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Postal workers intend to strike for two days next week

Tue, 04 Dec 2018

Isle of Man postal workers will walk out for two days next week in protest against an “outrageous attack on their job security, pensions, and terms and conditions”, the Communication Workers Union can announce.
 
On an enormous 91 per cent turnout, the company’s CWU membership voted by an even more enormous 93 per cent for the action, in a reflection of the anger felt at management’s plans to slash pensions benefits, impose a below-inflation pay settlement and introduce a two-tier employment model.
 
Commenting on today’s announcement, Deputy General Secretary (Postal), Terry Pullinger said: “The Isle of Man postal workers have been in dispute with the IOM Post Office for many months. They are faced with fait acompli proposals that represent a hugely aggressive attack on CWU members’ employment, standard of living and retirement security, the next generation of postal workers and a great public service. These proposals are totally disproportionate to the challenges the industry faces and unnecessary.
 
The CWU has a proven track record of negotiating agreements that rise to these challenges in other postal administrations in the UK – such as Jersey and Guernsey – but you cannot negotiate with faceless decision makers who don’t come in the room and refuse to change their diktat.
 
The IOM postal workers have not taken industrial action for over 20 years but have voted by 93% in an unprecedented 91% turnout to take strike action in protest to the most adversarial IOM PO Board they have ever experienced.
 
The CWU have notified the intention to take strike action on the 13th and 14th December and they have also offered the opportunity for intense and genuine negotiations on the 10th, 11th and 12th of December in the hope that common sense will prevail and an agreement can be reached.”
 
Following the announcement of the ballot result, the CWU executive met today and approved plans for a two-day postal strike right across the island, on Thursday the 13th December and Friday 14th.
 

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