Postal talks inch toward resolution
Talks to end wildcat postal strikes have adjourned until noon on Sunday, with “progress” made during the 11 hours talks.
Negotiators from the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union CWU met for a fourth day on Saturday.
Royal Mail bosses intervened on Saturday, seeking closure to the costly industrial action.
Union bosses had expressed their frustration that Royal Mail was not taking the negotiations seriously and had put a “very low level manager” into the talks.
But the CWU said it was “extremely helpful” that Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier had entered talks for the first time.
The CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said yesterday morning: “It can be resolved if Royal Mail put their senior managers in to resolve it. It doesn’t sound like they want to.
“It sounds like they just want to make political capital and bully and intimidate their workforce.”
Speaking late last night, Mr Crozier said both parties were committed to wining back the loyalty of customers, staff and supporting the “long term future health of the business.”
Postal talks got off on a wrong footing yesterday after Royal Mail admitted to “spying” on its members.
The firm said it was “only right” to try to collect evidence of activities provoking unlawful strikes as a prelude to possible court action.
Arriving for the talks, deputy general secretary of the CWU, Dave Ward, said news of spying would not help to swiftly conclude the dispute.
Mr Ward said: ‘I think it’s very worrying. We have known for sometime now that the Royal Mail launched a concerted campaign against the union and our members have seen that in the last few weeks.’
On Saturday, discussions focused on a national agreement on overtime and the implementation of a single delivery service in London.
With Royal Mail losing millions each day through lack of business, Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton called on everyone involved to restore normal services.
“We shouldn’t be trying to score points off each other.
“We are in danger of losing sight of what this is all about.
‘We are not looking after our customers; that is the number one issue.
“I think we have lost the plot.”
The dispute has caused some 25,000 postal workers to down tools and has prompted the intervention of Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt.
“Neither megaphone diplomacy or unofficial action will solve the problem,” she said.
The two sides are expected to meet at the conciliation service Acas on Monday to renew negotiations over the London allowance.
