Postwatch calls on UK Royal Mail to regain control of industrial relations
Postwatch, the postal services watchdog, today called on Royal Mail and the
Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) to regain control of industrial relations in and around London.
There has been a series of supposedly unrelated and unofficial walkouts that have severely disrupted postal services in the capital, since 17 October. Customers do not know whether they can use the post or when their mail will be delivered. Londoners are not receiving a Universal Postal Service.
More than 20 delivery offices have been affected and the unofficial industrial action has spread to the Nine Elms and Whitechapel mail centres that are responsible for processing the bulk of London’s mail. The union are claiming more than 7,000 of its members are taking unofficial action.
The Postwatch call centre (08456 013 265) has been inundated with calls from
anxious and disgruntled customers who are unable to get through to Royal Mail’s
customer ‘helpline’ (08457 740 740). In some cases, callers who have got through
have received no helpful information or advice.
Peter Carr, chairman of Postwatch commenting on the appalling postal service in and around London said, “It is too much of a coincidence for more than 20 unofficial strikes in London to take place in 10 days and not be connected to the CWU’s campaign for improved London Weighting allowances. The union’s repudiation of this unofficial action has a hollow ring.
“This could herald the return to the persistent industrial unrest for which Royal Mail earned an unwelcome reputation. The management and unions must regain control and restore the capitals postal services – otherwise we are in for a winter of postal discontent “Customers need to know when services will be back to normal. It is very disappointing that all the improvements in industrial relations that we have seen since Lord Sawyer’s helpful report in 2001 and 2003 appear to be disappearing in a wave of unofficial action that is seriously undermining services throughout London.”
