The Communication Workers Union (CWU) yesterday launched a campaign to highlight the threat to the UK’s universal postal service and jobs.
Calling for the postal regulator Ofcom to ‘step in and redress the balance of unfair competition’, the CWU announced it will hold a consultative ballot of its members in Royal Mail in the New Year with the intention of boycotting competitors’ mail.
This would mean that any mail sent via a company other than Royal Mail would not be delivered.
If no progress is made by the regulator then the boycott will be put in place.
Private postal company mail makes up 45% of letter volumes delivered by Royal Mail, a figure which has consistently grown under competition arrangements.
Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: ‘What we’re seeing is private companies being able to do what they want with little concern for how it affects postal-services in the round.
‘For example, TNT is conducting end-to-end deliveries without having to meet any quality standards while paying people little more than minimum wage.
‘That will lead to a race to the bottom on pay which will be bad news for the economy in general and postal workers in particular.
‘It’s not a coincidence that thousands of Royal Mail jobs have been lost and mail centres and delivery offices closed since the UK postal market was opened up to liberalisation ahead of the rest of Europe in 2000.
‘When TNT boasts of creating 20,000 jobs over five years, this means 20,000 jobs below the living wage, not on full-time hours, and reducing fairly paid jobs elsewhere in the industry.
‘We want a fair deal for all workers across the postal sector with decent pay and conditions, but current competition means cutting costs at the expense of decent jobs. TNT competes by paying poverty wages.’
CWU is calling for the postal regulator Ofcom to step in and redress the balance of unfair competition to protect the universal service and end cherry-picking in delivery, maintain quality, affordable postal services and prevent competition on the basis of low wages, insecure jobs and poor conditions.
Rob Bolton, Postal Delivery Rep South East Number One branch of the CWU, said: ‘I’m right behind boycotting competitors and our members refusing to deliver their mail.
‘We must demand the restoration of the Post Office monopoly, not hold out the mirage that there is such a thing as fair competition.
‘We must have strike action, but it must be a strike aimed at getting rid of privatisation.
‘As far as postal workers are concerned that means a strike aimed at getting rid of the government.’
