04.11.09 - Ongoing industrial action
Jersey Post is preparing for the effects that national postal strikes threatened for this week and next will have on local mail.
Unlike the targeted industrial actions of last month, the Communication Workers Union has announced that it still plans national walk-outs on Friday 6 and Monday 9 November. Talks between both parties are continuing to be facilitated by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in order to try and prevent the national stoppages going ahead.
Jersey Post’s General Manager of Postal Services Andy Jehan said although incoming and outgoing mail had been delayed by the previous actions, staff had worked hard to clear the resulting backlog so that services could return to normal as quickly as possible. He confirmed that incoming UK mail and local mail entering the UK system has been delayed between 24 and 48 hours, but international mail has been largely unaffected.
‘If this Friday’s strike goes ahead then the mail leaving the Island on Thursday, for addresses in the UK, will not reach its final destination until Saturday at the earliest. In regards to incoming mail we expect very little to arrive on Saturday or next Tuesday,’ he said.
As this latest industrial action is taking the form of all-out strikes, Royal Mail cannot guarantee the timed delivery of items sent by Special Delivery. Nonetheless, this service will be given priority and is recommended as the best method for posting sensitive items of mail while industrial action is taking place. To date, this service has achieved a 98% delivery success rate during the periods of industrial action.
Mr Jehan reiterated Jersey Post’s advice to Islanders that they should continue to post mail as normal and in plenty of time to allow for delivery before any planned industrial action. They should also use the correct address and post code, as clearly addressed mail speeds up the sorting process and gets items of mail into a postman’s hands as quickly as possible.
While talks continue between the union and Royal Mail, Jersey Post remains hopeful that both parties will finally resolve their differences.
Jersey Post will continue to issue further information as and when it becomes available and apologies in advance for any inconvenience to customers. Regular updates are being posted on the Group’s website as well as being communicated to major customers and the Island’s media.