I hope that those opinion-formers who read this and have influence within the CWU make every effort to get them back to the partnership table,” he said.

This was the second report by Lord Sawyer aimed at improving relations and ending unofficial industrial action.