Government must tackle Royal Mail strikes

The trade association has repeatedly warned of the damaging effects of the strike action on UK business and is now calling on its members to follow its lead by contacting their local MPs to demand action.

In a letter to Lord Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, DMA chief of membership and brand, Robert Keitch, says:

“It is quite clear that businesses cannot sustain these interruptions indefinitely. Should relations deteriorate further and a national postal strike take effect, this would have a significant impact on businesses that rely on issuing invoices and receiving payment via post.

“We are seeing evidence that the economy might be staging a recovery from the recession and yet strike action could be the final blow for many struggling companies.”

Keitch adds that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) strike action in the dispute over jobs, pay and services will also be counterproductive to reaching their ultimate goal.

“Disruption to the post will drive companies away from using mail to sell their products, which will not be particularly helpful to the Royal Mail and its employees when mail volumes are already down year-on-year,” he says in the letter.

The call follows news yesterday (September 10) that CWU leaders planned to hold a national ballot on whether to back a nationwide walkout.

Meanwhile, fresh strikes were held in London yesterday, increasing the huge backlog of mail building up across the UK.