Royal Mail strike: Postal union hits back at claim threat of industrial action a move to 'disrupt' general election

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom has accused a major postal union of making a "politically calculated" bid to stop people voting in the general election.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) is locked in a bitter industrial dispute with the Royal Mail over pay and conditions.

It has threatened a mass walkout in the run-up to the 12 December election - potentially putting the delivery of millions of postal votes at risk.

Ms Leadsom said: "CWU's threat to ruin Christmas and disrupt the postal system during the general election is just a preview of things to come if Jeremy Corbyn is ever allowed near the keys to Number 10.

Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom has accused a major postal union of making a "politically calculated" bid to stop people voting in the general election.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) is locked in a bitter industrial dispute with the Royal Mail over pay and conditions.

It has threatened a mass walkout in the run-up to the 12 December election - potentially putting the delivery of millions of postal votes at risk.

Ms Leadsom said: "CWU's threat to ruin Christmas and disrupt the postal system during the general election is just a preview of things to come if Jeremy Corbyn is ever allowed near the keys to Number 10.

"The timing of this threat is clearly politically calculated and would disrupt both the election and people's Christmas deliveries."

Almost one in five people opted for a postal vote in 2017, according to the Electoral Commission, with requests to cast ballots at home more common among elderly people.

Royal Mail bosses wrote to the union - which is affiliated to Labour - last week, urging them not to "threaten the integrity of our democracy".

But the Business Secretary's comments drew an angry response from the union, which pointed out that it had "not yet called action".

And in a statement on Twitter it said: "We had our ballot in play well before the election. Don't blame us for your incompetence."

The union added: "If you didn't privatise Royal Mail we wouldn't be here."

That view was echoed by Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey.

The Labour frontbencher said: "The choice at this election is clear: the Tories on the side of needless greed or Labour on your side.

"The Tories and Lib Dems sold off Royal Mail, hitting workers' jobs and living standards while the company has paid out £1bn to private shareholders.

"CWU members voted overwhelmingly to strike before the election was called. This is about workers improving their pay and conditions and the future of the postal service."

Royal Mail has meanwhile vowed to make the protection of postal ballots its "number one priority" if the union opts for strike action.

The firm's managing director of regulation and corporate affairs Shane O’Riordain said: "We will invest significant resource to seek to ensure a seamless process for the handling of postal election material.

“A binding commitment from the CWU to remove the threat of strike action during the period of any general election is vital to ensuring a seamless electoral process in relation to postal votes.”

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A postal union has hit back at Andrea Leadsom’s claim its Royal Mail workers’ threat to hold a strike was a politically motivated move to "disrupt" the pre-Christmas election.

Business Secretary Mrs Leadsom said the timing of the Communication Workers Union's proposed industrial action would not only disrupt Christmas deliveries but also postal votes.

She said threatening to go out on strike in the run up to the poll was “politically calculated”.

But responding to her accusation that plans for a strike were political, the CWU said a ballot was held “well before” the December 12 election was called.

In a post on Twitter, the union wrote: "1. We have not yet called action. 2. We had our ballot in play well before the election. Don't blame us for your incompetence. 3. If you didn't privatise Royal Mail we wouldn't be here."

Royal Mail said it wrote to the CWU last week to say that if the union provides a binding commitment to remove the threat of strike action for the rest of 2019, the company will enter into discussions without preconditions. But Royal Mail said the CWU is not prepared to take up the offer.

Mrs Leadsom’s warning, in which she said the strike action is a “preview” of what to expect under Labour with Jeremy Corbyn as leader, raised fears millions of postal votes would not go uncounted as they would not be delivered.

She said: "CWU's threat to ruin Christmas and disrupt the postal system during the General Election is just a preview of things to come if Jeremy Corbyn is ever allowed near the keys to Number 10.

"The timing of this threat is clearly politically calculated and would disrupt both the election and people's Christmas deliveries."

Shane O'Riordain, Royal Mail managing director of regulation and corporate affairs, said: "In the event of industrial action in the run-up to a General Election, election mail will be our number one priority.

"We will invest significant resource to seek to ensure a seamless process for the handling of postal election material. Royal Mail volunteers will also work on the processing and delivery of election mail.

