Tag: UK

Postcomm – enforcement guidance

Posted by | Aug 2, 2007 | |

Postcomm has published its first stand-alone document setting out enforcement procedures relating to possible license contraventions. The guidance explains procedures likely to be followed by the postal regulator when it:

– considers complaints
– investigates licensed operators
– takes enforcement action
– imposes financial penalties.

Until now, these procedures have been set out in several Postcomm documents. The aim of bringing them together is to provide greater transparency, by setting out the general principles and approach involved in taking these actions in relation to possible license contraventions.

Some of the procedures set out in the Enforcement Guidance are required by statute, some are not. Where Postcomm is not bound to follow certain procedures, it will aim to apply the approach set out in the Enforcement Guidance on a consistent basis and, in the event that Postcomm decides to depart from the Enforcement Guidance, it will explain its reasons for doing so.

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Update on further strike action announced by the Communication Workers Union

Posted by | Aug 2, 2007 | |

Commenting on the CWU’s announcement, a Royal Mail spokesman said:
“Royal Mail and the CWU have met on a number of occasions under the auspices of Acas and at the request of Acas are meeting again this afternoon and evening, so it is hard to understand why the CWU is calling for further talks when our teams are actively engaged in talks.

“Royal Mail also deplores the move by the union, in spite of these talks, to attempt to cause further disruption to customers’ mail. As the CWU is responsible for calling the strikes, they are clearly free to stop this damaging action at any time. Royal Mail urges them to do so, in the interests of our customers, our people, and the future of the business.

“Royal Mail has been talking to the union since March about the need to comply with new EU legislation, which restricts the speed of 7.5 tones vehicles to 56 mph, to make changes to cope with the later arrival of mail into many delivery offices. The time of last deliveries will not change. As we have discussed with the union, it is better to make this change in the summer when volumes are lighter, and we will advise all our people when we believe it is most practical to introduce the change needed to comply with the law.

“Royal Mail will again do all it can to mitigate the impact of any industrial action, including using non-operational managers to help keep the mail moving.

“We now ask the CWU to engage with the company on using the GBP 1.2 billion loan which the shareholder – the Government – has made available to invest in modern automated equipment to achieve world-class productivity.”

Royal Mail is already losing business because its costs and therefore its prices are too high against rivals who have more efficient operations and, as a result, lower prices. It means business customers, who post 90% pct of the mail, are choosing to take business elsewhere.

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Post staff to end wildcat strike

Posted by | Aug 2, 2007 | |

The wildcat strike began at the Glasgow Mail Centre on last Tuesday 31st July before spreading to Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

More than 1,000 CWU members met in Glasgow on Thursday 2 August. Customers in central Scotland were advised not to post items unless they were urgent.

An official 24-hour walkout by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) also began on Thursday morning.

The unofficial strike began at the Glasgow Mail Centre in Springburn on Tuesday before spreading throughout Greater Glasgow.

It then spread to Edinburgh, where about 100 postal workers called an unofficial strike at the city’s main sorting office at Sighthill on Wednesday 1st August.

They claimed four workers had been suspended for refusing to handle mail transferred from the strike-affected Glasgow sorting office.

Later, Royal Mail confirmed that a “small proportion” of workers at the Aberdeen Mail Centre had also walked out.

Jim McKetchnie from the Communication Workers Union said workers had voted 60 pct in favour of returning to work from the wildcat strike.

The wildcat strike was called against the backdrop of a nationwide dispute over pay, pensions and future industry changes that has seen the CWU call a series of official 24-hour strikes.

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Royal Mail workers announce more strike dates

Posted by | Aug 2, 2007 | |

Royal Mail workers announced a new wave of 24-hour strikes on Thursday after talks failed to resolve a dispute over pay and job cuts.

Workers held the first national walk-out in 11 years in June and there were further rolling strikes last month.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the industrial action was due to Royal Mail’s “below inflation pay offer” and its plans to reduce the workforce by around 40,000 by automating mail-sorting processes.

It said the latest strikes would come against the Royal Mail’s modernization plans, due to start on August 13, which would make changes to delivery times and reduce customer services.

“The union has made a fresh offer for a period of calm,” CWU Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward said on Thursday. “All Royal Mail have to do is take a step back and engage in meaningful negotiations.”

The planned 24-hour stoppages will affect different Royal Mail units from August 9 to 17.

The Royal Mail said it could not understand why the CWU had announced more strike dates when the parties were engaged in talks at the conciliation service Acas.

It said the strikes were costing the company business.

“Royal Mail also deplores the move by the union, in spite of these talks, to attempt to cause further disruption to customers’ mail,” a spokesman said.

“As the CWU is responsible for calling the strikes, they are clearly free to stop this damaging action at any time. Royal Mail urges them to do so, in the interests of our customers, our people, and the future of the business.”

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Royal Mail – Strike action poses big questions for Direct Mail

Posted by | Aug 2, 2007 | |

Fears mount that stalled services may drive sector to use alternatives to print.

It’s not been a good year for Royal Mail so far. The company has been thwarted by postal regulator Postcomm over its plans for a zonal price structure and has faced an outcry from its own workers over its proposed modernisation.

This has now resulted in strike action that has all the signs of rumbling on for the foreseeable future. Last month, the Communications Workers Union (CWU) signalled its unhappiness with a 2.5% pay offer and got its way on industrial action. It started with two 24-hour stoppages and has since escalated its action to a rolling programme of strikes over the next week.

If this continues, then there are implications not only for Royal Mail but the direct mail sector. A knock-on effect is starting to concern printers and industry bodies with brands eying up potential alternatives to print.

‘The postal strike is having an effect, no doubt about it,’ explains Howitt managing director Gurdev Singh. ‘I am convinced that the combination of the traditional summer lull and uncertainty over mail deliveries is making people postpone some campaigns.’

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