Postal union offers deal to avert strike
13 October 2009
Union leaders representing workers at Britain's state-owned Royal Mail offered management a last-ditch deal to avert a national strike that would cripple deliveries across the country, they said on Tuesday.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said it had written to Royal Mail Managing Director Mark Higson asking him to meet a number of key conditions and show he is serious about reaching an agreement.
In the letter, union bosses presented Higson with demands that included revealing his business plan for the whole of the planned transformation process, rewarding workers for the firm's future success, a commitment to openly discuss staffing levels and pay and an agreement to initiate an enquiry into bullying and harassment of workers.
"If not, the CWU will have no option than to press ahead with issuing notice for strike action later this week," it said in a statement.
Workers voted overwhelmingly last week for a nationwide strike, escalating a dispute which has already caused widespread disruption to postal services.
A national strike could cost the British economy 1.5 billion pounds and deal a blow to online retailers, according to analysis commissioned by shopping comparison website Kelkoo.
A CWU spokeswoman said if the latest negotiation failed, national strike dates will be announced on Thursday October 15.
She said the earliest a national strike could take place would be October 2, as labour laws require unions to give seven days notice.
David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the threat of a strike was serious knock to business confidence.
"The run up to Christmas is a vital trading period for firms and if this strike goes ahead orders will be lost and the fragile recovery will be undermined," he said.
Source: Reuters UK
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