Letter: No dispute in the Post Office

From Mr Alan Johnson

Sir: Your report on industrial relations in the Post Office ("The last post", 17 January) was, in parts, amusing (I was described as a militant when I led the union campaign against privatisation, a moderate in your sister paper last Sunday and a right-winger in Wednesday's article), but it did highlight the tensions caused in a business where the workforce has not seen the success of the business reflected in their terms and conditions (86 per cent of delivery staff still work the same compulsory six-day week that was introduced in 1847).

I can assure your readers that no one in the Communication Workers Union is seeking a national dispute. Our objective is to provide the high-quality delivery service that the public expects, with a professional and mainly full-time workforce on manageable deliveries that do not require breaches to health and safety standards or subjection to a harsh and repressive disciplinary regime.

We are determined to achieve these objectives through discussion and negotiation. If that determination is shared by the employer, there is no reason why we should not succeed.

Yours sincerely,

Alan Johnson

Joint General Secretary

Communication Workers Union

London, SW4

18 January