Mandelson condemns planned strikes by Royal Mail workers

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today condemned planned strikes by postal workers, accusing union members of "standing in the way of progress" over Royal Mail modernisation plans.

Members of the Communication Workers Union will take three days of action in London next week over complaints that jobs, pay and services were being cut.

The strikes were publicised yesterday, shortly after Lord Mandelson announced that the Government was not going ahead with its controversial plan to part-privatise the Royal Mail.

Opposition politicians described the move as a "humiliating climbdown" by the Government.

Lord Mandelson said of the strikes: "This is exactly the head-in-the sand approach I have warned about. The Royal Mail needs to change and modernise to turn itself round and compete effectively. The union nationally agreed a way forward two years ago, but its own branches are standing in the way of progress.

"The need for modernisation in Royal Mail has not gone away. We have heard a lot from both management and the CWU that they are up for change. Now it's time to deliver it.

"We are looking for the changes to Royal Mail's operations and working practices agreed under the 2007 pay and modernisation agreement to be delivered. Endless industrial relations problems and disputes are damaging the company and their ability to compete."

Lord Mandelson's department said that in the last few months there have been postal strikes throughout London as well as in Ipswich, Edinburgh, Alloa, Grangemouth, Irvine, Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, Broxburn and Bathgate.

In 2007 60% of days lost in the whole UK economy through industrial action were accounted for by Royal Mail, the department added.
The union said its members in London were facing arbitrary pay cuts and job losses and claimed services were being hit.

Ministers had argued that private sector money was needed to secure the future of the Royal Mail, which is facing a multi-billion pound pension deficit.