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Introduction
There has been an industrial dispute between royal Mail service and its workers. Royal mail has been faced with crisis since 2007 when the first major industrial crisis faces the mail service provides. From since, there has been recurrence of the crisis with the parties involved making different demands. The industrial crisis has affected service provision by Royal Mail Service and reduced confidence to their services. Royal Mail Service dispute is a good example for evaluating industrial crisis in modern days and coming up with ways to solve such crisis.
Overview Royal Mail industrial Dispute
Royal Mail dispute is an ongoing dispute that involves Royal Mail Service and members of Communication Workers union. The current crisis started in the summer of this year after disagreement between the two parties involved. This crisis has started after two-year calm after a similar crisis occurred in 2007 (BBC News, 2009, par 4-5). The industrial crisis started after members of Communication Workers Union made protest against Royal Mail Service accusing it of failing to involve Communication Workers union in implementing major changes in their service (Gurdian.co.ke, 2009, par 1-6). Communication Workers Union claimed that modernisation plan undertaken by Royal Mail would affect job security of postal workers and wanted to be involved in the implementations. Strikes by postal workers at first started at local level with postal worker in individual cities such as Edinburgh and London accusing their employer of reducing jobs and services (BBC News, 2009, par par1). They claimed that this move went against Pay and Modernisation Agreement signed in 2007. However, the crisis went to national level after Communication Workers Union launched a national ballot for industrial action.
In the beginning October, Communication Workers Union unveiled the results of the ballot which showed that three quarters of postal workers voted in favour of a national strike. Later, it was announced that a national strike by all postal workers would take place on 22nd and 23rd of October. Talk between the two groups involved failed again leading to announcement of another strike to take place on 29th and 30th of October. Further national strikes planned for sixth and 9th of November however were called off to allow further negotiations between the groups. The series of strikes led thousand of items to be rolled back leading to huge losses Royal Mail.
The source of the crisis revolves around modernisation plans by Royal Media. Royal media has undertaken a two billion pounds modernisation plans that aim at making Royal Mail competitive in communication industrial (Henry, R., 2009, p11). Implementation of the plan started in 2007 and two thirds of the plan is already implemented. However, Royal Mail workers are discontent over how the plan is being implemented (BBC News, 2009, par 3-4). Postal workers fear that the plan, as implemented by Royal Mail would compromise their job security. Plans to create flexible work environment where postal workers would work outside normal working hours have received resistance from workers. In addition, the workers are not happy with how their pension is managed claiming that the pension plan compromised on workers welfare (BBC News, 2009, par 7-8).
Parties Involved
Royal Mail Service
Royal Mail service is the company involved in the dispute. Royal Mail has undertaken a modernisation plan that has led to the current crisis. Agreement for change in mail service was reached in 2007 after another industrial crisis. From agreement, it was agreed that changes ware necessary for the company to remain competitive in communication industry (Gurdian.co.ke, 2009, par 9-11). A two billion pounds modernisation plan unveiled in 2007 is three quarters completed. Royal Mails has also implemented changes to the working environment. The changes allow for flexible in workplace where workers are sent to other working places in the company depending with demand (OHagan, R., 2009, p9). The changes also demand that workers work two hour earlier or later than normal working hours.
Royal Mail insists that flexibility in working environment is necessary to the nature of services offered by the company (I C M, 2009, p4). It also claims that it is reasonable that employees working in one capacity to step in for another roles as required to make up for variation in workload. The company also insist that automation of its services was necessary to reduces cost, increase efficiency (OHagan, R, 2009, p11). Royal Mail accuses Communication Workers Union of resisting changes that would allow flexible working. It also accuses CMU of insincerity with its demands.
Communication Workers Union (CWU)
Communication Workers Union is the other party in the disputes. This body represent workers in communication industry; in this dispute, it represents postal workers in Royal Mail. CWU accuse Royal Mail of failing to involve postal workers in the modernisation plan. CWU claim that implementation of the plan does not consider the views raised by postal workers and fail to adhere to Modernisation agreement made between the body and Royal mail (Judge, G. & Gennard, J, 2008, p32). CMU resist the flexibility working implemented by Royal Media. It claims that by implementing the changes, Royal Mail is treating postal workers as slaves. The modernisation plan is accused of threatening job security of postal workers by cutting of jobs and services in the company (Gurdian.co.ke, 2009, par 7). CWU also claims that some Royal Mail official were burying and mistreating postal worker for no reason.
Communication Workers Union demands for a new job security agreement that will assure postal worker of sustainable full-time jobs with no mandatory redundancies (BBC News, 2009, par 6). CWU want postal worker to benefit from modernisation plan as well, through higher pay, reduced working hours and quality time. It also wants the work system to be streamlined so that daily workload can be based on objective and fair measurements (Gurdian.co.ke, 2009, par 3-4). Postal workers are also against constant reduction of earning in form of pay and pension.
Both parties agree on the need for modernisation. Royal Mail Service needs modernisation for it to be competitive in communication industry (I C M, 2009, p 7). CWU claims that it is not against modernisation but want its member to benefit from gains from modernisation. CWU is concerned with increased workload resulting from job freeze adopted. It also wants the working conditions of workers not to be compromised by local unrealistic budget demands undertaken by Royal Mail.
Options for Resolving the Crisis
The dispute in Royal Mail is a result of technological changes. Changes in technology have come up with new and effective ways of automating mail services. Existence of other aggressive competitors in mail service has called for improvement in services in order to remain competitive (Gurdian.co.ke, 2009, par 4-6). Thus, modernisation plan adopted by Royal Mail is aimed at increasing efficiency in service delivery as well as cutting operation cost (BBC News, 2009, par 5-7). CWU had agreed on the need for modernisation in 2007. With close examination, the main cause of the dispute is poor involvement of CWU in implementation of the plan. Flexible working is in agreement with modern trend in communication industry. However, poor involvement of workers and short transition period are the main cause workers dissatisfaction with the new conditions (Henry, R., 2009, p 8). Job security is very important in this program. With automation of many of the services, some worker might loose their jobs.
Since the national strikes have been postponed, the solution lies in the two parties being able to reach to an agreement. The period of calm resulting from the postponement will allow CWU and Royal Mail to soften their stands on the matter (Taiby, S. & Hollinshead, G, 2007, p56). Negotiations between the parties should come up with an agreement that will assure Royal Mail worker of job security secure despite of the modernisation plan.
Conclusion
Royal Mail Service industrial crisis is a good evidence of effects of technology and modernisation to work environments. Modernisation plan by Royal Mail has raised issues on job security, and working flexibility among postal workers. Failure to involve postal workers in the plans has raised suspicions, which have resulted to the crisis. The first and second phases of the national strikes have passed without an agreement. For solution, the parties should be able to reach an agreement on job security, earnings and pensions of postal workers.
Reference
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I C M (2009).September postal strikes cause more disruption. ICM Commercial and Business News. Web.
Gurdian.co.ke (2009). Royal Mail and union in talks to avert more strikes. The Guardian. Web.
Guardian.co.ke. (2009). Postal workers go on strike in London and Scotland . The Guardian. Web.
Gurdian.co.ke (2009). Postal union deciding whether to strike again. The Guardian. Web.
Guardian.co.ke. (2009). Union to go ahead with national postal strike ballot. Web.
Henry, R. (2009). Strike backlog of 30m undelivered letters. Times Online. Web.
Judge, G. & Gennard, J. (2008) Employee relations. London: CIPD Publishing.
OHagan, R. (2009). Sympathy for national strikers has run out. Mail Online. Web.
Taiby, S. & Hollinshead, G. (2007). Employee relations. New York: Pearson Education.
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