Royal Mail tribunal: 'Union beliefs cost us our postal jobs'

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POSTAL workers say they were suspended in an attempt to wipe out union leadership in one move, a tribunal has heard.

Four Communication Workers' Union (CWU) representatives at the centre of a three-year dispute with Royal Mail are trying to win their jobs back.

The Burslem delivery office workers were sacked after allegations of bullying and harassment.

They were part of the so-called Burslem 12 suspended in 2007. Of the five who were sacked, four of them – Paul Malyon, Dave Scaratt, Dave Evans and Nick Gardner – are now claiming unfair dismissal and demanding they are reinstated.


The employment tribunal heard from Mr Scaratt, a driver, yesterday who claimed he was targeted for his union beliefs. He was not working on the day of the suspensions and received a letter telling him not to return to work.

He said: "The letter said the suspension was automatic, there was no opportunity for me to put forward any defence.

"I felt we were being discriminated against because we were reps and activists. Within weeks of us being suspended they started to implement job cuts."

A National Appeals Panel (NAP) investigated the suspensions and upheld the evidence of Anne Worthington, one of the group's part-time colleagues, who claimed to be a victim of bullying and harassment, naming Mr Scaratt as one of the worst offenders.

But Mr Scarett said many of her allegations could be proved wrong and her credibility should have been questioned.

Health and safety union rep, Jason Cornwall, was one of those suspended but allowed to return to work after the NAP. But he had been found guilty of blanking Mrs Worthington, and of harassing another member of staff.

Speaking at the tribunal he said: "On the day we were suspended we refused to be interviewed unless we were represented by union officials.

"We were handed letters and told they didn't want to wait for our reps, so the police were called to remove us because we were trespassing on Royal Mail property."

Mr Cornwall returned to work in January 2009 but had a two-year suspended dismissal hanging over him because of the harassment he had been found guilty of.

He added: "Part of the reason for the way I have been treated is my trade union beliefs."

The tribunal continues and is expected to conclude later this week.

[norbert]

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The complainants say it was trade union victimisation, but that would involve a complex conspiracy involving Anne Worthington, the local management, the area management, the independent harassment investigators and the National Appeals Panel. It's not credible at all."

Yes it is. The investigators are anything but independent, they're still managers within the business, and the national appeals panel will do anything possible to make sure the original decision stands.
Postal Worker, Newcastle
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commented on 10-Jul-2010 10:00


81 CATEGORY C: Composite Motion This Conference instructs the incoming Postal Executive that this conference recognises the continued struggle of CWU Reps and Activists in Burslem in their bid to gain justice following the sackings of members for trade union activities in the workplace.

Conference further agrees that the Burslem cases will continue to get the highest level of support from the Union at all levels as we seek to ensure no other CWU activist can be systematically removed from workplaces when promoting the policies of the Union.

In light of that Conference also notes little progress on changes required to the Bullying and Harassment procedure which is being abused by Royal Mail to manipulate the procedure to attack CWU activists in the workplace. The PEC is instructed to pursue the policy set out in Motion 51 at the 2008 Postal Conference which was unanimously carried.

Midland No.7

Birmingham District Amal

NOTE BY SOC

Comp Motion 51 (2008)

This conference condemns the misapplication of the bullying and harassment procedure and the

corrupt investigations in a number of cases manufactured against the CWU in the workplace,

most noticeably in Burslem. These actions are nothing more than union busting tactics being

deployed by Royal Mail to target areas of poor industrial relations.

This conference is committed to protecting each workplace from bullying and harassment and

agrees the following:



1 . That a review be conducted at a national level, independently chaired, into the attacks against

the CWU in the workplace by Royal Mail carried out under the guise of bullying and

harassment.



2 . That a fundamental review of the bullying and harassment procedure be conducted to achieve:

a role for the CWU at the earliest point and a role throughout and not just at the conclusion of a Royal Mail investigation. contact made at Divisional Level immediately when a complaint is made against a CWU Representative or when consideration is being given to a formal investigation against a

Representative.

3 . An end to the corrupt sham of so called 'independent' harassment investigators, who are

nothing other than Royal Mail managers from a different location, and a return to bullying and

harassment issues being dealt with in the workplace by the appropriate manager and CWU

Representative.

4 . Launch a bullying and harassment awareness campaign amongst the membership

highlighting Royal Mail's union busting tactics.

The Postal Executive is instructed accordingly.