Tamebay : CWU Postal Strikes look increasingly unlikely for 2018

[POSTMAN]

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We’ve been adding up the numbers according to our estimated Royal Mail and CWU Mediation Process Timeline and whichever way we add up the weeks there’s nothing stopping the CWU from now calling postal strikes should they wish to.

So far as we can tell, the legal restrictions imposed by the mediation agreement ran out on or around the 27th of December and the CWU have their mandate for strikes from the ballot which took place at the beginning of October.

However there are a number of mitigating circumstances which could make it very unlikely that postal strikes will happen before the ballot validity runs out – strikes have to be held within 6 months which means if there is no industrial action by March a new CWU ballot would be required.

Most importantly Christmas has been and gone. Up until 2009, the CWU called postal strikes ever two years but always in the run up to Christmas. It’s the time of year when the public are most concerned about their post and frankly calling strikes in January when all most people are expecting are their credit card bills isn’t going to have the same emotional response as cancelling Christmas when the presents don’t arrive.

The other interesting wrinkle is the mediators recommendation that the CWU and Royal Mail join forces to lobby parliament for legislation to allow a ‘collective defined contribution’ pension scheme which currently wouldn’t be allowed in the UK. This appears to be a compromise that both the CWU and Royal Mail could sign up to, so suddenly the two adversaries are on the same side.

Strikes could of course still take place, the CWU have said “We have reminded Royal Mail Group that we are still in dispute and we will not hesitate to serve notice for industrial action if we suspect, at any moment, that we are losing impetus or that progressive talks have stalled or are going backwards”.

On balance however, we’re optimistic that we’ll get through the first quarter of the year without any disruption to the UK’s postal service.

[hans solo]

really so how come so many offices have walked unofficially
think they underestimate the depth of feeling in workplace re bullying harassment and workloads
which are by far the prevailing reasons of unrest by employees

[Red Robbo]

Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself, I remember when the Union took industrial action in January 1971, it resulted in many sacrifices & unhappy posties in the aftermath .