Royal Mail: we don’t care what the union says

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

Trust is breaking down and a bitter and drawn out dispute between the Royal Mail and CWU is becoming increasingly likely, after a leaked document revealed the Royal Mail’s attempt to marginalise the postal workers’ union, and encourage outside labourers to cross the picket line.

The document, apparently marked “strictly confidential” says:

“Putting transformation on hold because of non-agreement is not an option. A new relationship with our people is non-negotiable and will happen anyway, with or without union agreement.”

Even more concerning, the plan appears to have the support of Peter Mandelson, who has refused to intervene and described the strike action as “suicidal”.

Billy Hayes, General Secretary of the CWU, said:

“A Labour government can’t stand by and let the management of a business it owns trample all over workers and trample all over a trades union.”

Although the Royal Mail are denying they wish to “crush” the union, and are saying “the contents of the e-mail sent to us by Newsnight do not reflect Royal Mail’s policy”, one CWU member is sceptical:

“This is dynamite. They keep stamping on every olive branch we offer them, now we know why. It looks as if there is a hidden agenda to defeat the union.”