Postal strike: extra Royal Mail staff not ready to start

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postal strike: extra Royal Mail staff not ready to start work


Hardly any of the 30,000 emergency post workers employed to alleviate postal strike are ready to start work, because they are undergoing criminal records checks.

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The Royal Mail announced last weekend it was controversially hiring 30,000 temporary workers, a move attacked as "strike breaking" by the union.

Adam Crozier, the company's chief executive, said the decision was because, "we are absolutely determined to do everything we can to minimise delays to customers' mail, especially in the run up to Christmas".

However, the Daily Telegraph has learnt that no more than "a few hundred" are ready to start work this week, and barely a quarter of the 30,000 will be able to start work next week.

The Royal Mail is forced to ensure the workers are fully vetted before they are allowed to handle any mail. The rigorous checks follow a series of thefts at sorting offices during 2002 and 2003, when the Royal Mail was fined £11.4 million for failing to check workers' backgrounds thoroughly enough.

This means that the current backlog of 9 million to 30 million items of mail is expected to swell to nearly 100 million, despite 5,000 managers and 20,000 non-union workers expected to work throughout the rest of the week to minimise disruption.

Royal Mail was accused of lack of foresight by politicians, who pointed out that a national strike has been looming since at least July.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP, said: "The postal strike is dire news for many people who rely on a regular service. The hiring of these extra workers would seem to be a case of too little, too late."

Gordon Brown was also attacked for failing to intervene in the bitter dispute, which has led to the first national dispute for two years. An expected 120,000 employees will stop work over the next two days in protest at pay, working conditions and the compay's modernisation plans.

David Cameron accused the Prime Minister of "an appalling display of weakness" by allowing Labour back benchers to derail legislation to reform the Royal Mail.

During Prime Minister's Question Time, Mr Cameron said it required "leadership, some backbone and some courage" to prevent union militancy – traits, which Gordon Brown did not have to offer.

He urged the Prime Minister to "condemn these strikes and join me in sending a direct message to the trade union to call this strike off".

Mr Brown said: "It's right for us in this House to urge negotiation and mediation. Our role must be to encourage the negotiations that are taking place, to urge those to go to Acas."

Royal Mail's executives have refused to go to the conciliatory service until the union drops its plans to the strike.

Last night, despite 30 hours of talks between the Royal Mail and its workers and a last minute plea from management to postpone the strikes, union leaders were setting up picket lines at 30 key mail offices, including Mount Pleasant in London and Bristol Mail Centre in Filton.

On Wednesday the Royal Mail lost another key contract, underlining how its large customers were losing patience with the service. The Scottish Parliament took a £8 million contract away – delivering mail for NHS Scotland and local councils – from Royal Mail and awarded it to its Dutch competitor TNT.

[stokes11eg]

just what we said--and of those few hundred who did turn out--how many will come back?

[Stormproof]

The Royal Mail is forced to ensure the workers are fully vetted before they are allowed to handle any mail.

so how comes 2 have already been caught nicking this week, but RM have hushed it up

[Thorby Bislam]

The Royal Mail is forced to ensure the workers are fully vetted before they are allowed to handle any mail.

so how comes 2 have already been caught nicking this week, but RM have hushed it up

You have proof ? If so please post it.

[Stormproof]

All I can say is IB were involved but management did'nt want to pursue it.