In the upcoming peak season, Parcelforce and Royal Mail employees who are part of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), have registered their votes crushingly in the favor of strike action.

From the total turnout of 75.9 percent, 97.1 percent of Royal Mail employees at the union support industrial action, while the a couple of ballots of Parcelforce employees yielded scores of 95 percent and 94.7 percent.

These employees drifted their votes in favor of the strike action due to concerns over job security, employment contracts and workload.

“The workforce has completely rejected the company’s plans to set up a separate parcels business and allow UK postal services and thousands upon thousands of jobs to wither on the vine,” stated CWU General Secretary Dave Ward, who was pointing to CEO Rico Back’s plan to make Parcelforce, a Royal Mail division, into its own limited company.

The Communication Workders Union (CWU) has blamed Royal Mail of breaking a promise on a blueprint agreement, which was made a year back—under the authorization of the  outgoing CEO, Moya Greene—the agreement contained pension solutions, a shorter working week, extended legal protections, and guarantee that Royal Mail would persist to comply its social duty as the United Kingdom’s assigned postal service provider, transporting mails 6 days in one week along with general costs all over the United Kingdom.

In response Royal Mail said: “We are very disappointed that CWU members have voted in favor of industrial action.” But, it noted: “A ballot result for industrial action does not necessarily mean there will be industrial action. No action can be taken, and formal notification of industrial action cannot be given, before the conclusion of our mediation period.

“We want to reach an agreement. Industrial action – or the threat of it – is damaging for our business and undermines the trust of our customers.”

Source: Post & Parcel