Royal Mail workers to vote on strike action

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http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Royal-Mai ... 5562601.jp

Published Date: 18 August 2009
By Richard Marsden

POSTAL deliveries across South Yorkshire could be hit if Royal Mail staff vote in favour of industrial action in a national ballot next month.
The vote is being held due to a continuing dispute between management and the Communications Workers' Union over pay, jobs and service grievances.

The row has already seen a series of one-day strikes in different parts of the country – although none have been held in South Yorkshire.

Graham Clough, branch secretary of the Communication Workers' Union in South Yorkshire, said: "We have informed management of a national ballot taking place at the start of September which will be for industrial action."

Details of the strike ballot have been revealed as figures were published showing Royal Mail paid compensation totalling more than £400,000 to dissatisfied customers in the Sheffield and Doncaster postcode areas last year.

Payments of £322,490 were made in the Sheffield area – which includes Chesterfield, Barnsley, Rotherham – and £84,242 in the Doncaster area.

The sums were part of £976,451 handed out across the Yorkshire and Humber region in 2008/9 up on £960,000 paid out in 2007/8.

But total complaints fell by a quarter on the previous year, to 88,798 for the entire region.

Eight out of 10 compensation claims were for loss, while the rest involved damage and delays and the average payment in the region has increased from £20.55 in 2007/8 to £27.29 in 2008/9.

A spokesman for watchdog organisation Customer Focus, which took over the duties of Post Watch, said: "Royal Mail has made progress in meeting delivery standards but with high numbers of lost mail items, there is still room for improvement."

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "Only a tiny fraction of customers tend to raise any concern or comment with us – around one in 14,500."

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