2007 Royal Mail industrial disputes

The 2007 Royal Mail industrial disputes are a series of industrial disputes between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union in the United Kingdom.

Background

The dispute centers around 'modernisation plans' which Royal Mail says are required to remain competitive, however the CWU believes that these will lead to around 40,000 job losses. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7018588.stm |title=Post union unveils strike details |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-09-28 |accessdate=2007-10-10] Additionally there are disputes surrounding flexible working hours, pay rises and pensions.

Royal Mail position

Royal Mail claims that flexibility is vital to the business, and that it is entirely reasonable for employees normally employed in one capacity to cover other roles as required to cope with variations in the work levels in each area. The company is also adamant that increased automation (and fewer employees) are necessary to bring costs under control. The unions are accused of retaining numerous Spanish practices which prevent flexible working [cite web |title= The 'Spanish practices' at heart of dispute | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/09/npost309.xml|publisher= The Daily Telegraph] .

CWU position

The CWU has accused Royal Mail of treating its employees as slaves, and regards a level of flexibility which would see employees doing different jobs on a daily basis as unacceptable.

Government position

The CWU has called on the government to "intervene in a positive way". Until early October the government maintained its stance that this was a matter for Royal Mail and the union to sort out. However, in early October Gordon Brown called on the CWU to reach an agreement on the terms offered, a move that was condemned by the TUC.

Public view

Public opinion has been divided, with some strongly in support of the Postal Workers, and others condemning the disruption caused by the strikes. [cite web
title=Have your say responses
work=BBC News
url=http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3629&edition=1&ttl=20071015201929
accessdate=2007-10-15]

trike dates

*29 June 2007 - First strike
*12 July-13, 2007 - Second set of strikes [cite web|url=http://www.cwu.org.uk/news.asp?step=3&nid=1753|title=Postal Strike Goes Ahead|last=CWU|accessdate=2008-05-23]
*4 October-5, 2007 - Business-wide CWU strike
*8 October-9, 2007 - Business-wide CWU strike
*10 October-11, 2007 - All CWU union members return to work, however wildcat strikes continue in Liverpool and London.cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7037052.stm |title=Wildcat strikes plague Royal Mail |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-10-10 |accessdate=2007-10-10]

Key events

*On 7 June, 2007 the union's postal members voted by 77.5% in favour of industrial action after a 2.5% pay rise coupled with £350million every year for five years (totaling £1.5 billion) of cuts was offered. [cite web
title=Postal workers back strike action
work=BBC
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6729051.stm
accessdate=2007-06-11] [cite web
url = http://www.workerspower.com/index.php?id=147,1332,0,0,1,0
title = Vote 'yes' and strike against Royal Mail attacks!
publisher = Workers Power
accessdate=2007-06-11]
*They took their first one day strike on Friday 29th of June 2007, and the second on 12th/13th of July.
**The action then progressed to a series of rolling strikes designed to cause as much disruption as possible.
*On the 9th of August strikes were called off when Royal Mail chairman Alan Leighton and CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes began secret talks. . [cite web
title=Postal Strikes Suspended
work=CWU News
url=http://www.cwu.org/news.asp?step=3&NID=1776
accessdate=2007-10-15] *These negotiations failed and industrial action began again at 12PM on October the 5th.
**This time two national strikes of 48 hours were called.
**These took place on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th October, and then Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th October.
**In between these dates was a Sunday so no deliveries took place between the Friday and Tuesday, but resumed on Wednesday with a large backlog of undelivered mail.
*On the 6th of October 2007 a march of over 100 postal workers supported by local groups of TUC members, a pensioners group against Post Office closures and the local branch of the Socialist Party of England and Wales took place in Stoke on Trent, stretching 2 miles from Burslem to Hanley. A rally at the end featured many speakers including local CWU vice branch secretary, Mick Pender, and Socialist Party member Andy Bentley. [cite web
title=Postal Workers March & Rally
work=Stoke Socialist Party
url=http://www.stokesocialistparty.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=41&cntnt01returnid=26m
accessdate=2007-10-10]
*On 12th October, Royal Mail challenged the legality of the next phase of the planned action, claiming that the notice of the strike had been improperly issued.cite web
title=Postal strike row heads to court
work=BBC News
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7038899.stm
accessdate=2007-10-12]
*24 hour strikes are planned for; [cite web| title=War of words amid postal strike | work=BBC| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7032582.stm|accessdate=2007-10-10]
**Monday 15 October from 6pm at Mail sorting offices and airports
**Tuesday 16 October from 3am at Deliveries and collection hubs
**Wednesday 17 October from midday for Royal Mail drivers
**Thursday 18 October from midday for Manual data entry centres
**Thursday 18 October from 2pm at Heathrow world distribution centre.
*In late afternoon 12th October, Royal Mail succeeded in obtaining an injunction at London's High Court banning the scheduled strikes starting on 15th and 16th October. The union responded by issuing a suspension of the strikes. In addition, the planned actions in Airports and Separate Collection Hubs are withdrawn because of the small numbers involved. [cite web
title=Injunction outlawing new wave of scheduled strikes
work=CWU press
url=http://www.cwu.org/news.asp?step=3&NID=1845
accessdate=2007-10-14]
*On the evening of 12th October, Royal Mail and the CWU reached an agreement which will be discussed by the union executive on 15-16 October, and if recommended by the union executive, put to members in a postal ballot. [cite web
title=Royal Mail and union reach deal
work=BBC News
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7038899.stm
accessdate=2007-10-15]

Local issues

*Industrial action took place in Burslem (Stoke on Trent) following the suspension of postal worker, Dave Condliffe, in relation to allegations of aggressive behaviour towards two managers. Wildcat strikes took place earlier in the year with support from the local branch of the Socialist Party of England and Wales [ cite web|title=Striking Postal Workers Need Your Support|url=http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2007/03/365068.html|work=Indymedia|accessdate=2007-10-11] .
*On the 10th of October CWU members in London and Liverpool started an unofficial strike in response to changes in flexible working that means they would have to start at 6am and finish not before 2.15pm. It has been reported that all of South West London is out, East London, Peterbrough, Walsall and Manchester also are involved in unofficial action.
*On the 12th of October, staff in Edinburgh and Grangemouth walked out in unofficial action in reaction to Royal Mail's decision to deduct pay for both the previous weeks walkout and that weeks walkout from a single pay packet

Royal Mail response

Royal Mail has drafted in managers from non-operational roles to attempt to keep some mail moving through the system, and has offered opportunities for those CWU members who wish to work to do so at other offices to avoid conflict with striking colleagues, but the strike has still had a major impact on the operation.

References