CH4 - No pay for Royal Mail casual Christmas staff

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Hundreds of temporary Royal Mail workers - taken on to cover the Christmas rush - have been protesting around the country over unpaid wages.
Royal mail van with Stop sign (Reuters)

Hundreds of temporary Royal Mail staff are furious after failing to get their Christmas wages. In some parts of the country they've walked off the job in protest.

The Royal Mail has apologised, insisting that "firm action" was being taken - including giving staff who had not received their wages a voucher, which they could exchange for cash.

But local newspapers across the country have highlighted the anger and frustration of temporary workers who feel they would have been better off on the dole. One man, Royston Allcock, told the Birmingham Evening Mail: "I have a wife and four children and I was relying on the money to buy presents, do some Christmas shopping... People have done the work and need the money".

No wages for Christmas

Other staff in Wolverhampton said they had no wages since 29 November - many of them venting their complaints online.

Most temporary post office staff are employed through an in-house agency, Angard Staffing Solutions, owned by Royal Mail and part-managed by Reed Specialist Solutions, although other agencies are also supplying Christmas staff.

I was relying on the money to buy presents... people have done the work and need the money. Royston Allcock, Royal Mail worker

But some workers claim the management change is the main problem. One man told the Lancashire Evening Post that things had been fine until the agency took over.

"This year it has been chaos and no-one has any idea of when they will get paid." he claimed. "One worker has only 65p in his account and... is really struggling. The whole thing is a shambles."

The Communication Workers Union says iit has had complaints from people around the country about issues involving Angard. General Secretary Dave Ward said that while Christmas deliveries and collections were going well, "a small group of people are being treated poorly by Angard and that's unacceptable.

"We expressed serious concerns about this agency right back in September, but Royal Mail assured us they had full confidence in them - it seems this confidence may have been misplaced."

[loobyloo6]

"a small group of people are being treated poorly by Angard and that's unacceptable.

It's not a small group. I wish they would stop saying that

[Verging]

"a small group of people are being treated poorly by Angard and that's unacceptable.

It's not a small group. I wish they would stop saying that

Thats the CWU not Royal Mail.

[DGP1]

"a small group of people are being treated poorly by Angard and that's unacceptable.

It's not a small group. I wish they would stop saying that

Thats the CWU not Royal Mail.

But these days it's hard to tell the difference.