British postal union loses appeal to lift injunction blocking strikes

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have lost an appeal to lift an injunction blocking them from going on strike in the runup to Christmas and the general election.

In October, members of the CWU overwhelmingly voted in favour of the strikes, with 97 percent of votes from a 76 percent turnout, following concerns about job security and employment terms.

But Royal Mail successfully argued for an injunction to block the result of the vote, citing “irregularities” in the ballot and warning that holding strikes could disrupt millions of postal votes during the upcoming December election.

On Monday, Royal Mail confirmed the CWU had been unsuccessful in its application to the Court of Appeal to overturn the interim injunction.

Shane O’Riordain, managing director of regulation and corporate affairs at Royal Mail, said in a statement: “Royal Mail is pleased that the Court of Appeal has upheld the High Court’s decision to grant an interim injunction against CWU meaning that no industrial action can be taken before the completion of a lawful ballot. This decision still stands.

“We did not take the decision to go to the High Court lightly. We sought to reach a resolution outside the courts. It is vital that our colleagues are able to vote without any constraint imposed upon them by any other party.

“We want to reach an agreement. As previously announced, we have written to CWU to say we want to enter into discussions without preconditions. Following this offer, we are hopeful that we can now follow on with meaningful discussions with the union to resolve this dispute.”

Photo credit: Royal Mail website