Government must tackle Royal Mail strikes
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The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is calling on the Government to intervene in the protracted stand off between Royal Mail and its employees.
The trade association has repeatedly warned of the damaging effects of the strike action on UK business and is now calling on its members to follow its lead by contacting their local MPs to demand action.
In a letter to Lord Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, DMA chief of membership and brand, Robert Keitch, says:
“It is quite clear that businesses cannot sustain these interruptions indefinitely. Should relations deteriorate further and a national postal strike take effect, this would have a significant impact on businesses that rely on issuing invoices and receiving payment via post.
“We are seeing evidence that the economy might be staging a recovery from the recession and yet strike action could be the final blow for many struggling companies.”
Keitch adds that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) strike action in the dispute over jobs, pay and services will also be counterproductive to reaching their ultimate goal.
“Disruption to the post will drive companies away from using mail to sell their products, which will not be particularly helpful to the Royal Mail and its employees when mail volumes are already down year-on-year,” he says in the letter.
The call follows news yesterday (September 10) that CWU leaders planned to hold a national ballot on whether to back a nationwide walkout.
Meanwhile, fresh strikes were held in London yesterday, increasing the huge backlog of mail building up across the UK.
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Readers' comments (14)
Anonymous | Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:04 am
These strikes have affected our business but also personal life. Bills arriving late, making payments late. Presents not arrived for my partners birthday. These strikes should not be allowed, one strike then action of some kind must be taken. These constant strikes are a strain on the whole country and affects all of us. Disputes over job cuts and pay should be discussed within the company NOT aired across the country, same as with the rail strikes. Are these Unions really doing long term good to the UK.
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Anonymous | Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:36 pm
Do Royal Mail realise that they will all be out of a jobs soon because they are giving there business to other companys who can provide the service the public need.
Royal Mail need to know they are not the only people suffering from low pay!
The public have lost interest in Royal Mail.
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Christine (www.PoshMums.com) | Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:46 pm
It is a shame that strike action could not be avoided as we are desperately trying to service our customers online orders. PoshMums.com supplies breastfeeding equipment for special needs, failure to thrive, underweight and newborn babies, etc, - our customers often need certain items and components quickly. For regular postal deliveries, Royal Mail is the only way we can get items to customers effectively. We now have many disappointed and angry customers and no matter what is said it always reflects on us personally when items are late or LOST due to strike action...
Christine (www.poshmums.com)
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Anthony | Fri, 11 Sep 2009 2:01 pm
Spot on - another case of turkeys voting for Christmas. If the Governemtn had bitten the bullet and privatised the Royal Mail 10 years ago this wouldn't be happening
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Rick | Fri, 11 Sep 2009 4:41 pm
I was a postman until earlier this year. I left because the service was becoming an embarassment both internally and externally. The strikes seem to be occurring more frequently and I just can't fathom how either party is still prepared to continue trudging through like this. I think postmen are overpaid given the unskilled nature of their job, managers overpaid, and both groups refuse to listen to one another outside of their respective unions.
Simply put, unless the government or the regulator comes in to STOP these strikes, I don't see any light, just a dark, dark tunnel!
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Anonymous | Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:26 pm
The strikes are a disgrace. Royal Mail management do not even know who is and who is not on strike. I have not receive dnumerous postal items among which my weekly magazine subscription for the last 3 weeks, some school equipment for my children and others...I also used to use Royal mail to post my ebay items. So far in a month they have managed to loose 4 packets out of 10... Buyers are not happy!!! Speaking to the delivery man this morning, he admitted that my local sorting office was in complete chaos, with mail overflowing and nobody really in charge to prioritise work... Yet there is no mention of any issue on the Royal Mail website in my neighbourhood!!!! THIS HAS GOT TO STOP AND THE LEAST THAT ROYAL MAIL COULD DO IS REPORT PROPERLY ON THE STRIKE....
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Gan | Sat, 12 Sep 2009 7:31 am
i live in Singapore. I send frequent items to UK recipients and buy online items from UK sellers. Due to the postal strike, will my items be affected? I also have paid for an item on ebay to a UK seller. He has sent it but told me i will not be able to receive the item i paid for due to the postal strike.
Can Royal Mail stop the postal strikes immediately and let all overseas recipients receive the items that they need?
It's a national shame for Royal Mail to resort to postal strikes to resolve internal problems.
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Samantha Smith | Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:13 pm
I think people who do not work for Royal Mail should have a little more consideration for others. Post men and women obviously not losing out on possible close to a months pay for fun.
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Anonymous | Sun, 13 Sep 2009 8:07 am
truth! truth! truth! why do people think delivery staff are striking?
we are out there trying to save your postal service, to improve it would be a dream royal mail are making impossible.
its a struggle to maintain the standard we have now . ask yourselves how many places can you be at one time?
instead of knocking the posties support us , its your service we are fighting for as well as our job's. if we lose this fight then you will have no one to blame but yourselves, posties are not to blame we are the little people payed the least blamed the most and the only ones who care about the customer................yes we care about the public service, what do we get for our trouble? abuse from those we serve and bullying intimidation and threats from royal mail...................
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Anonymous | Sun, 13 Sep 2009 1:45 pm
As a Royal Mail employee and a strike breaker, I am deeply embarassed by the bad name the CWU have given Royal Mail. Please don't be to harsh in your opinion of our hard working people. The real fault lays with the CWU trying to flex its trade unionist muscles and tell our managers how to run the company. Billy Haynes should be sent back in a time capsule to the 70s where dinosaurs like him belong.
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