Post Office mediation scheme not delivering as promised, CWU

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Post Office mediation scheme not delivering as promised, says CWU

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The CWU will accuse the Post Office of establishing a mediation scheme which is not delivering as promised at today's BIS Select Committee, as problems with the company's IT system Horizon - both historic and current - persist. The union is concerned that 90 per cent of cases recommended for mediation have been rejected by the Post Office and believes that justice for postmasters is being compromised.

Billy Hayes 2010 Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: "The Post Office's Horizon system has caused no end of woe for postmasters up and down the country and to add insult to injury the mediation scheme set up to resolve these problems is simply not delivering as promised. This is a double failure which needs to be tackled urgently as the lives of many postmasters continue to be ruined by this IT system with an inadequate route for resolution.

"The lives of many postmasters continue to be ruined by this IT system with an inadequate route for resolution"
Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary

"We have serious concerns over the Post Office's policy of withholding postmasters' wages to recoup apparent losses without any evidence of blame on the part of the postmaster. This transfer of risk onto the postmaster is unfair and in some cases is undermining the ability of postmasters to provide reliable, high quality services to the public. The fact that 90 per cent of cases recommended for mediation have been rejected by the Post Office rings alarm bells and we want to see an urgent overhaul of the mediation scheme to ensure it truly tackles the concerns and injustices faced by postmasters."

One CWU member has been suspended without pay for over a year, waiting for their case to be referred to the mediation scheme. Another is experiencing increasing financial loss, and despite numerous visits by Post Office technical staff the cause of this loss cannot be found.

Postmasters have reportedly suffered appalling treatment in disciplinary hearings by the Post Office as a result of discrepancies in their accounts when using Horizon. Some have been prosecuted for false accounting and have lost their jobs and their livelihoods and some have even been imprisoned. Others are currently in the midst of attempting to defend themselves against allegations of false accounting which continue to be levelled by the Post Office.

CWU's postmaster members report that the support systems provided by the Post Office are inadequate with the wrong advice and assistance regularly being issued by Post Office help-desks.

CWU's evidence will be presented by national official Andy Furey and branch secretary and current postmaster Mark Baker.

You can watch the BIS Select Committee session live on Parliament TV from 9:30am.

[Budfrog]

How about some feedback from CWU on how well mediation is working within Royal Mail also.