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The Communication Workers Union has secured pay-outs from Royal Mail for 27 postal workers who had their pay stopped without good reason last August. The 27 postal staff work at the Royal Mail Streatham delivery office in London had two days’ pay stopped after following a CWU campaign called ‘Do the Job Properly’ in August 2007 and following publication the CWU's "Lighten the Load" - CWU 'Safe Working on Delivery Guide' booklet which had been produced by the Union's National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce and endorsed by the HSE. The ‘Do the Job Properly’ campaign encouraged workers to attend work on time and not come in early, take their proper meal breaks, not to carry bags heavier than agreed health and safety weight limits and not to use their private cars for delivering mail. Managers at three Delivery Offices including Streatham wrongly penalised staff for a subsequent build-up of mail and accused staff or being on a go-slow. The 27 CWU members cases were brought to an employment tribunal at Croydon 2nd September and Royal Mail’s defence collapsed on 4th September with company agreeing to reimburse all the workers outstanding pay deductions running into several thousand pounds. Bob Gibson, CWU National Outdoor Officer, said: “This is an important victory for both the individuals involved and the CWU. Postal workers should not be penalised for working in accordance with their contractual responsibilities and within health and safety guidelines. This result sends a strong message to Royal Mail that intimidating behaviour by managers against postal workers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” CWU National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce said: "I'm extremely pleased that the Streatham members have won their cases but disappointed Royal Mail Letters didn't concede long before now. A culture of ignoring health and safety had developed in these offices and others where poorly trained Local Managers with an inability to manage health and safety as part of their normal activities meant that unsafe working went unchallenged because the sole focus was on productivity targets. Area Managers were failing to monitor health and safety and distancing themselves from it. Walk Risk Assessments were poor and inaccurate, there was a lack of manual handling controls built into walk design, a procedure to control pouch weights didn't exist and dangerous short cuts were taken on delivery rounds. Hopefully the new leadership in Royal Mail Letters will now work closely with the Union to change this round and improve Safety standards. There's been a significant change in recent months but its got to be sustained because there's a lot to do" Source: CWU
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