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Carl Webb, NW Regional Secretary has written to all NW MPs in order to highlight the issues around the postal strike: Letter to North West MPs Dear Colleague I am writing on behalf of all CWU members in the North West many of whom are both your constituents and postal workers. As you know CWU Members have recently overwhelmingly voted in support of industrial action and the union’s vision to save our industry as a public service going forward. We must make it clear that we have not asked for a 27% pay rise, this is a long term aim. In fact, just last year we reached an agreement, in good faith with Royal Mail whereby we both agreed, that shaping the future of the industry would involve raising the status and value of a postal workers job. Royal Mail should refrain from deliberately misleading you and the public on this point. What postal workers want is a decent basic living wage. The Union will be realistic about what can be achieved in the short term but with inflation currently above 4 % it would be unreasonable to expect our members to accept a pay cut in real terms. This is against the backdrop that the majority of postal workers pay is currently approximately £80 below the current UK average of £405 per week It has not helped that a number of Royal Mail Directors including the Chief Executive have recently received large bonus in a supposedly failing business. The CWU and its members have never hidden away from the fact that we are now operating in an increasingly liberalised market and as such have never been afraid of change. Indeed postal workers over the last few years have delivered unprecedented levels of change and savings in recognition of this. We support the business in their plans for increased mechanisation as part of its modernisation process. We do not however support Royal Mail’s current policy of engaging in a cost cutting frenzy that quite frankly is damaging and involves a reduction in the service we provide to the public. Royal Mail’s current savings strategy/business plan has already seen a massive closure programme of vital Crown Offices and local sub offices, reduced pillar box collections alongside plans for Mail Centre and Delivery Office closures. This places a distinct threat to our ability to maintain the universal service obligation that underpins the Post Office as a public service. The union have been clear, in that our vision for the future involves the development of new services for customers tailored to meet the ever changing customer base, and a well paid professional workforce, albeit that may well be a reduced workforce. We believe that it is entirely legitimate for a union with 130,000 members working in the industry to have a say on the future of their industry and their role within it. Management’s current stance is to deny us this opportunity by insisting that their way is the only legitimate one. Postal workers are conscientious good people who are the only workers who provide a service to every household in the UK irrespective of social status and where you live. These are not people who relish the prospect of running head long into a dispute and care deeply about their customers. They are however asking, what the governments position is especially with a Royal Mail Director being quoted in a newspaper saying "This will be bloody. We have had the miners, we have had Longbridge and now we have this,". That is why we are appealing to you to use whatever influence you have, including speaking to the minister responsible for the post office, to persuade Royal Mail back to the negotiating table with a fresh approach that not only focuses on pay but seeks consensus on how we shape the future of our industry. In regard to competition Labour’s manifesto clearly commits to review its effects on Royal Mail’s ability to fulfill its universal service obligation. In light of the decision by the EU to further delay the possible introduction of full liberalisation to 2012 we believe that this commitment needs to be enacted sooner rather than later and we would welcome your support in bringing this about. If you need any more information please don’t hesitate to contact me. Carl Webb
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