Plymouth postmen voting on strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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POSTAL workers are to vote on whether to strike in what representatives believe could be "the biggest Plymouth postal dispute in history."

Around 500 members of the Communication Workers Union will receive ballot papers next week. They will be asked whether they wish to take industrial action in early September.
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The union said the vote, which covers postal workers in the postcode areas of PL1-6, 8-9, 18-20 and 23-26, has been called in response to allegations of bullying, harassment, increased workloads and breaches of national agreements.

A Royal Mail spokesman called the decision to ballot "disappointing" but said they remained hopeful over a resolution.

CWU branch secretary Ralph Ferrett said: "Taking the step to ask members to consider industrial action is never an easy one but the attitude of the employer has left us with no alternative.

"We will do everything in our power to reach an agreement prior to taking any form of action."

Divisional representative for the union, Chris Webb, said: "The actions of Royal Mail locally are indicative of those we are seeing across the UK as the employer continues on an ill thought out cost cutting exercise in a flawed attempt to shape the industry to justify privatisation.

"Our members in the six offices affected by this dispute are no longer prepared to sit by and see the service they provide to customers and the job they hold dear torn apart by rogue management.

"This could lead to the biggest Plymouth postal dispute in history. We are keen to settle it but it will have to be on the back of a significant attitude change from Royal Mail."

The issues in Plymouth run alongside current unrest in other parts of the South West including Bridgwater, Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol.

Rhys Jones, a spokesman for Royal Mail, said: "We are fully committed to the process of trying to resolve concerns of postal workers based in these offices by continuing to follow the national jointly agreed framework with the CWU.

"We have made significant progress in recent months thanks to the efforts of our colleagues and have worked hard to engage the union locally.

"It is disappointing that a ballot for industrial action has been issued, however, we remain hopeful that the issues can be resolved."

[UnhappyGremlin]

Disappointed that a ballot is being held?
If they'd bothered to listen and to the staff and held meaningful talks with the aim of solving their complaints, at the very least agreeing to a full and frank investigation from an outside team, then they may at least have been able to delay such a vote.
However, the staff obviously feel very deeply about the way they are being treated, and want it to stop.
Good luck to all, and hope it gets resolved to their satisfaction, and the bullies are stopped.

[Red Robbo]

There seems to be alot of industrial unrest in the South West rather by design and not coincidence, Royal Mail don't seem bothered about it either, maybe their plan is to burn out the attitude to strike action before the national dispute in September ?