Government and bosses line up for an all out attack on postal workers
As postal workers confirm their support for a national strike, bosses at Royal Mail backed by the government are preparing themselves for an all-out war with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) over the future of postal delivery services.
A series on ongoing regional disputes over the past four months, in response to Royal Mail breaking locally agreed arrangements, have escalated tensions between management and postal staff, signalling a fresh assault on industrial relations on a par with the miners during the 1980s.
Talks are ongoing but notice was served for strike action on Thursday 22nd October covering nationwide mail centre staff and network drivers, around 42,000 postal workers, and Friday 23rd October covering nationwide delivery and collection staff, around 78,000 workers. This was after the CWU offered a peace deal to avoid the walk out by entering into meaningful negotiations which Royal Mail who rejected the idea outright.
Royal Mail’s approach indicates a willingness to abandon any dialogue to ensure its policy of ‘modernisation’ is implemented regardless of union acknowledgement or approval.
Management have already drawn up secret contingency plans in the event of prolonged industrial action intended to curb the effectiveness of union procedure and ultimately crush the anger and growing militancy of the workforce.
The leaked document entitled ‘Dispute: Strategic Overview’ sets out a policy of achieving change on Royal Mail’s terms, and failing that put in place a “framework for delivery of change without agreement”. It is seen as a deliberate provocation to antagonise the situation rather than look for a resolution.
Last year Royal Mail made an operating profit of £321 million, with all four group businesses – Royal Mail, Post Office, Parcelforce Worldwide and General Logistics Systems – making a profit for the first time in over two decades, although the pensions deficit has reached a staggering £6.8 billion. Postal workers deliver on average 84 million items every working day with a combined revenue of £9.056 billion. Alternative carriers have already admitted they don’t have the capacity to take on Royal Mail’s workload in the event of backlogs caused by a prolonged strike. Also it’s the Royal Mail who takes responsibility for delivering their competitors’ post and packages at uncompetitive rates. Rival operators collect business letters and parcels, sort them and take them to Royal Mail for delivery over the last mile.
Workers themselves remain adamant in defence of the jobs, work conditions and pensions, but are relying on support to ensure a successful strike action.
