Royal Mail Strike: Hewitt Must Protect National Postal System

10.25.39am GMT Fri 31st Oct 2003

With approximately 16 million pieces of mail a day being affected by the currently postal strikes, Malcolm Bruce MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow DTI Secretary, has written to Patricia Hewitt to urge her to "intervene to bring to an end the escalating and deeply damaging disputes affecting Royal Mail".

Mr Bruce writes: "Royal Mail is state owned and provides a service which is part of the country's essential national infrastructure."

"If Royal Mail is to continue to have the benefit of a protected monopoly to provide a universal mail service both management and workforce should accept their responsibility to resolve these disputes while maintaining the service."

"Failure to do so will accelerate the decline of Royal Mail as business goes elsewhere and undermine its ability to deliver a valid universal service at all."

"Accusations between management and employees appear to becoming increasingly bitter clearly suggesting that urgent arbitration is required."

"Legislation should be introduced to require compulsory arbitration in cases where the critical national infrastructure of the country or essential public services are threatened."

I therefore urge you to take the action necessary to get the mail back on track and assure you the Liberal Democrats will support constructive initiatives in that direction."

ENDS (See Notes To Editors for full text of Letter)

The Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt

Department of Trade and Industry

1 Victoria Street

London

SW1H 0ET

31st October 2003

Postal Dispute

Dear Patricia,

I am writing to ask you to intervene to bring to an end the escalating and deeply damaging disputes affecting Royal Mail.

Royal Mail is, of course, state owned and provides a service which is part of the country's essential national infrastructure. Although the main dispute is centred on London, 20 per cent of the 82 million items handled daily by Royal Mail passes through London, making this strike a country-wide issue.

In addition there have been strikes or walkouts in Oxford, Essex, Kent, Milton Keynes, Coventry, Berkshire, Hampshire and Lanarkshire.

At a time when Royal Mail faces an uncertain future in the face of postal deregulation and its own losses and difficulties in meeting its delivery targets, management and the work force are not only failing to serve the public but undermining the viability of the core business and its ability to provide the universal service of which it is the monopoly provider.

In the House of Lords yesterday Lord Davies said in a reply to Lord Monson:

"Resolution of disputes is a matter for the management of Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union."

Is it not the case that that the Government has a responsibility to protect the national infrastructure from such damaging disruption and take the necessary powers to force both sides together to settle the dispute?

Accusations between management and employees appear to becoming increasingly bitter - clearly suggesting that urgent arbitration is required.

Liberal Democrats believe that legislation should be introduced to require compulsory arbitration in cases where the critical national infrastructure of the country or essential public services are threatened. I appreciate that these disputes are unofficial but such legislation could be framed in a way to deal with this.

If Royal Mail is to continue to have the benefit of a protected monopoly to provide a universal mail service both management and workforce should accept their responsibility to resolve these disputes while maintaining the service.

Failure to do so will accelerate the decline of Royal Mail as business goes elsewhere and undermine its ability to deliver a valid universal service at all.

I therefore urge you to take the action necessary to get the mail back on track and assure you the Liberal Democrats will support constructive initiatives in that direction.

Yours Sincerely

Malcolm Bruce MP

Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Trade and Industry