"Royal Mail is also meeting the CWU as a matter of urgency to discuss the union's request for an increase in the dedicated payments postmen and women receive for delivering each poll card and individual item of candidate mail.

"The recent ballot result for industrial action does not necessarily mean that industrial action will take place.

"In addition, Royal Mail continues to believe that a binding commitment from the CWU to remove the threat of strike action during the period of any General Election is vital to ensuring a seamless electoral process in relation to postal votes."

[work]

RM eat s**t...YOU AND THE THE REST, WHO SOLD US ALL DOWN THE RIVER...solidarity is OUR strength...this industrial action is due to RM ignoring mediation...their problem, so...RM eat s**t...revenge is a dish best served cold and I for one wouldn't give you the steam offa mine

[Sir Henry]

Testify!
Come the f***ing revolution.....

[postslippete]

Fecking politians, all corrupt the lot of 'em. We wouldn't be having a general election if parliament wasn't such a joke. Certainly won't be voting Tory.

[worktotime]

if they are that bothered about the delivery of there shite leaflets etc, , CANCEL the election till after December , as our I/A and what it is about is more important and was done well before there s**t .

[DiamondSmiles]

Get out there and deliver your own leaflets politicians! See first hand what it's like delivering in December.

[30+YEARMAN]

This woman must be totally thick,if she had done some research before coming out with this trash she would know what is really going on.

[Sir Henry]

She's not stupid but she has an agenda and belongs to a party with policies she must agree with for the most part.She is pitching her ideas to millions of people who have no idea or interest in the details and just want quick answers so they can get back to getting mindlessly intoxicated and staring at their weapons of mass distraction.

[scoobymunster]

Shane O'Riordain, Royal Mail managing director of regulation and corporate affairs, said: "In the event of industrial action in the run-up to a General Election, election mail will be our number one priority.

"We will invest significant resource to seek to ensure a seamless process for the handling of postal election material. Royal Mail volunteers will also work on the processing and delivery of election mail.

"Royal Mail is also meeting the CWU as a matter of urgency to discuss the union's request for an increase in the dedicated payments postmen and women receive for delivering each poll card and individual item of candidate mail.

I didn't realise this was part of the Agreement?

[work]

Shane O'Riordain, Royal Mail managing director of regulation and corporate affairs, said: "In the event of industrial action in the run-up to a General Election, election mail will be our number one priority.

"We will invest significant resource to seek to ensure a seamless process for the handling of postal election material. Royal Mail volunteers will also work on the processing and delivery of election mail.

"Royal Mail is also meeting the CWU as a matter of urgency to discuss the union's request for an increase in the dedicated payments postmen and women receive for delivering each poll card and individual item of candidate mail.

I didn't realise this was part of the Agreement?

CALL FOR RM DISASTER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: committed to doing the bare minimum in the face of impending doom! CWU should lay some cards on the table: now here's a thing...ALL future IA dates to coincide with ALL official last posting dates for xmas (international/sd guaranteed/ tracked 24/signed for/tracked 48/1st class/international tracking (internal received and sent)...result = broken written contracts throughout the land via p.o. counters' leaflets = £it's gonna cost rico a bit of his 'manager's time and bonus'. LET'S CALL IT A GOLDEN GOODBYE.
Just saying Keep calm and carry on working to time, NO SWEAT
For a man whom would like to break the union it is obvious that he's bitten offa a bit more than the shareholders can chew...about 97.1% too much

[Dorset Plodder]

If we weren't experienced at "Reading Between the Lines" (or "Bullshit Detection" as I prefer to call it ) you might be forgiven for thinking this statement actually made sense BUT we all know it's just politicians trying to put whatever spin they feel apppropriate for their point of view

It's good to see the CWU, and Left Orientated Press, are quick to post the True situation. Unfortunately much like the General Election, and the Brexit Shambles, everyone's putting so much Spin into their own Agendas that the Average Guy in the Street doesn't know who to believe. It's all "Smoke & Mirrors" We've had our Ballot, we know the situation, just sit tight and ignore the Bullshit!

[k979aaa]

They the conservative party voted 4 times for a general election AFTER we had finished voting on the abrogation of the last agreement by RM but judging by them they think they own RM no they sold it off in 2013. This is what CAPITALISM IS politicians of this creed have found themselves on the s**t end of a stick and it's their own fault because they don't know their arse from their elbow!