CWU Describes Royal Mail As Chaos Management

[Geezer]

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The Communication Workers Union today branded Royal Mail’s business approach “chaos management” as strikes are set to hit the UK over the next few days.

Thousands of postal workers from Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, Middlesbrough and other offices are striking as Royal Mail continues pushing what the union decribed as "panic cuts with an aggressive bullying approach".

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “Postal workers are working harder than ever and in return are facing attacks and harassment under Royal Mail’s chaos approach to management.

“While Royal Mail claims mail volumes have dropped by 10 per cent they also claim that they have cut 40,000 jobs which means our members are working 20 per cent harder and handling more mail.

“We support and want to be involved in modernisation. We welcome tomorrow’s meeting but there is still no urgency or desire from Royal Mail to take discussions forward. The company seems happy to sit back and watch the industry fall apart. We will not allow this to happen.

“Bullying and harassment is now reaching shocking levels as local managers are allowed to pick on individuals. Sackings occur at the whim of over-promoted managers trying to deliver unrealistic budget savings linked to unfair work rates which people can’t cope with.

“Postal workers also feel let down by the government. The postal industry needs the government to address the crucial issues of pensions and regulation that they themselves identified. The government’s current position of doing nothing because they did not get their way on privatisation means they are guilty of letting the postal industry rot.” he said.

Royal Mail said that it had met with the union more than 50 times and that changes to operations were essential to counter a drop in mail volume, increasing competition and a difficult recession. The government this week said that finding a strategic partner for Royal Mail was still by far the best solution and as soon as the global economic crisis improved, the search for a partner would resume.

© Hellmail.co.uk (26 August 2009)