Battle rages on to save postal jobs

Louise Nousratpour in Bournemouth
Tuesday May 24, 2011
The Morning Star

Royal Mail was accused today of deviating from national agreements and pushing members to take "industrial action if necessary" to bring management back in line.

CWU deputy general secretary for the postal division Dave Ward said the company had introduced a new business plan which was at odds with the agreed shared vision of modernisation and would threaten workers' jobs and terms and conditions.

"The company's actions threaten existing job security commitments and raise the very real prospect of compulsory redundancies," Mr Ward said in his opening address to the union's postal sector conference in Bournemouth.

"When employers or the government walk away from our agreement, then we must be prepared to take whatever steps necessary, including industrial action, to defend our members."

Up to 3,500 London postal workers have already voted to go on strike over Royal Mail's plans to shut down four mail centres, raising the threat of compulsory redundancies.

Delegates were debating an emergency motion today, calling for a "united strategy" to force Royal Mail to fully comply with the Business Transformation: 2010 and Beyond agreement and stop compulsory redundancies.

The motion, put forward by the postal executive committee, committed the union to take all necessary steps "up to and including national industrial action for all members within the Postal Group" to achieve this aim.

Delegates also reiterated their opposition to Royal Mail privatisation, which is now imminent as the Postal Services Bill is in its final parliamentary stages and likely to receive royal assent.

"The CWU will continue to oppose privatisation beyond the end of the parliamentary process," the motion said.

Mr Ward said that members were facing a "much harsher" environment as they were worried about the effects of privatisation on their jobs and terms and conditions, while struggling to cope with the "sheer scale of change" within Royal Mail.