Union plans legal action against Royal Mail
CWU could take legal action against Royal Mail over use of 30,000 temporary staff
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By inthenews. |  |
Tuesday, 27, Oct 2009 09:34
By Sarah Garrod
Union bosses could take legal action against the Royal Mail over the use of temporary staff during planned strikes, reports claim.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is said to be seeking legal advice, with plans to go to the high court, if the Royal Mail go ahead with plans to take on 30,000 temporary workers.
The union claims the hiring of the staff breaks employment law when permanent staff are striking, but the postal service has always stood firm on the decision, saying double the amount of temporary pre-Christmas staff are needed to deal with the back-log of mail.
A senior CWU union source told The Daily Mirror: "We want an injunction to stop them recruiting any more temporary workers and to send home the ones they've already hired.
"We don't need to prove the case to win an injunction, just to satisfy the judge there is a reasonable case to answer."
Royal Mail has insisted the extra workers brought in will not carry out the work of permanent staff. They will be in talks today with the CWU after a deadlock seven-hour talk yesterday failed to reach agreement.
Following on from last week's strikes, up to 120,000 union members could stage a further 24-hour strike this Thursday of a deal isn't reached.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told journalists on Monday progress had been made in the negotiations between both sides, but further talks would continue today.
"The Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Royal Mail have been meeting today [Monday] at the TUC to discuss all the issues involved in the current dispute.
"We have had useful discussions and the talks are being adjourned to allow further work to be done overnight on some of the issues involved.
"We will be reconvening again in the morning here at Congress House [TUC headquarters] to continue the talks."