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Royal Mail chief Simon Thompson pushes back against claims that union members are being intimidated during strike days, as disruption continues today.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, the delivery boss said: “On strike action days we’ve seen some extraordinary behaviours,” including allegations of sexism, racism and threats of violence.
Thompson said it is not something Royal Mail “would never tolerate,” explaining that any complaints are being looked at.
It comes after Communication Workers Union (CWU) leader Dave Ward told Sky News that the company had “intimidated” members of staff during industrial action.
The CWU has already taken action on 24 November, as well as the crucial online shopping day Black Friday, and has a further eight days planned. These include:
- Wednesday November 30
- Thursday December 1
- Friday December 9
- Sunday December 11
- Wednesday December 14
- Thursday December 15
- Friday December 23
- Christmas Eve
The CWU represents more than 100,000 of Royal Mail’s 140,000 workers, and has consistently argued for a pay rise in line with soaring inflation.
The union rejected the firm’s “best and final pay offer” last week, criticising Royal Mail’s “aggressive strategy”.
“These proposals spell the end of Royal Mail as we know it, and its degradation from a national institution into an unreliable, Uber-style gig economy company,” CWU General Secretary Dave Ward said in a statement.
“Make no mistake about it: British postal workers are facing an Armageddon moment.”
A union source told City A.M. that Thompson did not attend the final negotiation meeting this morning between the delivery giant and CWU, which they deemed “a complete dereliction of duty for one of Britain’s biggest CEOs to be missing in action when so much is at stake”.
A Royal Mail spokesperson told City A.M.: “It is disappointing that the CWU’s has increasingly taken to making false and misleading claims about the negotiations and launching personal attacks.
Royal Mail has told customers to “allow plenty of time” for posting items this year.
