Royal Mail boss Moya Greene calls for protection from strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013 ... re-trading" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chief executive's comments on first day of official share trading come as union prepares to announce plans for industrial action


Royal Mail boss Moya Greene has called for "protections" from strikes as more than 100,000 postal workers prepare to announce plans for industrial action that could take place as soon as 23 October.

In an interview to mark Royal Mail's first official day as public company, Greene said: "We need to start thinking about what sort of protections do we need as a company from our people, from what has been probably too quick an approach to resort to industrial action.

"I just think we need to look at alternative ways to resolve disputes," she told ITV News.

Greene's comments come as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) prepares to announce the result of a strike ballot on Wednesday.

The CWU, which represents more than 115,000 of Royal Mail's 150,000 employees, said it was "confident" that its members will vote for industrial action.

It is understood that the union has already made tentative plans for days of disruption in the run-up to Christmas.

Dave Ward, the CWU's deputy general secretary, said: "The Royal Mail share price has soared further today, bringing more proof that the company was undervalued by the government's City mates.

"The taxpayer has lost over £1bn already in this bungled fire sale of a cherished national institution. Postal workers cannot trade their shares for three years and they are far more concerned about their jobs than the share price. We're confident our members will return a yes vote in tomorrow's ballot result for strike action, strengthening our position to secure a deal on protecting jobs, services and terms and conditions in the company."

Royal Mail's shares have soared by 44% since the government privatised the 500-year-old company on Friday.

The share price spike means the 690,000 people who managed to buy a stake in the company have made paper profits of more than £300.

It also means the government could have collected more than £800m more for the taxpayer if it had sold the shares at 450p rather than 330p. The shares are currently changing hands at 481p.

Adrian Bailey, the Labour chair of the business department select committee, said the share price surge "vindicated" concerns the committee raised when it questioned the business secretary, Vince Cable, last week.

"At the meeting last week it's fair to say that members of the committee had one view and the secretary of state had another," Bailey said. "The share price movements have vindicated the concerns of the committee members. Let's see where the price settles."

Bailey said the committee will also call Lazard, the investment bank that advised the government on how to price Royal Mail, to answer questions about its valuation advice.

The National Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, and the public accounts committee will also investigate the allegations that Royal Mail was sold too cheaply.

[pinstripe]

" Greene said: "We need to start thinking about what sort of protections do we need as a company from our people, "

You could start by addressing the concerns that your employees have, eg job security, bullying and harassment, unmanageable workloads, poor management, etc, etc.

You could even try listening to them and working with them instead of constantly provoking them with your confrontational leadership.

[Red Robbo]

Seems to me that CWU HQ have privy information to the result and we have passed the 51% needed to call strike action it was "squeaky bum" time in our office today with the rumour going around it's an all out strike.

[britwrit]

from our people, "

That's a weird way to put it, at least from a public relations point. Not protections for the public or for the ordinary postie, but for management.

I don't see it striking a chord.

[BingBong]

this would suggest RM arent playing ball. i dont see an agreement soon.

[dazzlin72]

As the sayings go"treat people the same way you'd like to be treated yourself"!, " don't expect someone to do something you wouldn't be prepared to do yourself"! & " treat your workforce right, & they will treat you right"! These all go hand in hand, so what goes around, comes around!

[clashcityrocker]

Fairly soon she'll start calling us The Enemy Within.

[Shambles]

NEWSFLASH......

15,000 gum shields, batons and shields on order by RM Executive to provide protection from 'her people' allegedly

Sauce unknown, but probably HP

[Chelseablue]

This woman is bleeding us all dry but,,she needs protection. ,,,

[Shambles]

Banks have very thick walls, vaults, alarms CCTV...

[UnhappyGremlin]

The union is resorting to IA too soon?
Not soon enough in the opinion of many posties, including myself.

Plus, negotiations have been going for about 6 and a half months. The deal was due on April 1st was it not. It's now mid October.
We've hardly dived straight in.

And if the CEO is referring to other measures such as ACAS before IA, why? The company just ignores them, and never enters into reasonable talks.

Did ACAS not say about 6/7 years ago that the B&H attitude of management was excessive? And needed to be curtailed?
Since then, it has got excessive worse, day by day.
The only thing action like that would achieve, would be further delays to the deal, which would end badly for us.

[Shaman Mao]

"protection ... from our people"!!!! That's the most disgraceful statement I've heard in a long time, and we've heard a lot recently. I really am moderately annoyed now.

[The FraudSquad]

She talks a lot of p*sh it must be good to spend all day the head in cloud cuckoo land the body sat in an office looking out a window getting paid £1000 every half hour

[nataddick]

Has she ever considered an alternative way other than her own?

Perhaps asking ACAS to become involved in dispute resolution is a step too far for the autocracy that she loves to rule.

[barbario]

Somebody should tell her that we don't yet live in a dictatorship .