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A postal union has hit back at Andrea Leadsom’s claim its Royal Mail workers’ threat to hold a strike in the run-up to the general election is “politically calculated”.
Business Secretary Mrs Leadsom said the timing of the Communication Workers Union’s proposed industrial action would not only disrupt Christmas deliveries but also postal votes.
But responding to her accusation that plans for a strike were political, the CWU said a ballot was held “well before” the December 12 election was called.
In a post on Twitter, the union wrote: “1. We have not yet called action. 2. We had our ballot in play well before the election. Don’t blame us for your incompetence. 3. If you didn’t privatise Royal Mail we wouldn’t be here.”
Royal Mail said it wrote to the CWU last week to say that if the union provides a binding commitment to remove the threat of strike action for the rest of 2019, the company will enter into discussions without preconditions. But Royal Mail said the CWU is not prepared to take up the offer.
Mrs Leadsom’s warning, in which she said the strike action is a “preview” of what to expect under Labour with Jeremy Corbyn as leader, raised fears millions of postal votes would not go uncounted as they would not be delivered.
She said: “CWU’s threat to ruin Christmas and disrupt the postal system during the General Election is just a preview of things to come if Jeremy Corbyn is ever allowed near the keys to Number 10.
“The timing of this threat is clearly politically calculated and would disrupt both the election and people’s Christmas deliveries.”
Shane O’Riordain, Royal Mail managing director of regulation and corporate affairs, said: “In the event of industrial action in the run-up to a General Election, election mail will be our number one priority.
“We will invest significant resource to seek to ensure a seamless process for the handling of postal election material. Royal Mail volunteers will also work on the processing and delivery of election mail.
“Royal Mail is also meeting the CWU as a matter of urgency to discuss the union’s request for an increase in the dedicated payments postmen and women receive for delivering each poll card and individual item of candidate mail.
“The recent ballot result for industrial action does not necessarily mean that industrial action will take place.
“In addition, Royal Mail continues to believe that a binding commitment from the CWU to remove the threat of strike action during the period of any General Election is vital to ensuring a seamless electoral process in relation to postal votes.”
