CWU could stop agencies supplying Royal Mail with 'strike breakers'
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The Communications Workers Union (CWU) could be able to stop the Royal Mail from using temporary workers as “strike breakers”, according to David Israel, partner at legal firm Wedlake Bell.
Postal workers are in the midst of a 48-hour strike, with further industrial action planned for next week.
A spokesperson for CWU told Recruiter that the union was seeking legal advice. “We have sought legal advice from John Hendy QC and we are compiling evidence. We have not launched the legal challenge at the moment.”
Bell told Recruiter: “The CWU may get the sympathy of the Courts if they can establish that temporary workers have been brought in to undertake the duties of those who are currently striking, certainly without Royal Mail first formally resolving the employment status of those who are on strike.
“Although the number of temporary workers hired by Royal Mail appears to be much greater than usual, it does not necessarily follow that these temporary workers will be undertaking to the duties of those striking - there would appear to be no problem with the temporary workers assisting in the clearing up of the back-log of post after the strike has ended.”
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Readers' comments (2)
veronica macleod | Sat, 24 Oct 2009 0:28 am
My husband is a CWU rep on nights, and the night shift manager is having pops at us all the time because of the strikes. So i say take legal action because Royal Mail will say the temporary staff will not be doing the work but i know they are doing the work. The casuals here in Milton Keynes said they did all the work that was in the mail centre.
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Dave Isaacson | Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:09 am
It is clear as day that these casuals are being employed to break the strike. The CWU should certainly take legal action, but mustn't rely on their winning in the courts. We know that the courts will often take the bosses side. Those considering taking casual work with Royal Mail need to be persuaded that taking these jobs at this time is scabbing and must be rejected.
Also, the strike now needs to go all out otherwise postal workers will be undoing all their work by clearing their own backlog while working on non-strike days. Victory to the postal workers!
The article here shows what is at stake in this strike: http://mkcommunists.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/royal-mail%E2%80%99s-assault-and-our-political-tasks/
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