Royal Mail responds to criticism as Derry & Strabane reps express solidarity with striking workers

The council has reaffirmed its support for the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and its industrial action, and the call for fair pay and better working conditions.

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin raised the issue, saying: “Royal Mail workers have been engaged in industrial action for months to stop cuts, to stop job losses and for fair pay.”

He expressed his shock at what he claimed was the suspension of many trade union representatives, describing the situation as ‘completely unacceptable.’

He claimed: “These are workers at Royal Mail… they’re the people who you go to if you’ve got a grievance, the people who will update you as to the latest in the negotiations and they’re often the people who are organising the picket lanes, welcoming people who’ve been visiting the picket line.”

Highlighting the importance of Royal Mail to the community, Colr. Harkin claimed: “We had many letters, crucial letters that weren’t received in time and we had a lot of disruption including to the £600 energy payment rollout because of the intransigence of Royal Mail employers.”

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey concurred with Colr. Harkin.

He commented: “This motion comes out of an issue I raised with regard to job losses in Castlederg and Strabane and we still haven’t had a reply on that that I’m aware of.

“I agree with Councillor Harkin, that issue has to be brought up because we cannot allow Royal Mail, no matter what size of a company they are, to ignore the issues that are brought to us as councillors.”

Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson offered his party’s support for the proposal, expressing disappointment at the recent collapse of talks between unions and Royal Mail management.

“What was even more frustrating is when you had Royal Mail executives threatening insolvency and putting the blame on workers and that’s created a great deal of fear and anxiety amongst those employed in our city and district,” he claimed. “Royal Mail needs to own up, they accept the responsibility to those that are employed, they need to be paid fairly and they need to start listening.”

SDLP Councillor Sean Mooney highlighted the ‘valuable contribution’ Royal Mail workers make urging Royal Mail to engage with the union straight away.

Following the unanimous support for the proposal, Derry City and Strabane Council will write to Royal Mail management, asserting their position and support for the workers and their representatives.

Responding, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are proud to provide the best pay and conditions in our industry. In an industry dominated by the ‘gig economy’, insecure work, and low pay, our model sets us apart and we want to preserve it.

"The changes we need to make to this business will not involve any compulsory redundancies. Royal Mail has not used compulsory redundancy before. And we’re not going to start now.”

Speaking more generally on industrial relations, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: “After 11 months of talks, including mediation by Sir Brendan Barber and Acas, we are deeply concerned that our talks with CWU have concluded without an agreement.

“We made substantial efforts to reach an agreement, including making a number of further improvements to our offer. These improvements were all based on feedback from the CWU, and we were hopeful that the CWU would put a deal to its members.

“We remain committed to reaching an agreement with the CWU. We have been clear throughout the dispute that not transforming our network and working practices is not an option in a business losing more than £1 million a day.”

"In the best interests of the business, our customers, and the job security of our postmen and women, change cannot be delayed any further.”