Coronavirus Kent: Royal Mail workers in Chatham walk out over lack of health and safety

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Royal Mail workers have walked out in protest against the company's lack of safety measures to protect them from coronavirus.

Staff at the Chatham Delivery Office – where 132 people are based – agreed to take action this morning.

A meeting between Royal Mail and the Communications Workers' Union (CWU) took place yesterday but failed to address concerns, the union said.

A worker at the Chatham office, who wished not to be named, told KentOnline they had been told to carry on working as normal despite a lack of personal protection equipment (PPE).

"But it's not normal. We've had no real social distancing," they said.

"There's 132 people working here and we have tiny bottles of hand sanitiser.

"The golden standard is for us to wash hands but we're all close together.

"The employer [Royal Mail] has not done enough for us to feel like we're kept safe – we've not been provided with PPE.

"We had a general meeting out in the yard and when asked what we would like to do we agreed we don't want to be working there."

Workers claim Royal Mail managers have accused them of over-exaggerating the situation, something staff on the ground deny.

Staff say they are forced to work in close proximity which flouts the government's two-metre social distancing guidelines to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The law states workers are permitted to withdraw their labour if they feel employers are not carrying out obligations to keep workers safe.

It is understood union representatives have now arrived at the delivery office in Best Street.

General secretary of CWU Dave Ward last night told more than 10,000 workers who tuned into a Facebook live broadcast they would stand behind workers.

He said: "We don’t want a row with the company, we want to work with the company and with the government and for the country.

"Have you got right PPE in place, gloves, sanitisers and is social distancing strictly enforced in your office?

“If no, you should not be working and we will back you.”

The union is calling for a suspension of all non-essential unaddressed mail deliveries, prioritising medical equipment and services for the vulberavle and alternating working days for staff to reduce the numbers of people in offices at one time.

CWU deputy general secretary for postal workers Terry Pullinger added: "In many of our buildings, it’s impossible to keep the same amount of people and still work safely and so we need to halve the amount of people coming in on one day.

"We don’t want a row with the company, we want to work with the company and with the government and for the country"
“Deliver half the mail on one day and then all the vehicles and equipment and work can be cleaned for the others coming in the next day.

“In every other sphere of society there are radical decisions and strategies being put in place – now we’re setting out these bold and radical proposals to Royal Mail."

Medway Labour leader Vince Maple says he understands why the workers have concerns.

He added: "It doesn’t matter if it is those delivering mail, collecting black bags, serving in shops, working in care homes or in our NHS.

"Workers on the front line in this crisis must have the appropriate PPE."

Royal Mail has been approached for comment.

[geordieboy123]

Well done for making a stand comrades, this company and the people running it at the top are getting their come uppance don’t let none of us forget the way they’ve treated us during this crisis so when we get back to normal we can concentrate on our dispute and fight to win

[Surfpostie]

Massive well done to all the staff involved in making a stand. Wish more offices had the balls to do the same

[themailman]

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[CRIBMAD]

well done lads and lasses - wish my office had some guts ! i wasnt in yesterday but seemingly there was NO HOT WATER and no one walked out, shameful !!!!!!!!!!!

[daveyeff]

''Royal Mail has been approached for comment''..........and?

[Revolutionary1]