The 2007 Royal Mail industrial disputes.
Background
The dispute centred on 'modernisation plans' which Royal Mail said were required to remain competitive, however the CWU believed that these might have led to around 40,000 job losses.[1] Additionally there were disputes surrounding flexible working hours, pay rises and pensions.
Royal Mail position
Royal Mail claimed that flexibility is vital to the business, and that it was entirely reasonable for employees normally employed in one capacity to cover other roles as required to cope with variations in the work levels in each area. The company was also adamant that increased automation (and fewer employees) were necessary to bring costs under control. The unions were accused of retaining numerous Spanish practices which prevent flexible working.[2]
CWU position
The CWU accused Royal Mail of treating its employees as slaves, and regarded a level of flexibility which would have seen employees doing different jobs on a daily basis as unacceptable.
Government position
The CWU called on the government to "intervene in a positive way". Until early October, the government maintained its stance that this was a matter for Royal Mail and the union to sort out. However, in early October Gordon Brown called on the CWU to reach an agreement on the terms offered, a move that was condemned by the TUC.
Public view
Strike dates
Key events
- On 7 June 2007 the union's postal members voted by 77.5% in favour of industrial action after a 2.5% pay rise coupled with £350million every year for five years (totaling £1.5 billion) of cuts was offered.[6][7]
- They took their first one-day strike on Friday 29 June 2007, and the second on 12/13 July.
- The action then progressed to a series of rolling strikes designed to cause as much disruption as possible.
- On 9 August strikes were called off when Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton and CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes began secret talks.[8]
- These negotiations failed and industrial action began again on 5 October.
- This time two national strikes of 48 hours were called.
- These took place on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 October, and then Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 October.
Local issues
- Industrial action took place in Burslem (Stoke on Trent) following the suspension of postal worker, Dave Condliffe, in relation to allegations of aggressive behaviour towards two managers. Wildcat strikes took place earlier in the year with support from the local branch of the Socialist Party.[14]
- On 10 October CWU members in London and Liverpool started an unofficial strike in response to changes in flexible working that meant they would have to start at 6am and finish not before 2.15pm.[5] It was reported that all of South West London is out, East London, Peterborough, Walsall and Manchester also were involved in unofficial action.
- On 12 October, staff in Edinburgh and Grangemouth walked out in unofficial action in reaction to Royal Mail's decision to deduct pay for both the previous weeks walkout and that weeks walkout from a single pay packet [10]
Royal Mail response
Royal Mail drafted in managers from non-operational roles to attempt to keep some mail moving through the system, and offered opportunities for those CWU members who wish to work to do so at other offices to avoid conflict with striking colleagues, but the strike still had a major impact on the operation.
See also
References
- Post union unveils strike details BBC News, 2007-09-28, retrieved 2007-10-10^
- Christopher Hope. The 'Spanish practices' at heart of dispute Daily Telegraph, 2007-10-09, retrieved 2010-04-22^
- Have your say responses BBC News, retrieved 2007-10-15