Tag: UK

Brown calls for end to postal strikes

Posted by | Oct 10, 2007 | |

The prime minister has urged postal workers to settle their bitter dispute with Royal Mail over pay, pensions and flexibility, declaring there is “no justification” for further strikes.
His comments came as unofficial industrial action broke out at more than 20 sorting offices across the country, a few hours after the end of a 48-hour national strike.

While deliveries resumed in most of the country, wildcat strikes were reported in Liverpool, Lancaster, Glasgow and east London.

Speaking at prime minister’s questions, Gordon Brown said postal staff should go back to work, and called for a negotiated settlement. He said the dispute should be brought to an end on the terms already offered by Royal Mail.

Postal workers came under further pressure from the Business Secretary, John Hutton, who said the Communications Workers Union (CWU) should accept the “perfectly fair and reasonable” offer from Royal Mail managers and return to work.

Up to 130,000 postal employees were due to return to work last Wednesday 10th October after a strike that crippled services for almost a week, but unofficial action broke out at several sorting offices.

Some workers said they arrived for a shift starting at 5am but were told Royal Mail had changed their timetables without their consent.

By mid-morning, unofficial strikes continued in some parts of London and Liverpool, although postal employees returned to work in Glasgow.

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Statement

Posted by | Oct 10, 2007 | |

Royal Mail got back to work today and is making good progress in clearing and delivering delayed mail. Out of a workforce of 130,000, fewer than 1,900 were not working normally which means that today more than 98% of our people have simply got on with the job of getting mail to our customers.

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DHL welcomes visit of local MP Mike Penning to site

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

DHL was delighted to welcome local MP Mike Penning to its Hemel Hempstead site. On his visit, Mike aimed to find out how the company coped following the devastating explosion at the Buncefield oil storage depot in 2005. After having campaigned strongly on the Buncefield issue, Mike was interested to hear about the ‘can-do’ attitude of employees at the DHL site and the teamwork involved in ensuring business carried on as usual in spite of difficulties caused by the disaster.

Mike met and talked to local staff and heard about the DHL operation in Hemel Hempstead, which equates to 28 vehicles, the pick-up of 1,250 packages and 1,400 shipments per day. Mike was interested in finding out about the wide area covered by the service centre.

Reflecting DHL’s position as a local business, employing local people and providing a vital service for the local economy, DHL is always keen to develop strong relationships with local parliamentarians in order to understand the community better but also to brief MPs on relevant issues related to the company and its operations within their constituencies.

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Crozier breaks cover on Royal Mail strike

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

The news that we may be in for weeks or even months more disruption to the postal service is not only a serious matter for businesses all over the country, it is also meat and drink to the Royal Mail’s increasingly aggressive rivals. A simple fact of modern commercial life – one which seems to have totally escaped the notice of the striking posties – is that every hour of disruption further weakens the Royal Mail’s already shaky prospects for long term recovery.

In an interview with Royal Mail’s Chief Excutive Adam Crozier, the stark revelation that the Royal Mail’s rivals are 40 pct more efficient and pay their staff 25 pct less that was the real take home message.
Unless its entire workforce wakes up to the reality of what those numbers actually mean, and to the fact that Royal Mail is no longer a state monopoly but has to earn its living these days like the rest of us, then none of them – from the sorting office to the boardroom – deserves to keep their jobs.

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Gordon Brown may inetervene to settle strike dispute

Posted by | Oct 9, 2007 | |

Gordon Brown yesterday threatened to intervene in the post strike if both sides cannot agree.

It came as 130,000 postal staff began a second 48-hour stoppage, which ends tomorrow.

And they threatened to walk out again next Monday in the row over pay, pensions and job cuts.

The PM said: “I want these people back at work. This is a disruption to people’s lives.”

He added that the Government was investing “a huge amount in the postal services” and he could not condone the strike.

Last night hopes of a breakthrough were dashed when talks to resolve the dispute broke down without agreement.

Business leaders urged the Communication Workers Union to abandon their action. They said it was harming business and the economy.

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