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Statements by Our Candidates in the 2005 Elections

Oisín Kehoe

Royal Mail crisis deepens - Backlog of mail expected

Monday 2nd May 2005

The general public is to suffer from a major backlog and delay of mail as tension between postal workers and management reaches boiling point in Derry's Sorting Office.  Amidst workers' claims of harassment and threats of disciplinary action by management over 'wilful delay' of post, Oisín Kehoe of the Socialist Environmental Alliance (SEA) described the situation as a 'ticking timebomb' and asked the public to back the postal workers.

"The backlog of mail is building up because postal workers were ordered under protest to take out election material prepared by non-union, cut price labour to rural areas from the Derry office", says Mr. Kehoe. "With this material taking priority, workers could not be expected to deliver ordinary mail within their working hours without extra help and this was not provided for by management."

This latest dispute centres around postal workers in Derry being offered half of what Belfast workers were to deliver election material.  "When the SEA removed its literature from the office in protest ­ and at the request of workers on the floor ­ we showed the leadership on real issues that affect people by placing ourselves in the centre of workers' struggle, as we said we would.  "

The SEA council candidate for Northland went on, "This issue will not go away when the elections are done and dusted and is in a long line of attacks on Royal Mail employees everywhere as the public service is opened up and privatisation brought in. Bags are getting heavier, post offices are closed and the workforce is reduced putting added strain on workers." 

Mr Kehoe concluded, "We continue to support the workers here and condemn outright any attempt at harassment by management over mail delay caused by their decision to undervalue the workers' labour.  Their behaviour is in direct contrast to the first class conduct of postal workers simply demanding equality of payment."





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