Union claims mail backlog is at record high

The Communication Workers Union today (Wednesday) strongly urges Royal Mail to engage in meaningful negotiations to agree changes for the business.  Union leaders claim the mail backlog is now bigger than at the height of the national strike of 2007...

The Communication Workers Union today (Wednesday) strongly urges Royal Mail to engage in meaningful negotiations to agree changes for the business.

Union leaders claim the mail backlog is now bigger than at the height of the national strike of 2007 with well over 20 million items backed up in London alone.

CWU also has reports of mail backlogs of a million items in the Bristol area and delays in the network across the UK. The situation is significantly disrupting mail with delays of over a week being reported.

Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: "Royal Mail's head in the sand approach to the problems in the mail industry is now severely damaging services for customers with backlogs bigger than in the national strike of 2007.

"Management have been attacking our members through bullying-in unagreed, often unworkable, changes. The dismissive attitude to staff at the same time as cuts to jobs, hours and overtime and a pay-freeze has made Royal Mail a dismal place to work.

"We are successful at bringing in change by agreement. Royal Mail needs the backing of postal workers to make the company successful and make change work. We want them to see sense and negotiate agreements which make change work for the company, staff and customers."

Further strikes are set for the coming week and a national ballot of all 130,000 Royal Mail postal workers will go ahead this month.