2007 Royal Mail Industrial Disputes - Key Events

Key Events

• On 7 June 2007 the union's postal members voted by 77.5% in favour of industrial action after a 2.5% pay rise coupled with £350million every year for five years (totaling £1.5 billion) of cuts was offered.
• They took their first one day strike on Friday 29th of June 2007, and the second on 12th/13th of July.
  • The action then progressed to a series of rolling strikes designed to cause as much disruption as possible.
• On the 9th of August strikes were called off when Royal Mail chairman Alan Leighton and CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes began secret talks. .*These negotiations failed and industrial action began again at 12PM on 5 October.
  • This time two national strikes of 48 hours were called.
  • These took place on Friday 5th and Saturday 6 October, and then Monday 8th and Tuesday 9 October.
  • In between these dates was a Sunday so no deliveries took place between the Friday and Tuesday, but resumed on Wednesday with a large backlog of undelivered mail.
• On the 6th of October 2007 a march of over 100 postal workers supported by local groups of TUC members, a pensioners group against Post Office closures and the local branch of the Socialist Party took place in Stoke on Trent, stretching 2 miles from Burslem to Hanley. A rally at the end featured many speakers including local CWU vice branch secretary, Mick Pender, and Socialist Party member Andy Bentley.
• On 12 October, Royal Mail challenged the legality of the next phase of the planned action, claiming that the notice of the strike had been improperly issued.
• 24 hour strikes were planned for;
  • Monday 15 October from 6pm at Mail sorting offices and airports
  • Tuesday 16 October from 3am at Deliveries and collection hubs
  • Wednesday 17 October from midday for Royal Mail drivers
  • Thursday 18 October from midday for Manual data entry centres
  • Thursday 18 October from 2pm at Heathrow world distribution centre.
• In late afternoon 12 October, Royal Mail succeeded in obtaining an injunction at London's High Court banning the scheduled strikes starting on 15th and 16 October. The union responded by issuing a suspension of the strikes. In addition, the planned actions in Airports and Separate Collection Hubs were withdrawn because of the small numbers involved.
• On the evening of 12 October, Royal Mail and the CWU reached an agreement which was to be discussed by the union executive on 15–16 October, and if recommended by the union executive, put to members in a postal ballot.